Special Session: Addressing Housing, Children's Health, and Federal Cuts

November 14, 2025


This week, I was proud to join the legislature in a special session to debate several important bills including housing, children's behavioral health, and setting aside state funding to offset federal budget cuts.

Here are the sections in today's email:

  • Addressing Connecticut's Housing Crisis
  • Children's Behavioral Health Victory
  • $500 Million Emergency Response Fund
 

Addressing Connecticut's Housing Crisis

From retirees looking to downsize, to young professionals and families searching for affordable rentals, Connecticut residents at every stage of life share a common goal: finding a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.
Partnerships are at the heart of this effort. We passed a bill empowering communities like Bridgeport to plan for responsible, data-driven growth using insights from state, local, and regional partners to meet the housing needs of today and tomorrow. Developed in partnership with municipal leaders, regional councils, colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and Governor Ned Lamont, this legislation creates a collaborative and practical framework through local Housing Growth Plans.

The measure also encourages the redevelopment of underused properties, from aging strip malls to vacant commercial spaces, and promotes transit-oriented development that connects residents to jobs, schools, and public transportation.

By combining innovation with local control and targeted support, we’re strengthening the partnership between the state and municipalities to modernize infrastructure, improve zoning and land-use planning, and create vibrant, inclusive communities across Connecticut.

There’s still more work ahead, but An Act Concerning Housing Growth marks a major step forward in our shared effort to expand housing opportunities, support local economies, and ensure every Connecticut resident can find, and afford, a home in a community they’re proud to call their own.
 

Children’s Behavioral Health Victory

We also approved legislation that continues to build on House Democrats’ commitment to children’s behavioral health care.

Highlights include:

  • Statewide study to assess the demand for children’s behavioral health services and improve data collection
  • New grant program to support care coordination and resource navigation for kids and families
  • Insurance companies must now cover autism treatments, including applied behavior analysis and cognitive behavioral therapy, up to age 26
  • Adding substance abuse treatment providers for children to Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee (TCB)

Together, these measures represent a stronger, more coordinated system of care for Connecticut’s children.
 

$500 Million Emergency Response Fund

We also passed a measure to allocate funds to offset cuts in federal programs affecting our families, key programs, and essential services across Connecticut.
The House and Senate approved a proposal to set aside another $500 million for a federal emergency relief fund to cover gaps in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Low-Income Heating Energy Assistance Program, also known as LIHEAP. This measure is designed to help bridge the gap because Connecticut will not sit by idly as the federal government attacks middle and low-income families.

Now that the government shutdown has ended, it may not be necessary to use the $500 million fund. The money would then automatically go back to paying down the state's pension debt.