Opinion: Connecticut's New Housing Law Empowers Fairfield

The following opinion essay was written by Democratic state Reps. Sarah Keitt, Jennifer Leeper and Cristin McCarthy Vahey, who represent Fairfield:

Across Connecticut, whether we’re talking to businesses, healthcare providers or our own neighbors, the same issue keeps rising to the top: housing. Home is so personal for each of us. For those fortunate enough to own a home, it is likely our largest investment. The desire to protect and preserve community and investment is universal, human. At the same time, it is understandable that those who struggle to find, afford, or remain in a home seek better options.

During last week's special session, the legislature passed an extensive housing reform bill, HB 8002. This new bill is the result of bipartisan compromise following objections to HB 5002, the housing reform bill vetoed last session. Public input from Democratic and Republican municipal leaders, along with compromise across all stakeholders, was central to changes in the new version.

While there are legitimate disagreements about how to address the crisis of housing affordability, access, and lack of diversity, there are many objections to this bill not based in fact. Some organizations are using inflammatory rhetoric to spread misinformation, stoke fear, and maintain the status quo.

Fairfield has a moratorium from 8-30g and nothing in HB 8002 jeopardizes that. What it will do is help Fairfield gain a second moratorium, to remain out from under the thumb of 8-30g, and bring additional dollars into the town's coffers. Our town is now in the driver’s seat to determine how and where it wants to plan for more diverse, sustainable, and affordable housing options, for our own businesses and residents, while maintaining vibrancy and charm in our downtown and neighborhoods.

In HB 8002, Fairfield has until 2029 to decide on its own plan, now called a Housing Growth Plan. We determine where and how to say yes to the development we need, including affordable and senior housing. Like our current Affordable Housing Plan and our recently adopted Plan of Conservation and Development, this plan will be developed with local input and approval. It cannot force any building to occur.

Fairfield will receive additional state support, notably an increase to the school construction reimbursement rate, likely to result in millions of dollars toward the $76 million approved for Dwight School construction. Planning resources and assistance from the Council of Government (COG) will bring both expertise and resources that will save the town money. The COGs are governed by our municipal leaders, so our very own chief elected officials provide oversight and approval.

Fairfield residents will benefit from the new First Time Homebuyers program, which creates tax deductions for individuals and tax credits for employers who contribute to a specialized saving account. Single filers with an AGI below $125,000 and couples under $250,000 qualify.

Fairfield can and will continue to protect and preserve its more than 1,250 acres of open space, wetlands, and conservation easements. The bill's definition of “developable land” explicitly excludes these vulnerable parcels. All planning must be consistent with both the town and state Plan of Conservation and Development and must factor in water and sewer capacity.

‘Just Say No’ was a failed drug prevention policy in the 1980s, and that approach will fail again for planning and development in our communities today. We need balance, sustainability, opportunity, and affordability. We need to empower our community to find ways to say ‘yes’.

The need for a more diverse housing stock is acute, with Connecticut vacancy rates among the lowest in the nation. Median home prices in Fairfield have risen from $572,499 in 2017 to $865,670 in 2025 – a more than 64% increase in just eight years. Federal housing cuts announced last week will slash billions of dollars, leaving 9,000 Connecticut residents vulnerable to homelessness. Our local housing authority receives hundreds of applicants when the wait lists are opened.

We hear about the need for housing in quiet conversations all over town. Most people are not
comfortable publicly sharing their own personal "housing crisis," as one courageous woman
testifying before the Board of Selectman called it.

Local control of housing and zoning policy, by both Democrats and Republicans over the years, has been unable to meet market demand and what people need, and has left us vulnerable to 8-30g. When we spend our time arguing over local control versus state requirements, we lose focus on the fact that our neighbors need housing they can afford. When we are fighting rather than planning, we outsource the control of how and where we grow to developers alone. Seniors downsizing, students trying to move closer to home after graduating, business owners recruiting and retaining talent, families striving to stay close after a divorce, and those seeking the best education options available for their children are all impacted.

This bill supports and empowers Fairfield to have a voice in how and where we want to grow and what the vision is for our community for the years and decades to come. HB 8002 is a good bill for Connecticut, and a good bill for Fairfield.