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One of my top priorities going into the legislative session this year was to help lower the cost of housing for homeowners and renters. This priority grew out of my knocking on thousands of doors while campaigning last year. The residents of the 38th district are deeply concerned with spiking housing costs, which have led to an increase in homelessness in the state, as well as other knock-on effects, such as the inability for seniors to downsize, for youth and families to become homeowners, and renters to keep up with yearly increases.
The House last week approved HB5002, An Act Concerning Housing and the Needs of Homeless Persons, which I was proud to co-sponsor and for which I proudly voted. House Bill 5002 supports new housing through incentivizing increased construction of housing near transit, offers new opportunities for housing development in communities through easing zoning regulations, supports first-time homebuyers and funds affordable housing projects using union labor.
It expands fair rent commissions in many communities, increases direct rental assistance programs and encourages projects constructed by housing authorities. It also reaches out to reduce homelessness by supporting individuals with portable showers and laundry facilities and prohibiting architecture preventing a person experiencing homelessness from sitting or lying in or on a building or structure, addressing and reducing the societal stigma that people facing housing insecurity experience.
The constituents of the 38th 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 That, in turn, has led to the continuation of outdated policies that often prevent housing construction.
At the same time, individuals who work to block housing policy reforms typically are the first to call out the rising cost of living, without providing any real solutions.
Many of the recommendations in HB5002 have come from Desegregate CT and the Center for Housing Opportunity Eastern CT (CHEO), and I applaud their efforts to make housing more affordable and its availability more equitable.
Here is a summary of the major components of the bill:
Increasing Housing Supply, Reducing Costs
- Building more housing near transit through the new Towns Take The Lead program to prioritize transit-oriented development
- Drastically increasing middle housing development, up to nine units, by cutting red tape in commercially zoned areas
- Creating a first-time homebuyer savings program to allow individuals and employers to contribute into special savings accounts supporting homebuying expenses
- Funding affordable housing development projects while creating employment opportunities in the construction industry, both creating well-paying union jobs and creating housing units
- Requiring town-by-town plans to meet 25% of suggested affordable housing allocations
Protection for Renters
- Expanding fair rent commissions to all towns with populations over 15,000, including flexibility for joint or regional commissions
- Increasing direct rental assistance programs over the next three years by allowing grants for nonprofit providers
- Encouraging projects constructed by the housing authorities of multiple neighboring towns
- Re-establishing the Open Choice Voucher pilot program for summer 2026, expanding rental opportunities
Supporting the Unhoused
- Providing portable showers and laundry facilities to people experiencing homelessness through a new pilot program
- Prohibiting municipalities from installing "hostile infrastructure" on publicly accessible areas – this is defined as architecture preventing a person experiencing homelessness from sitting or lying in or on a building or structure
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