By Bob Katzen

The Pioneer Institute issued a report that it says identifies ten straightforward permitting and administrative changes that can be initiated by cities and towns without waiting for lawmakers on Beacon Hill to act. The report says action by cities and towns can “reduce the time and cost of building new homes, at a time when housing costs are helping drive residents to lower-cost states.”

“We keep hearing the same story: families and employers are choosing New Hampshire, Rhode Island or states further afield because it’s simply cheaper to live and build there,” said Jim Stergios, executive director of the institute. “Municipalities can’t single-handedly fix the state’s housing shortage, but they don’t have to wait for Beacon Hill to stop making it worse. This paper gives them a concrete roadmap to clear out the friction in their own back offices.”

The suggested changes include making online permitting information clear, easily accessible and consistent with zoning; using a standardized online portal for permit application submittals; offering developers a pre-application meeting with municipal department heads and local board members; coordinating peer reviews early in the process; requiring training for local board members; and minimizing the number of local officials who hold sway over subjective criteria.

“Much of the delay and added cost in residential permitting is invisible to the public,” said Andrew Mikula, Pioneer Institute’s Chief Housing Economist and the author of the report. “Contentious town meeting and city council votes make headlines, but there is real potential for streamlining and standardization in the back-office interactions between applicants, staff and volunteer board members that happen long before any public hearing.”