Could proposed tariff exemptions on building materials be the unexpected key to solving the local housing crisis?

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Tariff exemptions on building materials could help at the margins, but they are unlikely to be the key fix for New Hampshire’s housing crisis. The logic is straightforward: tariffs raise the cost of imported inputs such as lumber, cement, steel, copper and other construction materials. Recent industry data show construction input prices are up sharply, with tariff-affected materials among the biggest drivers. Builders in multiple markets have said those costs are usually passed on to buyers, making new homes less affordable. In that sense, exempting building materials from tariffs could lower project costs and improve the economics of some developments. But the evidence from New Hampshire suggests housing costs are being driven by much more than material prices. The state’s median single-family home price has climbed above $500,000, inventory remains tight, rental vacancies are low, and a large share of “vacant” homes are seasonal properties rather than usable year-round housing. State housing groups and policy analysts point repeatedly to supply shortages, restrictive local land-use rules, infrastructure limits and slow permitting as central obstacles. That is why recent state and federal housing efforts have focused more heavily on zoning reform, converting underused commercial land, easing permitting, financing infrastructure and expanding affordable-housing incentives. Those tools address whether homes can be built at scale, not just whether materials are slightly cheape…

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New Hampshire Picks Pappas and Sununu for Senate Race as Shaheen Daughter Wins House Primary

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