2025 Agenda
Build Homes
Towns Take the Lead Planning and Zoning
Lead organization – Open Communities Alliance
Create a new statewide zoning process in which municipalities take the lead in planning and zoning with the goal of allowing for a fair portion of their region’s need for affordable housing. The process would include incentive and enforcement elements.
Keep Homes
Just Cause Eviction
Lead – CT Fair Housing Center (with partners, including the Tenants Union)
Expand Just Cause laws to cover all tenants except those in owner-occupied 1-4-unit buildings. Just Cause requires landlords to have grounds for filing an eviction or refusing to renew a lease, like a tenant’s failure to pay rent or abide by the lease.
Collateral Consequences in Housing Applications
Lead – Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (with partners, including the ACLU of CT)
Under this proposal, landlords would be prevented from using blanket housing denials based on non-felony criminal convictions and felony convictions after a lookback period. For convictions within the recent past, landlords must make an individualized assessment of applicants within the limits of federal law. Individuals with a criminal history who are discriminated against in their efforts to find housing could file a complaint with the CHRO.
Invest in Homelessness Response
Lead – Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
Support the funding request of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness and the Coordinated Access Network for $33.5 million to support the state’s response to homelessness.
Support CT Families
Guard Against the Benefits Cliff
Lead – Mothers and Others for Justice
This proposal would change the qualifications for a set of key state-controlled benefits for lower-income households to exclude the income of adult children (formerly dependents) and stipends provided by nonprofits.
- Learn more [coming soon]
Create a Child Tax Credit
Lead – CT Voices for Children
Create a $600 tax credit per child with a possible max of 3 children per household.