With April’s arrival, we have just five weeks left in the Connecticut General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session. All of the legislature’s 28 committees have completed their work. The full General Assembly may now consider bills that have been passed out of committees.
The Partnership’s top priorities have largely made it out of committee. Learn more about our 2026 Policy Priorities here. With just five weeks left in the legislative session, your voice is incredibly important in helping to move these bills to a final vote. Now is the time to reach out to your legislators and urge them to support, co-sponsor, and invest in policies that expand affordable housing.
Affordability – The Appropriations Committee released their budget adjustments this week through H.B. 5032, following the Governor’s proposal for a $10M increase to the Rental Assistance Program to maintain existing service levels. CT renters need more help. The Partnership is advocating for a $50 million investment in the Rental Assistance Program which would support 3,400 additional households. Take action now by contacting your legislators and urge them to invest in expanding RAP.
Creation – The Partnership and the Planning and Development Committee support the YIGBY (Yes in God’s Backyard) bill, H.B. 5396, which would allow religious organizations to build affordable housing on their own property. Take action now by reaching out to your legislators and asking them to call for a vote.
Choice – Policymakers are considering several bills that would weaken the Affordable Housing Appeals Procedure, the state’s strongest tool for equitable housing creation. These proposals would allow municipalities to qualify for housing moratoriums without creating any new affordable housing. Take action now by asking your representatives to protect 8-30g.
Stability – The Partnership and the Housing Committee support S.B. 257, which would expand Just Cause Eviction protections to all tenants, not only older adults and people with disabilities. There is real momentum to finally pass Just Cause Eviction Protections this session. Take action now by reaching out to your Senator and asking them to call for a vote.
The Partnership will continue to monitor housing related bills and issues, including housing budget and finance, tenant protections, 8-30g, zoning, accessory dwelling units, Fair Rent Commissions, and protections for homeless individuals. See more details below.
Budget and Finance
Earlier this week, the Appropriations and Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committees released their budget and tax policy proposals. The Partnership testified before these committees in support of our legislative priorities for housing affordability, including an expansion of the Rental Assistance Program (RAP) and the creation of a Renter’s Tax Credit.
There are two current proposals for a Renter’s Tax Credit passed by the Finance Committee: an expansive proposal that provides refundable credits of up to $2,500 per household, and a more modest proposal of refundable credits up to $1,000 per households. While homeowners received over half a dozen proposals for expanded property tax relief during this session, there is no equivalent policy to provide tax relief for renters facing the same rising property taxes.
The Appropriation Committee’s proposed budget largely follows the Governor’s proposed budget adjustments. Their budget includes the Governor’s $10M baseline adjustment of the Rental Assistance Program (RAP) to maintain existing service levels in the face of rising rents. However, their budget does not include an urgently needed RAP expansion of $50M to create 3,400 new vouchers. One in every three calls to 2-1-1 are made for housing and shelter requests, and in 2025 alone there were over 100,000 calls from families looking for rental assistance. Now is a crucial time to contact your legislators on investing in RAP – see our action alert for information on how to get involved!
The Appropriations Committee also voted to remove key Department of Housing (DOH) staffing increases. Under the Governor’s proposal, DOH would receive 6 new positions to implement provisions from the special session housing bill, H.B. 8002, and 6 new positions to conduct in-house fiscal monitoring, for a total of 12 new staff. The Appropriations Committee removes all funding for H.B. 8002 implementation staff and cuts fiscal monitoring staff in half, reducing total new staff to 3 positions.
We’re keeping an eye on the following budget and finance bills from now through the end of session:
- H.B. 5031 – An Act Making Deficiency Appropriations for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2026. The Governor and Appropriations Committee proposed an additional $14.5 million for DOH in the current fiscal year (FY26) to cover increased housing costs for existing RAP vouchers.
- H.B. 5032 – An Act Adjusting the State Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2027. The Governor and Appropriations Committee proposed a $10M baseline adjustment of the DOH RAP voucher budget to maintain existing vouchers in the face of rising rents. The Partnership testified in support of this adjustment, and advocated for an additional $50M baseline increase to expand the RAP voucher program by 3,400 new vouchers which was not included in the committee proposal. The Appropriations Committee cut the number of new DOH staff from 12 to 3, and authorized $500,000 to the Department of Transportation for homeless encampment removal efforts. Leadership has shared that they may use reserve funds from the November Federal Cuts Response Fund to balance the budget (see Early Session bills for more detail).
- S.B. 1 – An Act Concerning Affordability. Increases the maximum property tax credit against the state income tax from $300 to $400. Creates a refundable income tax credit for renters making less than $100,000 (joint filers) or $50,000 (all other filers) or $100,000 (joint filers). The amount of the credit will be determined by a formula taking into account income and rent, and is capped at $1,000 per household. The homeowner and renter property tax credit adjustments would cost the state a combined estimated $250M annually.
- H.B. 5114 – An Act Establishing A Refundable Credit Against The Personal Income Tax For A Portion Of Rent Payments Made For A Primary Residence. Creates a refundable income tax credit for renters making less than $150,000 (joint filers) or $75,000 (all filers). The amount of the credit is determined by the same formula as S.B. 1, taking into account income and rent, and is capped at $2,500 per household. The bill includes additional implementation, public awareness, and reporting requirements associated with the tax credit. This version of the tax credit would cost the state an estimated $575M.
- S.B. 85 – An Act Authorizing and Adjusting Bonds of the State and Establishing a Supplemental Graduate Student Loan Program. No housing-related bond authorizations have changed from last legislative session. However, the bill language includes provisions from H.B. 5162 (to reuse unallocated balances of $5M for Down Payment Assistance Program) and H.B. 5314 (adjusts mortgage rate standard for Homes for CT loan program). The bill also provides guidance for last session’s Aging in Place bond authorization, which will provide up to $10,000 per household for elderly homeowners earning less than 60% AMI for accessibility-oriented home improvement projects.
- S.B. 401 – An Act Concerning A Bridge Program To Allow Access To Food, Housing And Health Care Benefits. This bill creates a plan for state agency commissioners to develop a proactive response plan to support vulnerable populations, including homeless individuals and those at risk of homelessness, in the face of federal policy changes, by creating a bridge program for supportive housing, among other services. The proposed Appropriations Committee budget allows for the transfer of reserve funds from SA 25-1 to the Department of Human Services for state-funded bridge program, which may be connected to this initiative.
Tenant Protections
The Housing Committee offered strong support for increased tenant protections, promoting renter’s security and stability in their home, by championing several important bills:
- S.B. 257 – An Act Concerning Evictions For Cause. This bill would expand just cause eviction protections to all tenants in complexes of 5+ units, after the first 12 months of tenancy. Elderly and disabled tenants already covered by this law will maintain their current protections. Learn more about the Just Cause campaign at the Connecticut Tenants Union’s website.
- H.B. 5261 – ‘An Act Permitting Municipalities To Prohibit Rent Increases In The Event Of Multiple State Building Code Violations. This municipal opt-in bill creates a uniform standard that if a landlord has at least two outstanding violations of either the State Building Code or a municipal health and safety ordinance, they cannot raise the rent until those violations are corrected. The proposal creates a concrete, remediation-focused penalty for bad actors who seek to increase rent while failing to maintain safe conditions.
- S.B. 274 – An Act Concerning Nonresident Landlord Registration And Increasing Penalties For Repeat Building And Fire Code Violations. Under this bill, landlords can face increased fines for repeat violations of state building and fire code standards. Towns above 25,000 must also collect identifying information and contact info for a landlord registry to facilitate communication on landlord registration, code violations, and contact in case of an emergency. See also S.B. 408 bill for the creation of a landlord registry in towns above 20,000 and H.B. 5161 for the creation of a landlord registry in towns above 25,000 with associated fines for noncompliance.
Policymakers in the Housing Committee engaged in robust discussions to reform security deposit laws. Under the current two-month security deposit cap, the average renter family in Connecticut would need to pay 9% of their total annual income to move into a new apartment. A bill to cap security deposits at one month (H.B. 5257) was not voted on by the committee, while other tenant-unfriendly bills to eliminate the two month cap (S.B. 253) and allow for expanded use of “advance rental payments” (S.B. 333) also were not passed by the committee.
8-30g and Affordable Housing Creation
Following the release of the Majority Leader’s Roundtable on Affordable Housing report, policymakers across multiple committees introduced a series of bills that would significantly weaken one of Connecticut’s only proven enforcement tools for ensuring every town shares responsibility for addressing the state’s housing shortage, Section 8-30g. In general, these bills would allow towns to progress closer towards an 8-30g moratorium without needing to add any new affordable homes in their town. See our latest factsheet about why 8-30g is essential to affordable housing creation in CT. The Partnership testified in opposition to the following bills which would weaken existing 8-30g provisions:
- H.B. 5362 – An Act Implementing The Recommendations Of The Majority Leader’s Roundtable.
- H.B. 5364 – An Act Concerning Tiered Deed Restrictions.
- H.B. 5365 – An Act Increasing Certain Housing Unit Equivalent Points.
- H.B. 5369 – An Act Establishing A Task Force On The Calculation Of Affordability In The Affordable Housing Appeals Process.
- H.B. 5395 – An Act Concerning Modular or Prefabricated Homes
- H.B. 5376 – An Act Concerning Real Estate
One 8-30g reform bill, S.B. 338 – An Act Concerning Housing Unit-Equivalent Points For Developments Subject To Litigation, honors the intent of the law by establishing that a municipality cannot receive moratorium points for any development that was the subject of an 8-30g appeals process that lasted longer than 6 months and that the developer won, preventing undue delays and increased construction costs.
Zoning
Several zoning reform bills were passed by the Housing and Planning and Development Committees that propose common sense modifications to statewide zoning laws to make housing more affordable and accessible for Connecticut families in all communities across the state.
- S.B. 151 – An Act Prohibiting Certain Land Use And Zoning Limitations On Housing. This bill, modeled after evidence-based reforms in nearby states, relaxes zoning restrictions on minimum lot sizes, setback requirements, and legalizes townhomes on all single-family lots, allowing home builders the flexibility to create more cost-effective homes suited to CT families’ needs in all life stages. @Michelle are we able to link to the factsheets you created here?
- H.B. 5396 – An Act Concerning Affordable Housing Development On Certain Land Owned By A Religious Organization. Known as “YIGBY” or Yes in God’s Backyard, this bill makes it easier for churches to build affordable housing on their property.
- HB 5502 – An Act Concerning Housing Development On Certain Lots Zoned For Industrial Or Previously Zoned For Residential Use. Streamlines the creation of “missing middle” housing (2-9 units) passed in November’s HB 8002, which allows faster review process for missing middle homes built in commercial or mixed-use zones. This bill expands this streamlined process to land previously zoned for residential use or currently zoned for industrial use.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) +
The session saw two ADU bills pass out of committee. H.B. 5507 – An Act Concerning Accessory Dwelling Units removes the municipal opt-out provision and prohibits towns from imposing restrictive design standards or owner occupancy requires, and H.B. 5288 – ‘An Act Concerning Utility Connections For Accessory Apartments’ insets a technical adjustment which expands existing ADU laws to apply to towns zoning under special acts in addition to those zoning under CT Statute 8-2.
S.B. 339 – An Act Allowing Long-Term Rental Of Bedrooms In A Single-Family Home As Of Right’ allows homeowners to rent out up to 3 bedrooms in their residence without needing a special zoning permit or exemption, providing more affordable options for homeowners and renters alike to remain in their community throughout different life stages.
Fair Rent Commissions
Two high-profile initiatives to promote housing affordability for renters took the approach of modifying the Fair Rent Commission (FRC) statute. Since the passage of H.B. 8002 last November, all towns with populations greater than 15,000 are required to have an active Fair Rent Commission (or join a regional FRC) by 2028. While the Partnership appreciates the intent of these bills to promote greater affordability protections, we testified in support of amendments to both bills to ensure FRCs continue to operate smoothly and ensure that all renters, regardless of what town they reside in, have access to protections against evictions and steep rent increases.
- H.B. 5092 – An Act Protecting Renters from Rent Increases Upon the Transfer of Residential Property. This governor’s bill prohibits landlords from raising the rent by greater than 5% upon change of ownership unless the owners can demonstrate investing at least $50K in major renovations; this provision is only enforceable by bringing a complaint before a Fair Rent Commission, covering 84% of all renters in Connecticut but leaving 74,000 households without this protection.
- H.B. 5226 – An Act Concerning Mobile Manufactured Homes And Mobile Manufactured Home Parks. This proposal extends FRC protections to all residents of mobile home parks by requiring the creation of a regional FRC for any planning region where a mobile home resides; it also mandates that regional FRCs must include two representatives from manufactured home homeowner and industry alliances. A moderate amendment could allow for the creation of a statewide mobile home FRC with trained commission members to hear these complaints specifically, rather than dictating the commission makeup of regional FRCs.
One bill that the Partnership opposed was not voted out of committee. S.B. 334 – An Act Concerning The Composition Of Fair Rent Commissions would have required all FRCs be made up of equal members tenants and landlords, without the option for homeowners in the community to participate.
Homeless Protections
Several bills that made it through committee will provide additional protections and resources for people experiencing homelessness, who face the greatest levels of housing instability. In partnership with the CT Coalition to End Homelessness, the Partnership advocates to protect our homeless neighbors while we advocate for the rapid creation of new homes affordable for extremely low-income households.
- H.B. 5235 – An Act Concerning A Plan And Coordinated Response To Persons Experiencing Homelessness On Property Under The Control Of The Department Of Transportation. This bill explicitly requires the Department of Transportation to provide at least 14 days written notice before clearing an encampment, and requires DOT to work with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to develop standards for humane homeless encampment removal. The Appropriations Committee also proposed a new budget adjustment of $500,000 to DOT for homeless encampment removal efforts. The Partnership believes that any new funding for removal ought to be accompanied by the passage of this bill that expands protections for homeless individuals during encampment removal efforts.
- S.B. 364 – An Act Concerning Extreme Weather Protocols. Provides enhanced support for standardized procedures with extreme heat and cold, as well as targeted outreach to help connect individuals to these resources.
- H.B. 5259 – An Act Concerning the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. Codifies the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as state law.
- H.B. 5260 – An Act Prohibiting A Municipality From Imposing A Penalty For The Performance Of Certain Activities Of Daily Living
Early Session Bills
On March 5th, the Governor signed into law two emergency certified bills.
- S.B. 298 – An Act Concerning The Reallocation Of Certain State Funds And Various Provisions Relating To Education, Public Safety, General Government, Elections, Intermediate Care Facilities And Warehouse Distribution Centers. Inside this omnibus bill there is a provision that removed the single-staircase reform that was passed in 2024. The State Building Inspector declined to implement a reform that would have enabled the construction of more missing middle housing by allowing three-and four-story buildings to be constructed with a single staircase instead of two, and the proposal was repealed in this bill.
- S.B 83 – An Act Establishing the Federal Cuts Response Fund. Extends the Governor’s authority to use the remaining $330M of the initial $500M November response fund to respond to federal policy changes through end of FY27. This fund has been used to protect supportive housing in the past and creates a buffer to use funds for additional housing supports, including responding to changes in the federal Section 8 voucher program, should the need arise. CGA leadership has indicated their willingness to re-appropriate these funds as part of the appropriation package for non-federal response uses, which would remove an important buffer necessary to ensure housing stability for CT residents in the face of changing federal policies.
