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Dear Neighbor,
One of my top priorities going into the legislative session this year was to help lower the cost of housing for both homeowners and renters. This priority grew out of hearing loud and clear after knocking on thousands of doors campaigning last year.
The residents of the 140th district are deeply concerned with spiking housing costs, which has led to an increase in homelessness in the state, as well as the inability for seniors to downsize, for youth and families to become homeowners, and renters to keep up with yearly increases.
The House on Tuesday approved HB5002, An Act Concerning Housing and the Needs of Homeless Persons. This legislation is a step toward helping expand the housing supply for different needs, such as starter homes, deeply affordable rentals, and middle housing (like townhomes and duplexes).
The constituents of the 140th district and across the state have asked for action. For too long, meaningful legislation in the housing arena has been blocked by the spread of misinformation and fearmongering. That, in turn, has led to the continuation of outdated policies that often prevent the construction of needed housing.
At the same time, individuals who work to block housing policy reforms are the first to call out the rising cost of living, without providing any real solutions.
Many of the in HB5002 have come from CBIA, the leading business association in the state. You can read their report here: https://www.cbia.com/.../05/CT-Housing-Shortage_D_0525.pdf
HB 5002 is a big bill and includes Work Live Ride; the most ambitious parking reform east of the Rockies; a fair share allotment; conversion of commercial properties as of right, tweaks to public housing authorities; blocking anti-homeless hostile architecture; and still other important reforms.
Here is a summary of other major components of the bill:
The First-Time Homebuyer Savings Account
• Designed to assist residents in saving for their first home by offering tax advantages. Participants can open dedicated savings accounts to accumulate funds for eligible expenses such as down payments and closing costs. While there is no cap on the amount that can be deposited into these accounts, the state provides an income tax deduction of up to $2,500 annually for individual filers and $5,000 for joint filers, starting in the 2027 tax year. Employers are also encouraged to contribute, with a state tax credit equal to 10% of their contributions, up to a maximum of $2,500 per employee. This portion of the bill is widely supported by members of both parties, advocacy groups, and business community. I was happy to bring this section out on the floor and proud of the work we did in the banking committee to get this to the floor of the House. This measure aims to make homeownership more attainable for Connecticut residents by incentivizing savings. This is good for all us.
Increasing Transparency and Local Control
• The bill improves transparency in public housing authorities, providing residents and decision makers with more complete data.
Modernizing Zoning to Encourage Growth
• Zoning reforms remove barriers to building smaller scale multi-family housing that will not overwhelm communities or infrastructure. These changes remove outdated restrictions, helping to increase supply while keeping the health and safety of residents at the forefront of decisions by land use commissioners.
Supporting the Unhoused
• Includes funding for mobile shower and laundry services to address immediate hygiene needs for homeless residents, helping to restore dignity and public health.
Empowering Towns
• Under existing law towns are required to update affordable housing plans, beginning in 2027. Under HB 5002, municipalities will receive support for doing so, should they request it. The bill provides objective data to consider for municipalities to develop plans and they will have an opportunity to provide their own understanding of what goals they should plan for.
Resources to Build
• The bill provides funding for our locally led Council of Governments to help assist towns with important planning.
Banning Hostile Architecture
• This is only going forward; existing infrastructure can remain. This bill is about balance the need to maintain public spaces while recognizing the humanity and vulnerability of unhoused people.
Funding Middle Housing
• A $50 million/year grant program for our public housing authorities will directly grow our housing stock, especially in the "missing middle.” Public housing authorities are locally controlled, and this new program will result in smaller scale deeply affordable housing for seniors and families.
Updating 8-30g
• Provides additional options for towns to increase their stock of affordable housing and earn a moratorium from lawsuits.
Providing Incentives to Voluntarily Create Transit Oriented Development
• Smart housing policy encourages development near rail and bus services, so people don’t have to rely on motor vehicles to live or get to work while improving affordability
Innovating Rental Assistance
• A pilot, using no state dollars, explores new ways to provide rental help without adding burden to the state budget.
Opening Doors Through Education
• By reviving the Open Choice Housing Program, we connect housing and educational opportunity, giving families additional choices. |
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The House on Thursday passed Senate Bill 3, which provides real quality-of-life benefits for all people in our increasingly digitally connected, but far less-private, world.
The legislation sets in place new safeguards against eavesdropping by televisions, home appliances, and toys, as well as curtails the targeting of junk fees and price gouging in consumer goods.
Specifically, Senate Bill 3 requires companies to provide users with privacy notices before enabling microphones in home appliances, televisions and toys, and gives consumers the option of declining to activate cameras and microphones.
The bill also provides consumers the opportunity to opt out of targeted advertisements based on these voice recordings and requires companies to maintain security measures to safeguard users’ information.
Senate Bill 3 seeks to address the affordability of goods and services by expanding the state attorney general’s ability to crack down on price gouging during disasters. While current price gouging statutes apply only to retailers, the bill broadens the policy to include the entire supply chain.
Additional provisions of Senate Bill 3 will do the following:
- Protect consumers from junk fees by generally requiring advertisements to present customers with upfront pricing that does not hide additional fees.
- Prevent junk fees on long-term rental properties by requiring advertisements to include any fee or charge the tenant will be required to pay, with some exceptions like pet fees and certain utility costs.
- Create a right to repair products by requiring companies to make consumer tools and parts available to ensure their products can be repaired by people who are not associated with the company.
- Require Connecticut municipalities to use “.gov” web domains by July 1, 2026 and connect towns and cities with federal grants to assist with this transition.
- Require businesses with automatic renewal to send consumers an annual reminder allowing them to stop the renewal of service.
The bill passed with bipartisan support, and I am proud to have voted in favor of its passage.
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| We’re cracking down on street takeovers and illegal ATV use. House Democrats voted on Wednesday to authorize steep fines, vehicle seizures, and automatic license suspensions. This legislation targets both participants and organizers, aiming to curb dangerous road behavior with tougher enforcement and penalties. |
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Hot days, cool drinks, baseball, and barbecues are popular staples during the summer but Connecticut, from one end of the state to the other, offers so much more.
Connecticut is home to 110 state parks, 32 state forests, 29 state campgrounds, 117 state boat launches, and 4 coastal state beaches that provide any number of recreational opportunities, along with many other attractions and nationally ranked restaurants.
Two new trails guide visitors on some of the more unique experiences the state has to offer, including the Connecticut Oyster Trail, and the Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail. Later this year the state will officially launch the Connecticut Pizza Trail to celebrate its designation as the Pizza Capital of the United States.
The best way to explore tourism destinations and find activities to do in the state is by visiting the official Connecticut Tourism website HERE.
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| Norwalk's 'Grade A+' Beaches |
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Speaking of summer destinations, check out this item from the city of Norwalk's Facebook page:
Great news, Norwalk! Three Norwalk beaches received an A+ rating from Save the Sound! Calf Pasture Beach, Rowayton Beach, and Bell Island Beach were rated for their high water quality and low numbers of specific types of bacteria. Norwalk’s beaches are 3 of the 4 highest rated beaches in Fairfield County!
Save the Sound is a regional nonprofit environmental organization that measures beaches along the Long Island Sound against state criteria for safe swimming. Each beach’s grade was based on 2024 water quality data from local health departments and the Environmental Protection Agency’s water quality database. |
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I joined Mayor Rilling and other state and local leaders, the Norwalk Police Department, Norwalk Public Schools, dozens of community organizations, and hundreds of Norwalk residents marching in the annual Memorial Day Parade.
This year, the City honored Lt. Col. Howard Dixon as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
Thank you to all who have served our country, especially those who we honor and remember on Memorial Day who died serving our nation. |
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| Mattress and Box Spring Collection |
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The city of Norwalk will hold a mattress and box spring recycling collection on Saturday June 7, from 9 a.m. to noon at 15 South Smith Street in Norwalk. This free collection program recycles mattresses and box springs through the City’s partnership with the Mattress Recycling Council’s Connecticut Buy Buy Mattress Program.
This program is only open to Norwalk residents. All mattresses and box springs must be dry and intact.
Unacceptable items include:
- Severely damaged, twisted, wet, frozen, or soiled mattresses.
- Mattresses infested with bed bugs or other living organisms.
- Sleeping bags, pillows, cushions, loose bedding, mattress pads or toppers, etc.
- Car beds.
- Juvenile products, i.e., carriage, basket, stroller, crib bumper, etc.
- Water beds.
- Camping or air mattresses.
- Fold-out sofa beds.
- Futons for furniture.
For additional information about the program, visit https://byebyemattress.com/ or https://www.norwalkct.gov/3127/Mattress-Recycling. For questions, contact the Customer Service Center at CustomerService@norwalkct.gov or 203-854-3200. |
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As always, feel free to call me at 1-800-842-8267 or email me at Travis.Simms@cga.ct.gov if you have any questions or concerns. Also, please like my official Facebook Page for regular updates.
Sincerely,
Travis Simms
State Representative
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