N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 203: § 203:9
Operation Not for Profit.
Operative Text
It is hereby declared to be the policy of this state that each housing authority shall manage and operate its housing projects in an efficient manner so as to enable it to fix the rentals for dwelling accommodations at the lowest possible rates consistent with its providing decent, safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations, and that no housing authority shall construct or operate any such project for profit, or as a source of revenue to the municipality. To this end an authority shall fix the rentals for dwellings in its projects at no higher rates than it shall find to be necessary in order to produce revenues which (together with all other available moneys, revenues, income and receipts of the authority from whatever sources derived) will be sufficient (a) to pay, as the same become due, the principal and interest on the bonds of the authority; (b) to meet the cost of, and to provide for, maintaining and operating the projects (including the cost of any insurance) and the administrative expenses of the authority; and (c) to create (during not less than the 6 years immediately succeeding its issuance of any bonds) a reserve sufficient to meet the largest principal and interest payments which will be due on such bonds in any one year thereafter and to maintain such reserve.
Under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 203:9, New Hampshire housing authorities are required to operate their housing projects on a not-for-profit basis, setting rents at the lowest rates that still allow the authority to cover its necessary costs. Those allowable costs include bond principal and interest payments, maintenance and operating expenses (including insurance), administrative costs, and a required debt-reserve fund built up over at least the first six years after bonds are issued. The provision explicitly prohibits housing authorities from using their projects as a revenue source for the municipality or as a profit-generating enterprise.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Housing authorities operating under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 203:9 are expected to conduct regular financial analyses to ensure that rental rates are set no higher than what is needed to cover the specific cost categories the statute identifies—debt service, operations, administration, and bond reserves. Compliant authorities document how each rental rate is tied to actual projected costs rather than to any profit motive or municipal revenue goal. Maintaining transparent financial records that demonstrate this cost-only rationale is a hallmark of operations consistent with § 203:9.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 203:9 establishes a legal policy that public housing rents must be kept as low as possible while still covering the authority's defined costs, meaning tenants in New Hampshire housing authority projects have a statutory basis to expect that rents are not inflated for profit. If a tenant believes a housing authority is charging rents beyond what § 203:9 permits, they may raise this concern with the housing authority's governing board, contact the New Hampshire Attorney General's office, or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information. Consulting a qualified housing attorney or legal aid organization can help a tenant understand how this provision may apply to their circumstances.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 20, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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