Housing in Connecticut was a main topic at the State Capitol, during last year’s legislative session, but this year housing took more of a backseat in the General Assembly.
Housing advocates and developers are now sharing what they believe should’ve been done to advance housing construction and protections.
With housing taking such a prominent role during last year’s legislative proceedings, including a gubernatorial veto of an omnibus housing bill, it's understandable that the issue didn’t take precedence this year, according to experts like Melissa Kaplan-Macey, chief initiative officer for the Bridgeport-based housing organization, The Housing Collective.
“After everything that went on last session with the veto, and then coming back, and there's so many issues, obviously statewide, that the legislature needs to look at,” Kaplan-Macey said.
Several key bills, including the “Golden Girls” bill, failed to gain approval. The bill would’ve allowed Connecticut homeowners to rent out up to three bedrooms in the house where they live, without needing local government approval.
Golden Girls passed the State Senate with bipartisan support but wasn’t called for a vote by the State House of Representatives.
“A lot happened on housing last session. There were a few things that could have also still happened this session, but it wasn't surprising that those pieces didn't move forward,” Kaplan-Macey said. “I think some of the low hanging fruit could have and should have.”
The Just Cause bill has been under consideration in the state legislature for several years, but this was the first year Gov. Ned Lamont vocalized his support for the bill. It would’ve prevented baseless evictions for renters in buildings with five or more apartments, and it was not voted on by either chamber of the General Assembly.
The lack of Just Cause support may be related to the number of landlords in the state legislature, according to Kaplan-Macey.
“There's landlords, a lot of landlords in the legislature, and this is clearly something that residents want,” Kaplan-Macey said. “It's common-sense protection, and if it's not happening, it's not for lack of people coming out in support or letters being written or public testimony or any of that. There's got to be another reason for that, and I think it really is a landlord-tenant dynamic.”
Additionally, a rent cap bill proposed by Lamont didn't get much traction.
In terms of what did get approved, most housing support came in the form of funding boosts to existing programs and departments.
There was the addition of a separate line of funding for the state’s Rental Assistance Program, which provides housing vouchers to families with lower incomes. It was previously funded as part of the housing/homeless services line item.
The Department of Housing received a $13 million increase to the overall budget.
Many of the housing bills approved were small, technical changes embedded in larger bills, according to Chelsea Ross, executive director of the nonprofit Partnership for Strong Communities.
“At a time when families across the state are struggling to find and keep homes they can afford, this session fell short,” Ross said in a statement. “The legislature did not take direct, meaningful action at the scale that is necessary to improve affordability, increase housing stability, expand housing choice, or create more homes.”
