The bills below have been proposed and passed out of the Housing Committee last week that undermine CGS 8-30g, the Affordable Housing Appeals Act.

Connecticut is in a severe housing crisis. We can’t undercut one of the only laws we have that allows affordable units to be built.

Partnership for Strong Communities - 8-30g Exemption vs. Moratorium

Letter from OCA Board Member Timothy Hollister to Connecticut General Assembly

List of bills to oppose, what committees they are coming up in, and why to oppose them:

H.B. 5362 – Majority Leaders Roundtable recommendations (Housing Committee)
This bill would put a hold on all 8-30g applications during the time when the state Department of Housing is considering a municipality’s moratorium under 8-30g. The thinking is that a moratorium application induces a flood of new housing proposals. In reality, all this does is put up yet more obstacles toward housing getting built.
HOWEVER, in Sec. 8 this bill also includes “affirmatively furthering fair housing” language that would strengthen the state’s reporting requirements for subsidized housing, which is worth supporting. We recommend urging legislators to include that portion of the bill in a separate statute that does not change 8-30g. 

H.B. 5364 – Tiered 8-30g deed restrictions (Housing Committee)
This bill would permit the award of housing unit equivalent points to set-aside developments containing deed restrictions lasting less than 40 years. The state needs lasting affordability, and shorter-term requirements would not help that cause.

H.B. 5365 – Tiered 8-30g HUE points (Housing Committee)
This proposal would get towns closer to an 8-30g moratorium without significantly adding to their stock of affordable housing. 

H.B. 5366 – Town right to buy land to block 8-30g (Housing Committee)
Towns would have the right to buy land planned for an affordable housing development in ways that would likely result in fewer units being developed. 

H.B. 5369 – Study of 10% 8-30g threshold (Housing Committee)
This bill could lead to changes that would leave fewer towns having requirements under 8-30g.

H.B. 5395 – 8-30g HUE points for modular and pre-fab housing (Planning and Development Committee)
This proposal would allow towns to get closer to a moratorium under 8-30g without having to allow more affordable housing.