Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and state lawmakers said they have revived a major housing bill that the chief executive had reluctantly vetoed earlier this year — a measure aimed at addressing the state's housing crisis.
Lamont has called a special legislative session for Wednesday to address the measure, as well as bills to reduce costs for working families, and revitalize Waterbury Hospital, among other issues. In its previous form, the housing measure would have allowed real estate developers to build townhouses and apartment buildings on land municipalities had designated for businesses, effectively stripping communities of zoning control. The revised bill would allow cities and towns to opt out of those rules, Lamont and state lawmakers said at a press conference on Monday.
Municipalities that opt in will get additional state dollars for building infrastructure — particularly sewer systems and water lines — for upcoming housing developments, Connecticut officials said.
Lamont reluctantly vetoed the bill in late June in part because of the pushback he heard from city-level lawmakers across the state. However, on Monday, the governor hinted he would OK this iteration because it retains local control.
"Over the last several months, I have consulted with bipartisan state lawmakers, municipal officials, housing advocates, and nonprofit partners to craft policies that will have a real-world impact and implement the tools we need to succeed in building more housing," he said in a statement. "This comprehensive proposal takes strong steps toward addressing this crisis and will help Connecticut reach these goals."
The revision would ease off-street parking mandates for new housing projects and drop requirements for municipalities to produce a set number of units.
Jason Rojas, the state representative who sponsored the bill, said the latest version is not as strong as his first draft, but "there was a compromise that had to be made" between Democrats and Republicans.
"We stayed through it," Rojas said at the press conference. "We had hard conversations, we compromised, and Connecticut's going to be better off for it."
Lawmakers are slated to vote on the revision later this week.
State faces significant housing shortage
The compromise is noteworthy in part because both Lamont and lawmakers stated that they aim to increase Connecticut's housing stock while also making homeownership more affordable. The state has a 100,000-to-150,000-unit deficit that stems from "a pattern of chronic underproduction spanning decades," according to a May study from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. A separate study from consulting firm ECONorthwest puts Connecticut's shortage closer to 380,000 units.
During the press conference, Betsy Gara, executive director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, called the revised measure "a more workable, more thoughtful bill that will address some of the housing needs in our communities without imposing some serious burdens on our small towns."
Connecticut, particularly its western part, is home to many commuters who work in New York City but prefer a suburban home. Home prices have skyrocketed in the Constitution State this year — particularly in Greenwich (near the New York border) and Hartford — as demand for housing outpaced both new construction production and existing-home listings. A recent survey suggested that housing affordability is the top issue shaping next year's gubernatorial race.
State lawmakers said Connecticut's future, in many ways, hinges on residents being able to find an affordable place to call home.
"Housing is at the core of economic vibrancy, and the bill we have agreed upon is going to advance Connecticut," Rojas said.