By: GREENWICHFREEPRESS
Several bills relating to local control, planning and zoning, and housing are up for hearing Thursday, February 18 beginning at 11:00am in the Housing Committee.
The agenda is here: https://cga.ct.gov/2021/HSGdata/pha/pdf/2021pha00218-R001100HSG-pha.pdf
The public hearing can be livestreamed via YouTube Live. In addition, the public hearing may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com
The bills in bold italics with an asterisk* are currently on the agenda for the hearing.
Statewide property tax, property tax surcharges, and state funding changes
- SB 171 creates a “mansion tax” on homes with an assessed value over $300,000, or market value over $430,000.
- SB 172 would establish a statewide tax on commercial and residential property to encourage affordable housing as defined by 8-30g. The tax has a “sliding scale” which reflects how far a town is from the required 10%.
- SB 808 would property tax surcharge in some municipalities to fund affordable housing.
- SB 712 would proportion school building grants to the level of affordable housing in a municipality.
- HB 6240 provides 100% PILOT for State Housing Authority properties.*
Local control
- SB 804 is the Desegregate CT platform.*
- SB 551 and SB 554 would require towns to permit a greater density of housing within a 1/2 mile of a public transit station than otherwise permitted by the town.
- HB 5682 could require allowing duplexes in all single-family zones.
- HB 6287 would allocate affordable housing needs on a regional basis, set municipal goals, and create and enforce “fair share” plans.
- HB 5983 would cap property tax growth to no more than 2% annually.
Support of local control
- SB 553 would establish local zoning regulations as a municipal right.
8-30
8-30j enforcement
- SB 39 would promote fair housing, add teeth to municipal fair housing plans, and study affordable housing and zoning regulations.
- HB 6107 would add a mechanism to address noncompliance with affordable housing (8-30j) plans.
8-30g reform
- SB 488 would reduce the additional points toward 8-30g moratoriums awarded under PA 17-170.
- HB 5680 would grant housing-unit equivalent points for municipalities that adopt affordable housing plans.
- HB 5683 would include naturally-occurring affordable housing in 8-30g calculations.*
Funding and development
- HB 5911 would require all state-funded housing to be at least 25% low income.*
- HB 5681 would increase school construction funding in municipalities make certain zoning changes and build affordable housing.*
- SB 590 would initiate a process to build affordable housing TODs on state-owned rail parking.
- SB 49 would create a new workforce housing program in opportunity zones.
- HB 6239 would study how government housing funding awards affect racial and economic segregation.*
- HB 5480 would provide loans for building reuse, especially related to building, fire, and health codes.
Other
- HB 5685 would impose rent control statewide.*
- SB 487 would expand housing authority jurisdiction to “certain high or very high opportunity census tract” within 15 miles.
- SB 394 would study how to increase housing options so employees can live where they work.
- SB 777 would define character to mean “architectural consistency and population density.”