To the Editor:
During our last campaign season, House Republicans ran on The Contract With New Hampshire. Included in our Contract With New Hampshire was the priority of expanding housing and lowering property taxes. As a member of the Housing Committee, I find expanding housing to be one of our most important priorities this Legislative Session. Senate Bill 188 is one bill that will greatly assist in expanding housing and speeding up development of new housing projects.
SB188, also called the “Speeding Development Act,” does two things. First, it allows independent third parties, hired by the owner of the property, to inspect land, buildings, and structures to ensure compliance with the state building code. Second, it establishes private providers as an alternative to local agencies for building code inspections and reviews. Opening the inspection process to private inspectors will help to streamline the process of building new housing. SB188 does not eliminate local control, instead it gives local control back to the property owners. After all, you can’t get more local than property owners themselves.
It is important to note that not anybody can become a private inspector. Section Three of the bill stipulates that private providers must be licensed professionals such as an engineer, architect, or building code administrator. This is necessary to ensure that inspectors will be qualified professionals. Local agencies can also audit private inspectors and take corrective action if needed.
Here in the Granite State, everyone should have the right to own their property and decide what and how they want to use it. SB188 is a big step in that direction. By allowing for private inspections, property owners will be able to develop their projects much quicker. This is a critical step towards addressing our state’s housing crisis. I encourage you to join me in supporting SB188.
Michael Aron
NH State Representative, Sullivan County District 8
South Acworth, NH
