Yankee Institute and CT169Strong call on the General Assembly to vote down H.B. 5002, a massive housing omnibus bill that will hand control of local zoning to state politicians in Hartford and strip our towns and cities of the ability to run in accordance with the wishes of their residents.
The sweeping 92-page bill — published less than 24 hours before today’s vote — imposes harsh new restrictions on Connecticut cities and towns. They will be:
- Prevented from requiring off-street parking in most new developments, even if streets are overcrowded;
- Forced to implement transit-oriented mandates, requiring dense, multifamily housing in commercial zones near transit;
- Subject to mandated affordable “fair share” housing quotas imposed by unelected bureaucrats, which means that every municipality will be assigned a mandatory affordable housing target, regardless of infrastructure, land use, or resident input; and
- Paying for a host of new unfunded mandates and administrative burdens on local government — while actual decision-making authority and resources are diverted to state agencies and regional authorities.
“New Haven is not Torrington. Greenwich is not Waterbury. Hartford is not Monroe. The very premise of zoning is that different communities have different needs and different priorities, and this bill ignores that entirely,” said Yankee Institute President Carol Platt Liebau. “This bill is an assault on the tradition of local control that sets Connecticut apart. If towns want to eliminate parking minimums or implement other housing measures, it should be their choice. That’s how local government should work.”
“This top-down approach will only sow more division and distrust, while wreaking havoc on the make-up of our local communities,” Liebau added. “Central planning has, and never will, work.”
“The diversity of our towns and cities make us a unique state, yet this bill would destroy that, while making our state less affordable, the very issue lawmakers are trying to address,” said Maria Weingarten and Alexis Harrison, co-founders of CT169Strong. “To drop this bill, which had relatively no language 48 hours ago, and to pass it without public input and awareness is irresponsible governance.”
“If lawmakers truly want to address affordable housing concerns, local leaders need a seat at the table,” Weingarten and Harrison added. “It’s time for collaborative solutions and to stop pitting cities against suburbs and rural communities.”
About Yankee Institute
Yankee Institute is the eyes, ears and voice for hard-working people who want a prosperous Connecticut. Our commonsense solutions drive positive legislative results to strengthen our communities and build a vibrant, hopeful future.
About CT169Strong
CT169Strong is an all-volunteer grassroots public policy group that supports local zoning decision making.
