Local officials tell lawmakers mold standards are needed to protect residents
Bill based on Somers’ plan debated at hearing
Hartford — Supporters of proposed legislation to create new standards for mold in housing said at a public hearing Wednesday that the state’s lack of mold standards has tied the hands of officials and made it harder to address the problem.
However, some criticized the bill because they said the standards should be more comprehensive and implemented as soon as possible.
The bill, Senate Bill 959 introduced by the Connecticut General Assembly’s Public Health Committee, calls for establishing protections for residents from mold infestation in housing, and was the subject of a public hearing before the legislature’s Public Health Committee.
The bill calls for establishing a mold protection advisory committee that would make recommendations about how to address mold in housing, including standards for identifying and assessing it, guidelines for limiting exposure, and standards for remediation.
The committee also would set the circumstances for when a property owner could face penalties; determine the types of mold remediation costs that could warrant a tax credit for the property; and outline tenant’s rights and actions, as well as determine situations when a tenant could instead deposit rent into an escrow account if the property owner fails to remediate mold.
The bill is based on a proposal from Sen. Heather Somers, RGroton, to develop indoor mold quality standards and ways to test for mold. It would also provide a public service announcement on how to keep a house free of mold and what can be done to eradicate mold.
She expects the bill will be revised to include the language of her original proposal.
State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, D-Groton, said during the hearing that it’s important the standards go into effect as soon as possible, but under the current bill no one would be appointed to the committee until Jan. 1, 2024.
“A better delaying tactic could not be devised,” he said. “How to abate mold is already known. Groton vic
tims have gone years without resolution. It is time to relocate them to safe housing, not to waste time, not to warehouse them into motels or hotels. Establishing a bureaucracy without a speedy deadline is ridiculous.”
But Somers said under her proposal the public health department would create the regulations, which would take less time than appointing a committee.
Bumgardner said residents of Branford Manor in Groton, who have complained about a widespread mold problem, are overwhelmingly Black and Latino single mothers.
He said they are “suffering day in day out in their mold prisons, and it’s absolutely inexcusable that we have allowed these issues to go unabated for so long.”
Somers said she understands people are suffering and her proposal is not a delay tactic.
She said the first step is to have the Department of Public Health establish indoor mold quality standards. She said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, is working on proposing a bill on the federal level, but doesn’t think the issue can wait.
A lack of regulations
City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick testified the bill would help residents and property owners identify and remediate mold.
“Currently, there is no state or federal standard regarding mold, and you have to start somewhere because we have no standards at this point,” he said.
When asked if his hands are tied as mayor because the state does not have mold standards, he said yes.
He said some people are saying more should be done, but the Ledge Light Health District and the city building inspector are doing what they can under the current regulations.
City of Groton Deputy Mayor Gweneviere Depot spoke in support of the bill, saying the topic of mold is difficult to address because not everyone reacts the same way to it. She said that just because it may take time and research to develop standards, the issue should not fall to the wayside.
“The absence of established standards and guidelines has impeded protection of tenants’ health and well-being,” said Robert Boris, the chairman of the Groton Economic Development Commission, who has attended meetings of the tenants’ group at Branford Manor.
He said without standards “tenants are forced to endure undue hardships,” while local officials struggle to hold property owners accountable.
The public hearing on multiple bills before the Public Health Committee started at 11 a.m. and just half of the speakers had testified by 6:30 p.m.
Groton Town Councilor Portia Bordelon in written testimony urged the committee to consider a fundamental revision of the bill that would empower the regional health districts and municipalities to protect their residents in a comprehensive manner.
Sandra Fetters wrote that she and her children have been displaced from Branford Manor and are living in a hotel due to mold that has ruined their health. She said since there are no mold regulations, “it makes it harder to fight these people while it’s so blatantly obvious that we are proof that mold is a health concern.”
She said it’s a “life or death situation over there and this needs to change.”
Town Manager John Burt wrote in support of the bill and said that as the Related Companies, which owns Branford Manor, began putting together plans to address the mold complaints from residents there was disagreement about what type of testing to use. This delayed the implementation of a remediation plan.
He said the scenario at Branford Manor has played out at many Section 8 housing locations throughout the country. He said it’s incumbent on the government to ensure all residents are kept safe and not subject to prolonged exposure to unsafe conditions, which is partially done by creating reasonable mold standards and holding landlords to the regulations.
City resident Michael Boucher said he doesn’t support the bill “because it only kicks the can down the road for years.”
“Branford Manor residents need help immediately,” he wrote.