Property Tax Relief For Seniors and Affordable Housing

March 17, 2023
This year, I am proud to have introduced the bill that became House Bill 6777, which would provide targeted property tax relief for certain residents 65+. My bill would help us preserve existing housing stock for future home buyers at certain income levels. Under this bill, Simsbury would receive credit toward its affordable housing goals under current law. The proposal is moving forward after it passed the Housing Committee last week with support from legislators on both sides of the aisle.

Seniors would reap the benefits of the plan if they volunteer to deed-restrict their homes as affordable for future owners for a period of time. They would be provided with immediate relief through property tax abatements. If you would like to read more about my bill and read more about this complicated topic, CLICK HERE for a recent article.

Here are some of the reasons why I think this is a good bill for Simsbury:

  • Provides an opportunity for Simsbury residents 65+ to stay in their homes, and age in place
  • In exchange creates a deed restriction for a definite period of time that preserves our existing housing and prevents it from becoming too expensive in a market of rising housing costs
  • Provides chance for seniors to stay in their communities they love
  • Allows future first-time home owners to buy homes in existing neighborhoods
  • Provides a potential path for future generational wealth building while maintaining affordable housing progress
  • Immediately helps Simsbury meet its housing goals under existing affordable housing law
Representatives on the Housing Committee show bipartisan support for senior tax relief and affordable housing bill.

“This is one of the more thoughtful and reasoned proposals that I have seen…The detail that the proponent went into in crafting it and doing the research and getting us a product for consideration is commendable,” said Rep. Joe Zullo of East Haven.

“The advocate did a great job in drafting this bill. She took a lot of consideration in putting this together and she actually talked to local officials in many areas of local government. She really, really worked hard on crafting this. Very thoughtful, very comprehensive. When people think out of the box and put something together like that, that's the kind of people we need to work with," said Rep. Larry Butler.

On the local level, the Simsbury Zoning Commission is slated to host a public hearing on a large, affordable housing apartment building proposed to be built in town on Hopmeadow near the Hazel Meadow Subdivision. The public hearing is happening on Monday, March 20 at 7 pm in the Simsbury Public Library. CLICK HERE for more information.