After nearly six hours of deliberation, Connecticut’s Housing Committee approved legislation Thursday to expand tenants’ rights.
The existing Just Cause Eviction law protects residents who are at least 62 years old or have a disability, from being evicted from their home without being given a reason, such as nonpayment of rent or a violation of the lease agreement.
Under the proposed expansion, all tenants of buildings with five or more units for at least one year would be protected from evictions without cause.
Housing Committee Chair Rep. Antonio Felipe, a Democrat from Bridgeport, voted in favor of the bill.
Felipe said he isn’t aware of a single person who opposed the bill that wasn’t a landlord or representing landlords.
“We don't want to vehemently hurt landlords. We don't want to put people in the position to leave our state, but we definitely want to make sure that renters can stay in warm beds and warm homes,” Felipe said.
Republican lawmakers proposed more than a dozen amendments to the bill watering down the language, none of which passed.
Expansion of Just Cause was approved by the Housing Committee during last year’s shortened legislative session, but was not raised for final vote by the General Assembly.
Many legislators who voted against the bill expressed concerns over the adverse effect it may have on “mom and pop” landlords and how it may dissuade other corporate landlords from investing in Connecticut.
Republican State Sen. Rob Sampson, who represents Waterbury and several surrounding towns, opposed the bill.
Sampson urged the committee to focus on the other bills up for a vote.
“Some of them actually are going to benefit the housing situation in the state of Connecticut. This is not one of them. This is not going to help. This is going to make the situation worse,” Sampson said.
The bill's latest approval is a win for anyone concerned about housing stability and affordability, according to Connecticut Tenants Union Vice President Luke Melonakos-Harrison.
"This bill will protect tenants from abuses of power, discourage predatory and profiteering rental practices, and ensure that hundreds of thousands more Connecticut residents can enjoy the peace of mind that only comes from a stable home," Melonakos-Harrison said.
The bill is up for a full General Assembly vote next, starting with the state’s House of Representatives.
