Lawmakers endorse housing equity bills
Panel backs overhaul of local zoning rules to address segregation
A key legislative committee endorsed a pair of bills Wednesday that would overhaul the state’s zoning rules in an attempt to promote the construction of more affordable housing and address racial segregation.
But even advocates of the measures said they will likely change as they wend through the legislative process.
The most sweeping of the proposals, Senate Bill 1024, would legalize construction of accessory apartments across the state and require towns to draft zoning rules that rely on measurable qualities such as the physical characteristics of a building lot or the architectural context of a neighborhood, not vague terms such as “character.”
A second measure, House Bill 6611, championed by House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, would set benchmarks and deadlines for cities and towns to develop affordable housing.
Wednesday’s votes by the planning and development committee move both bills forward, although it remains unclear whether the legislature has the political will to address such a complex and entrenched issue as housing segregation before lawmakers adjourn in early June.
Zoning reform has become one of the most divisive debates at the Capitol and that was reflected in the planning and development committee votes; Democrats backed both the measures and Republicans voted no.
Earlier this month, the committee held a hearing on the bills; it
lasted 24 hours and drew testimony from hundreds, both in support and opposition to the legislation.
Both bills are “works in progress,” said Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey, a Democrat from Fairfield and the co-chair of the committee.
“This is a conversation we have been having and will continue to have,” McCarthy Vahey said. House Bill 6611 “is a significant policy agenda
that looks at ... advancing affordability,” she added.
After the George Floyd killing last year, advocates for racial justice in Connecticut turned their attention to the lack of affordable housing and the ways it contributes to segregation.
Critics of such an approach say the effort could strip local communities of the power to set zoning policies.
Rep. Doug Dubitsky, a Republican who represents several small towns in eastern Connecticut, delivered
a lengthy argument against Senate Bill 1024. He questioned the premise out forth by advocates such as Desegregate Connecticut, a housing equity coalition, that the state’s zoning regulations reinforce racial segregation.
“I see noevidence whatsoever of that,” Dubitsky said. “The whole precept that zoning is preventing people of color from moving into towns is inherently racist.”
Rep. Kim Fiorello, a Republican from Greenwich, said House Bill 6611 is “really misguided,” despite its
“wonderful intentions.” She called the legislation “scary.”
Democratic Rep. Roland Lemar of New Haven rejected Fiorello’s characterization. “I don’t think this is a scary bill,” he said. Instead, he added, the measure is “a good opportunity for us to finally achieve what everyone has asked for.”
Both bills have already been tweaked, mostly in minor ways. But Senate Bill 1024, as approved by the committee, contained a significant change: the proposal initially contained
a provision that would have required communities to approve certain multifamily housing developments near train stations. That requirement was removed from the legislation after some local officials complained that it would usurp their authority.
Rep. Joe Zullo of East Haven, the ranking House Republican on the panel, applauded those changes and the willingness of supporters of the bills to amend their proposals. But the adjustments weren’t enough to win his support.
“All these bills are going to require more work,” Zullo said. “We need to do everything we can to deescalate the rhetoric ... if we want to get to a final product. We need to keep working to strike a balance between the need for meaningful local control and the role of the state frankly in leveraging zoning to promote a diverse and affordable housing stock.”