By Margarita Alben
The housing bill just passed by the CT General Assembly, HB5002, is a combination of 22 different bills proposed during the 2025 legislative session.
The bill moved so quickly that Planning & Zoning is still unpacking its language and potential impact. My personal view is the bill does not tackle the single greatest obstacle to the creation of affordable and diverse housing in our State.
HB 5002 fails because it doesn’t address funding or economics. The bill presses municipalities to increase housing density. In the face of that, it’s worth knowing Greenwich Planning & Zoning has recently approved over 1,000 new housing units. Yet, many of those housing units aren’t being built.
Why aren’t we seeing that housing construction?
Builders tell us they are struggling with increases in materials costs, interest rate hikes and tariff uncertainty. Other towns are hearing the same from their developers. That’s why approved housing projects aren’t moving ahead, not only here but throughout the State. Shifting economics.
Zoning approvals accomplish little if there is no financial support to enable greater affordability. I’ve pleaded with legislators from all over the State to create mechanisms for funding Affordable Housing Trusts. Yet, this awkward 86 page legislation does not address the one overriding challenge of funding.
What does HB5002 do other than seek density? It prohibits certain parking requirements, facilitates conversion of commercial space to residential, makes it more difficult for zoning commissions to protect the health and safety of residents, encourages development near transportation, and implements more reporting requirements. I don’t see how any of that advances affordability goals.
Under the bill, Towns will be assigned new affordable housing targets based on a formula which relies on the value of the town’s real estate. The price of real estate is a very poor proxy for the size and location of populations needing reasonably priced housing.
From a planning perspective, I’m deeply troubled the bill is not rooted in a study of where our State truly needs more housing and at what income levels the housing gap is greatest. For example, I’ve seen no report of how far workers are commuting to reach their employment. Nor do we know how many people are at greatest need because they are unable to find housing. As a result, the bill fails workers with long commutes as well as our most vulnerable populations.
Ironically, the title of the bill is “AN ACT CONCERNING HOUSING AND THE NEEDS OF HOMELESS
PERSONS. As to the homeless, one of the bill’s major provisions is to mandate that park benches be designed to accommodate sleeping. Any other kind of bench is deemed ‘hostile architecture’.
By focusing on zoning and superficial measures, HB 5002 fails to address the real issues and, thus, fails us all.
The Greenwich League of Women Voters is giving its 2025 Community Impact Award to Margarita Alban for her commitment to transparent democratic process and inclusive leadership. She wrote this LTE as a private citizen although she is a long time member and current Chair of the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission.
