The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Most towns, cities missed plan deadline
Numerous area municipalities have not filed course of action
Fewer than half of Connecticut’s towns and cities state filed affordable-housing plans in time for the June 1 deadline that was required by a 2021 law, which itself was a major compromise amid staunch opposition from suburban, mostly affluent communities against state mandates they claim threatened local control.
But with no mechanism to actually enforce the law, there will be little repercussions to prod towns and cities to comply with the filing requirements, which are part of a larger law that also establishes a Commission on Connecticut’s Development and Future.
Among the towns that failed to file are the affluent Fairfield County municipalities of Darien, Easton, Greenwich, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Trumbull and Westport. But officials from Bridgeport, Ansonia, East Haven, Hamden, Hartford, Meriden, New Haven, North Haven, Norwalk, Shelton, Torrington and Waterbury also failed to meet the deadline.
Only 81 of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities met the deadline to submit their affordable housing plans to the state Office of Policy and Management for posting on its website in addition to local sites.
Other municipalities that haven’t yet filed include Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethel, Clinton, Colebrook, Derby, Kent, Litchfield, Oxford, Seymour, Thomaston, Watertown and West Hartford failed to meet the deadline.
In cases where towns or cities have failed to adopt affordable housing plans by the deadline, chief elected officials are required to notify the OPM with the reasons why plans were not adopted on time and provide a date by which plans may be adopted and provided. The state Department of Housing and the Regional Plan Association created a guidebook for municipalities to help in their deliberations at a time the state is experiencing a crisis in affordable housing.
“Cities and towns have a statutory responsibility to have filed plans by June 1,” Chris Collibee, spokesman for OPM Secretary Jeffrey Beckham, said Thursday after the list of participating communities was updated. “We anticipate continuing to receive additional filings over the next couple of days.” He said OPM will work with the state Department of Housing to contact those towns and cities that have not communicated their plans and work with them to ensure compliance.
“It is important to note that approximately 20 percent of towns that have not filed their plans have communicated with OPM that they are on track to complete their plans in the near future,” Collibee said.
The reporting deadline was among the few requirements that emerged from the 2021 legislature, when the issues of racial exclusion and local control broke out in the General Assembly and ended efforts to require local land use officials to create more dwelling units.
State Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vehey, D-Fairfield, co-chairwoman of the legislative Planning and Development Committee, whose panel originated last year’s reporting requirement and the June 1 deadline, said Thursday that the pressing need for affordable housing units is no secret.
“I think the big picture is, do we all agree on the definition of a problem and do we agree on the lack of housing stock?” McCarthy Vehey said in a phone interview. “We know there’s a tremendous need. Housing starts in Connecticut have been so low compared to other states and compared to particular times in our state. Municipalities have asked for power to act locally and that’s what we did.”
She recalled that in 2021 any pro-housing bills with legal provisions faced strong objections. While state law has vaguely required the filing of affordable housing plans every five years, last year’s bill finally provided a deadline date. “A plan is a critical first step toward planning affordable housing,” McCarthy Vehey said. “There is a lot of resistance. Our towns need those road maps and by asking them to create their own plans we’re asking them to create their own road maps.”
House Majority Leader Jason Rojas said Thursday that the problem goes beyond affordable homes into housing in general, along with traditions of local control and the growing need for dwellings at a crucial time when the economy needs workers.
“It’s frustrating,” said the East Hartford Democrat, whose town has also failed to file a plan on time. He noted that building permits have been low throughout the state in recent years.
“When you think about costs, it depends on the supply,” Rojas said in a phone intervuew. “Whether you own a house or rent one it’s expensive both ways. We always hear that local landuse officials always support housing, but far too often we see less than that. We’re giving them the chance to come up with plans informed by local conditions.”
Kevin Maloney, communications director for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said Thursday that while towns and cities have benefited from resources provided by state officials, many communities, particularly smaller ones with limited resources, have struggled to develop these plans.
“CCM is continuing to work with the state to support communities in this effort,” Maloney said. “We are confident towns and cities are working hard to complete these plans.”
During the legislative session that ended last month, a number of housing initiatives failed, including a bill that would have allowed local housing authorities to buy and develop units in neighboring municipalities. This year, of the 23 bills that originated in and were approved by the legislative Housing Committee, only one became law, requiring municipalities with 25,000 or more residents to create fair rent commissions.
Christie Stewart, director of the Bridgeport-based Center for Housing Opportunity, which works in Fairfield and Lichfield counties, said Thursday that some towns will need more prodding that others. But the future of Connecticut is at stake.
“The legislation has no teeth, but it’s such a contentious issue that even without teeth it’s a tiny step forward,” Stewart said in a phone interview. “They can’t bury their heads in the sand. Affordability is relative, but it’s going to take a pro-active approach and adherence to plans. What remains to be seen is to take these plans and see how they get implemented. How do we prioritize?”
Stewart said that while some towns, realizing there are no consequences, may never file affordable housing plans, no municipal officials should continue to ignore the need for more housing units. The Center for Housing Opportunity also posts information on meetings of local boards, including the June 7 meeting of the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission.
“Between zoning restrictions and the limited capacity of developers, we have kind of a broken housing system,” she said. “Here’s a challenge: Use your local control and decide where to develop housing options in your towns. This is about pro-active planning for vibrant, sustainable communities while the population undergoes a massive demographic shift.”