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Connecticut's Democrat-controlled State Legislature is poised to pass HB 5002, a bill that threatens the long-standing tradition of local control over housing in Connecticut and throughout this nation. It passed the House and is off to the Democrat controlled Senate.
This bill would impose state-set affordable housing quotas based on population, not available land, and allow commercial properties to be converted to residential units "by right" with no community input or buy-in. Developers who sue under 8-30g could be reimbursed for their attorney’s fees.
It eliminates parking requirements for apartment complexes and enables multi-family developments in single-family zones near transit hubs (defines as one half-mile of a train station or bus route). This Bill risks neighborhood character and threatens home values.
Eliminating “adequate onsite parking spaces” is ludicrous. This is a bonus to developers who no longer have to build parking.
The bill also includes problematic rent regulations and provisions related to "hostile architecture" on public property to prevent homeless from sleeping or lying down in public.
HB 5002 will burden towns with increased infrastructure costs (sewers, taxes) and exacerbate parking problems. It does not require the developers to pay for those infrastructure upgrades. Not to mention that rent control has historically devastated neighborhoods (as seen in NYC). This bill requires 32 towns to have fair rent commissions and allows towns to establish regionalized commissions through their local government.
Another impact is mixing multi-family housing in single-family zones will devalue homes, a major asset for many residents, and that requiring "live-work-ride" for affordable housing is hypocritical when many market-rate residents commute to work.
Instead of this destructive approach, there are better alternatives:
* Towns should retain zoning control – They know what is best for their residents
* Affordable owned housing is superior to rental; it has been successfully built through developer-town cooperation (e.g., post-WWII with builders willing to accept lower profits for increased volume of sales using streamlined housing building). Owned housing is superior to rental housing because the homeowner is a stronger stakeholder in the community and they build generational wealth
* Solutions include towns providing land, streamlining building permits for repeated plans, and utilizing cost-effective construction methods (slabs, modular townhouses).
The Real Solution
Ultimately, the most important solution is to rebuild Connecticut's economy through reduced regulation, lower energy costs, and lower taxes, making the state competitive and attractive for growth, rather than eroding local control and subsidizing housing without a population able to sustain their housing costs.
It is time for Connecticut to become competitive rather than a marketing tool for Florida and Texas.
Destroying local government and taking control over zoning and housing combined with unfunded mandates the wrong approach.
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great
Agenda 2030 in full flow.
It must be ended.