Vanessa Saunders: Blaming seasonal owners for housing won’t solve problem

To The Daily Sun,

In the Lakes Region, the housing conversation is too important to be reduced to slogans.

Yes, year-round residents are struggling. Local workers, young families, and older homeowners hoping to downsize are all feeling the squeeze of limited inventory and high costs. That is real, and it deserves serious attention.

But treating second-home ownership as the villain will not solve a supply problem.

In towns like Laconia and Meredith, seasonal owners are not abstract talking points. They are taxpayers, customers, and part of the economic fabric that supports local restaurants, marinas, contractors, shops, and service businesses. Pretending otherwise may be emotionally satisfying, but it is not sound policy.

The better question is this: how do we create more year-round housing without undermining the broader local economy that helps sustain these communities?

That means focusing on practical steps such as increasing housing supply, encouraging the right kind of development in the right places, and supporting solutions that help local residents actually live where they work.

New Hampshire’s housing shortage will not be solved by performance politics, nor by finding a convenient class of owner to blame. It will be solved, if at all, by thoughtful local planning and a willingness to admit that strong communities require both economic vitality and attainable housing.

We do not need a louder argument. We need a smarter one.

Vanessa Saunders

Laconia