Prioritizing new and affordable housing is on the agendas of state lawmakers during this legislative session.
But the journey of a bill, from an initial concept to a signed law, is a long and complicated road. Many ideas never make it out of committee – and the bills that do often die a slow death, languishing on a legislative calendar, only to never get called for a vote.
Still, lawmakers can prioritize what measures to push for. And this year, State Sen. Martha Marx, co-chair of the state’s Housing Committee, is encouraging residents to contact legislators and make their voices heard.
Speaking during a conversation with Fairfield County’s Center for Housing Opportunity, she said lawmakers need to hear the experiences of real people advocating for housing bills they favor.
“They need to hear very personal stories,” Marx said. “It doesn't take long to write an email, and not a chain email, because believe me, we are all getting all of the negative emails from the people that don't want the bills.”
Eviction reform again a priority
Marx, a Democrat representing New London, said her priorities this session are supporting just cause, which would limit evictions, and increasing housing in eastern Connecticut.
So-called “just cause” evictions mean landlords can’t evict tenants unless they give a specific reason – like not paying rent or property damage.
Advocates say just cause protects renters, but opponents argue just cause regulations infringe on the rights of property owners and could chill investment in Connecticut.
A similar measure to pass just cause eviction reform failed to pass through the General Assembly last year.
But the bill is back again this year. On Thursday, advocates took to the state Capitol to ask lawmakers to tighten the "just cause" regulations.
“Just for me one minute, close your eyes and just take a deep breath. Let it out. This is what families could feel if we have just cause backing us up,” said Esther Fesale, a tenants union vice president in Hartford.
Unhoused also a priority, lawmakers say
Legislators also hope to increase funding for homeless services and make it easier to change local zoning laws, a priority emphasized by State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff.
Duff, a Democrat who represents parts of Darien and Norwalk, wants to address homelessness.
“We never want to be in the same place as other states where they have homeless, literally all over the place,” Duff said. “We are better than that, and we care for our people, so we should not allow it.”
Duff is in support of funding services that will prevent homelessness and increase supportive housing for residents in need of shelter. Before the pandemic, homelessness in Fairfield County was almost eradicated but backslid following the COVID-19 pandemic, Duff said.
There’s also one more issue that’s always an ever-present problem for lawmakers tackling housing in the state: a lack of affordable places to live.
State Sen. MD Rahman, a Manchester Democrat, plans to propose legislation this session to remove some of the municipal zoning regulations that prevent housing, particularly affordable housing, from being constructed, and enable the conversion of commercial property to residential.
“If we remove some red tape from the local zoning that way we are not hurting the town,” Rahman said.
