Phase Three — The New Hampshire Forum Civic Assembly
From September 25-27, 2026, 56 Granite Staters from across the state participated in a Civic Assembly hosted by The New Hampshire Forum. Over three days, these delegates drafted, deliberated, and voted on policy directives, with six receiving supermajority support.
A diverse group from across the state, regular citizens tackled the critical issue of housing affordability and ownership. Each working group defined the issue they felt was the most important and created policy directives with the support of nonpartisan moderators. Housing experts, representing different issue areas, were available to answer delegate questions.
The Civic Assembly featured four in-depth working sessions over three days. Six independent experts on housing briefed the delegates and answered questions to inform their discussions.
More housing choices
Housing rules and decisions
Housing funding, taxes and incentives
Delegates passed six housing policy directives, with each receiving supermajority (>70%) support.
The policy recommendations below contain the exact text approved by the Civic Assembly, including any notes or clarification the delegates made. They have not been altered or summarized in any way.
Three days at the Grappone Center in Concord. Six working groups, four deep-dive working sessions, expert panel discussions, three rounds of voting, one final set of ratified directives.
In the voices of Granite Staters, what they thought about the experience.
"Productive and empowering — I didn’t just learn about the needs of the state and policies, I learned that I belonged in the conversation and part of the solution."
— Delegate, leans Republican
"I learned that things here in NH are not all about us versus them. It’s much, much more than that."
— Delegate, leans Democratic
"It was very productive and I was amazed at how smooth we all worked together. No one person was left out."
— Delegate, no party lean
"I feel like a lot of things need to change, and if I don’t open my mouth and participate, they are not likely to change in the way we need."
— Delegate, Republican
48 of 55 delegates were highly positive about the event; they gave 9 or 10 out of 10
93% of delegates rated the Civic Assembly’s decision-making fair, 8 or higher out of 10
95% of delegates believe The New Hampshire Forum will positively impact the state
From April 2 to May 25, 2026, Granite Staters answered this question: If New Hampshire's state leaders and residents could solve one problem, what should it be? More than 18,000 Granite Staters contributed issues, reactions, and votes, surfacing the top four issue areas.
Read the full reportIn June and July 2026, 326 Granite Staters signed up for eight online conversations and two face-to-face conversations in Concord and Nashua. They discussed four issues, based on the input of thousands of residents in Phase One.
Read the full reportLast spring, thousands of Granite Staters shared how the lack of affordable housing impacted them. Delegates at the Civic Assembly approved six policy directives around housing affordability. The next step is to turn those directives into legislation that will make an impact.
Work with The New Hampshire Forum's Legislative Advisors to create legislation for the 2027 session.
The legislative filing period is November 4-18, 2026.
During November & December, state representatives and senators will be sworn in, elect leadership for the House and the Senate and committee assignments will be made. Legislative Services works with legislators to fine-tune draft legislation before it is signed and made public.
Engage public support throughout the entire legislative process. Keep Granite Staters informed on the legislation, where it is in the process and how they can help make it a reality.
Take Action
Citizen-led recommendations only become law when Granite Staters push for them. Sign up to help advance our housing affordability recommendations through the upcoming session of the New Hampshire State Legislature.
