A proposed bill that would require Connecticut cities and towns to plan and zone for a set number of new housing units is gaining traction in Hartford.
The “Towns Take the Lead” bill is one of several proposed this legislative session by Growing Together Connecticut, a consortium of over 45 organizations working to break down barriers to affordable housing.
Growing Together Connecticut is proposing a series of bills, supported by some state lawmakers, that would allow communities to: build homes, keep homes and support families.
Members of the group gathered with state legislators and housing advocates at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford Monday where they presented their policy agenda for 2025.
One of the bills proposed this year would allow towns and cities to maintain control over their zoning regulations, but guide them toward building more homes, according to Erin Boggs, executive director of the nonprofit Open Communities Alliance, one of the organizations in the consortium.
‘“Towns Take the Lead” ensures that municipalities are doing their own planning and zoning, but provides some additional structures to make sure we are all working together to create homes state residents need at prices they can afford,” Boggs said.
Boggs laid out the “Towns Take the Lead” process in four steps, beginning with helping municipalities set a goal for how much affordable housing they’d like to construct and take that into account during planning.
Within a year, towns and cities are asked to change zoning to match up with the housing plan and goal. Communities that’ve done so are then rewarded with priority for certain state funding and assistance, similar to the proposed “Work Live Ride” bill.
Lastly, legislators are asked to consider enforcement to address towns with consistently low affordable housing rates.
State Representative Antonio Felipe, a Democrat representing Bridgeport and co-chair of the Housing Committee, said he supports the plan that would curb exclusionary zoning.
“They're calling on these towns to take the lead, and that's a nice way to put it,” Felipe said. “‘Do your part’ is what I'm going to ask. Do what you're supposed to be doing, and make sure that people can live comfortably in your communities.”
Under the “Towns Take the Lead” bill, housing organizations would help guide communities in setting goals for new homes.
Communities would be guided on zoning code changes to align with the plans and towns actively working to increase affordable housing would be prioritized for state funding and support, similar to elements of the “Work Live Ride” and “Fair Share” bills.
Several of the proposals are revisiting bills that failed to pass in previous years, including just cause evictions, and support of funding the state’s homelessness response system.
“I believe in local control too. I don't believe in local constraints,” Felipe said. “When localities come and municipalities decide that they're going to zone in a certain way that keeps certain people out of their neighborhoods. People deserve to live wherever they want to live.”
