Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
New Hampshire
Squatters will be kicked out of homes under new bill
A bill in New Hampshire aims to ensure that individuals who are deemed illegal occupants of someone else’s property, or a squatter, can be removed from the home. But the legislation also plans to distinguish that scenario with situations where a landlord accuses a resident of a home of being a squatter when that individual has a prior history to the property, a legislator told Newsweek.
Lawmakers in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on Thursday will vote on HB1400 after legislators from the state’s senate met with colleagues from the house and moved forward the bill that will make clear who constitutes a squatter and who does not.
“It was really important that if someone is truly criminally trespassing, if someone goes on vacation and somebody breaks into their house, they come home from vacation and there is someone squatting in their home, that person is criminally trespassing and they should be removed by law enforcement immediately,” State Representative Rebecca McWilliams, who is also running for the state senate, told Newsweek.
But she added that lawmakers wanted to also draw a line between that situation with what she described as a gray area.
“Which is when someone has been a tenant, they have an oral or a text message chain that could be construed as [an agreement.] That eviction process should be through the courts and that should be a 48-hour emergency hearing,” McWilliams said.
The issue of squatting has gained national headlines and some legislators across the country are introducing legislation to combat it. But experts have pointed out that incidents of individuals taking over other people’s properties with little or no evidence of legal rights over those homes are rare. They have suggested that some landlords are using the issue of squatting to attempt to deny some residents their legal rights.
McWilliams told Newsweek that the bill in New Hampshire that will be under consideration aims to make clear what side of the issue authorities can look at.
“We don’t want people presenting evidence to Sheriffs, Sheriffs [making decisions],” she said. “We want to direct it straight to a judge to determine whether there was or was not [trespassing].”
McWilliams noted that it was rare for situations of individuals establishing residents in homes without any established links to the property but legislators wanted to ensure there was clarity between criminal and civil disputes.
“If you own the house you went away on vacation, you came back and someone is in your house, you immediately call the police and have the [person] removed for criminal trespassing,” she said. “But also I feel like it’s rare and not really a mainstream thing, so I suppose it’s good to have some language and be very clear.”
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
New Hampshire
Photo Exhibit | Art Talk | Crew Competition | Nashua Genealogy Club | More: Week Ahead Events
NASHUA, NH — Here is the week ahead roundup.
Get out, New Hampshire.
Event listings are free on one Patch site. You can share your calendar info on other community sites for a modest fee, starting at 25 cents per day. To get started, visit the Events link on the front page of all Patch sites. Statewide calendar roundups are published on most Sundays and Wednesdays. Visit any of the 223 New Hampshire Patch Event sites (patch.com/map/new-hampshire) for updated listings.
Join us for a community conversation exploring how land conservation supports thriving communities, healthy ecosystems, and local economies. Recent research from Maine highlights the growing economic value of conserved lands — from supporting recreation, forestry, agriculture, and tourism to protecting clean water, storing carbon, and strengthening climate resilience. The findings reveal something important: protecting natural landscapes is not only good for the environment, but also for the people and communities that depend on them.
Together, we’ll explore what this research means both regionally and here at home. How do conserved lands shape our quality of life, local economy, and sense of place? How can communities balance growth, conservation, and long-term sustainability? And what role can each of us play in protecting the landscapes that support both nature and people?
At each “Let’s Talk Nature” gathering, we share a short article in advance and come together for an informal, welcoming discussion. Each session stands on its own, and everyone is welcome. No expertise needed. Bring your curiosity and a willingness to listen and share. Drinks and cookies provided.
Read this session’s article: Conserved Land in Maine has Growing Economic Power
Grey Rocks Conservation Center
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM on Wed, 1 Jul 2026
Event Supported By
Newfound Lake Region Association
603-744-8689
info@NewfoundLake.org
High winds and widespread rain contributed to more than 12,000 power outages Saturday as a low pressure system passes over New Hampshire.
A high wind advisory remains in effect for southeastern New Hampshire until midday.
There is a high surf advisory in effect for the Seacoast area until 8 p.m. Saturday, with large-breaking waves in the range of 6-9 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
The forecast warns of dangerous wintry winds for hikers and campers, with heavy wet snow likely at higher elevations and a foot of snow possible on summits in the White Mountains.
In southeastern New Hampshire, the wind advisory calls for steady winds of 15-25 mph, and potential wind gusts up to 50 mph.
Eversource reported over 10,000 outages as of 9:30 a.m. Unitil had about 1,400 outages at that time.
The Mount Washington Observatory has recorded winterlike weather over the past 24 hours. Weather observers there say over half a foot of snow and sleet has fallen at the summit.
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