Solving the housing crisis in Connecticut is one of the biggest challenges we've had year after year, and now both market rate and affordable housing options are very much in short supply.

Connecticut, in fact, was recently on a list of the tightest real estate markets in the whole country.

So how do we address that? NBC Connecticut's Mike Hydeck spoke with Erin Boggs, the executive director of Open Communities Alliance.

Mike Hydeck: She's supporting a bill she hopes will change the way affordable housing is taken care of here in Connecticut. It is called 'Towns Take the Lead,' is the name of the bill. Describe what it does.

Erin Boggs: Absolutely, so we are the most housing constrained state in the nation, and for years, we've tried a system where we had towns across the state sort of work in a vacuum to try to solve this. What Towns Take the Lead does, is it takes the existing affordable housing process, where every town has to do some planning around this, and gives it a little bit of a scaffolding, some guidance from the state. The state has commissioned and has the first part of a study that estimates how much affordable housing we need. Part two of that will come out with allocations out to every town that's town by town developed in a very...

Mike Hydeck: Allocations meaning money?

Erin Boggs: Allocations, meaning units of affordable housing. And it's a guide for towns. And what Towns Take the Lead does is it says, "look at this number, see if it works for you. If you can't do it, let us know why, and tell us what you can do instead," and then plan and, within a year, zone for that amount of housing.

Bill aims to combat affordable housing crisis, Mike Hydeck, NBC Connecticut, March 16, 2025, available here