Legislative Hearing in New Haven Thursday on 8-30g Affordable Housing

CT state legislators are scheduled to hold a pubic hearing on affordable housing legislation in New Haven this Thursday, Feb. 5.

The state regulation being discussed is the State’s “Affordable Land Use Appeals Act,” known as CGA 8-30g, something that was drafted about 20 years ago. Through the statute, the Connecticut General Assembly mandates that all CT towns should have at least 10-percent of its housing stock qualify as affordable housing. Both public and private development of affordable housing falls under the legislation.

CGA 8-30g defines affordable housing as housing that is available to eligible persons or families with income that is 80-percent of the state median income; in Fairfield County, that median income is $82,614, according to the most recent U.S. census figures.

The regulation is at the center of recent local concern over a proposed multi-unit housing plan in Wilton, at 44 Westport Rd.. That development has been back-burnered following a deal struck between the town of Wilton and the real estate developer Patrick Downend. Downend has agreed to sell the Westport Rd. property in exchange for the right to purchase a 1-acre town-owned lot near the Wilton train station and develop a multi-unit residence there. A portion of that development will include units designated as affordable housing. Moreover, the property at 44 Westport Rd. will have a deed-restriction limiting the lot to single-family housing, in perpetuity.

Thursday’s state hearing will address 32 proposed bills which propose modifications to 8-30g statute.

Save 44 Westport, the local ad-hoc advocacy group started by Wilton residents who live close to 44 Westport Rd., recently sent an email to supporters letting them know about the state hearings and asked them to consider emailing legislators or attending the hearings in Hartford.

The email stated, “Residents are free to offer support or opposition to any of the bills by speaking in person at the hearing or by emailing testimony to the address below. Five of the bills seem to offer more hope of resulting in modification to the current statute as they are proposing new ideas that have not been previously proposed so please be sure to check out bills 6145, 6128, 6136, 6135, and 5802 (5802 was introduced by Gail Lavielle who represents Wilton).”

The email mentioned that testimony needs to be received in Hartford by Thursday morning.

The public hearings are being held Thursday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. in the New Haven Aldermanic Chamber, 165 Church St., Second Floor, in New Haven. Attendees who wish to speak at the hearing need to sign-up beginning at 5 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber, and to submit 35 copies of written testimony to committee staff by 6 p.m.. Testimony received after the designated time may not be distributed until after the hearing.

According to the housing website, written testimony may be emailed in Word or PDF format to HSGtestimony@cga.ct.gov. Testimony should clearly state testifier name and related Bills. The Committee requests that testimony be limited to matters related to the items on the agenda. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Legislators, Constitutional Officers, State Agency Heads and Chief Elected Municipal Officials. Speakers will be limited to 3-minutes of testimony. The Committee encourages witnesses to submit a written statement and to condense oral testimony to a summary of that statement. Unofficial sign-up sheets have no standing with the Committee. All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information. As such, it will be made available on the CGA website and indexed by internet search engines.

I. PROPOSED BILLS FOR REVIEW
1. Proposed S.B. No. 123 AN ACT CONCERNING CREDIT FOR EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK. (HSG)
2. Proposed S.B. No. 171 AN ACT CONCERNING INCENTIVES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. (HSG)
3. Proposed S.B. No. 172 AN ACT CONCERNING THE HEIGHT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS. (HSG)
4. Proposed S.B. No. 403 AN ACT CONCERNING THE INCLUSION OF SENIOR HOUSING AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. (HSG)
5. Proposed S.B. No. 407 AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING APPEALS PROCEDURE. (HSG)
6. Proposed H.B. No. 5055 AN ACT CONCERNING THE CALCULATION OF THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN MUNICIPALITIES. (HSG)
7. Proposed H.B. No. 5056 AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF AGE-RESTRICTED HOUSING. (HSG)
8. Proposed H.B. No. 5057 AN ACT CONCERNING INCENTIVES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. (HSG)
9. Proposed H.B. No. 5254 AN ACT CONCERNING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN SET-ASIDE DEVELOPMENTS. (HSG)
10. Proposed H.B. No. 5306 AN ACT CONCERNING APPLICATION OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND USE APPEALS PROCESS. (HSG)
11. Proposed H.B. No. 5576 AN ACT CONCERNING ADDITIONAL CREDIT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. (HSG)
12. Proposed H.B. No. 5577 AN ACT REPEALING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND USE APPEALS PROCEDURE. (HSG)
13. Proposed H.B. No. 5578 AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. (HSG)
14. Proposed H.B. No. 5579 AN ACT CONCERNING THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN SET-ASIDE DEVELOPMENTS. (HSG)
15. Proposed H.B. No. 5580 AN ACT PROHIBITING THE CONVERSION OF AGE-RESTRICTED HOUSING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. (HSG)
16. Proposed H.B. No. 5581 AN ACT CONCERNING AFFORDABLE HOUSING MANDATES FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES. (HSG)
17. Proposed H.B. No. 5582 AN ACT CONCERNING THE INCLUSION OF LOW-COST HOUSING AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. (HSG)
18. Proposed H.B. No. 5802 AN ACT CONCERNING THE RESPONSIBLE GROWTH OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. (HSG)
19. Proposed H.B. No. 5803 AN ACT PROVIDING CREDIT FOR EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. (HSG)
20. Proposed H.B. No. 5804 AN ACT CONCERNING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS. (HSG)
21. Proposed H.B. No. 5805 AN ACT PROHIBITING THE CONVERSION OF AGE-RESTRICTED HOUSING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. (HSG)
22. Proposed H.B. No. 6126 AN ACT CONCERNING AFFORDABLE HOUSING MANDATES FOR MUNICIPALITIES BASED ON POPULATION SIZE. (HSG)
23. Proposed H.B. No. 6127 AN ACT CONCERNING THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN SET-ASIDE DEVELOPMENTS. (HSG)
24. Proposed H.B. No. 6128 AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND USE APPEALS ACT. (HSG)
25. Proposed H.B. No. 6129 AN ACT REPEALING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND USE APPEALS ACT. (HSG)
26. Proposed H.B. No. 6130 AN ACT CONCERNING THE DETERMINATION OF THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN A MUNICIPALITY. (HSG)
27. Proposed H.B. No. 6131 AN ACT CONCERNING EXEMPTIONS FOR MUNICIPALITIES FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING APPEALS PROCEDURE. (HSG)
28. Proposed H.B. No. 6135 AN ACT CONCERNING A MORATORIUM FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING APPEALS PROCEDURE UPON COMPLETION OF AN INCENTIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. (HSG)
29. Proposed H.B. No. 6139 AN ACT REVISING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND USE APPEALS PROCEDURE. (HSG)
30. Proposed H.B. No. 6140 AN ACT REQUIRING A BOND WITH RESPECT TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND USE APPEALS PROCESS. (HSG)
31. Proposed H.B. No. 6145 AN ACT EXEMPTING CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAND USE APPEALS ACT. (HSG)
32. Proposed H.B. No. 6146 AN ACT CONCERNING CREDIT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. (HSG)