New Affordable Housing Statute Means 'Relief For Milford': State Rep

From the Connecticut General Assembly: Vice-Chair of the Housing Committee Representative Kim Rose (D-Milford) hailed Senate passage in concurrence with the House of a bill she championed, House Bill #6880, which revises language in the affordable housing statute to protect towns and cities from predatory development while encouraging the creation of affordable housing.

"This is the culmination of many years of hard work to negotiate sensible changes to SS8-30g to help Milford reach a moratorium. Our residents have been waiting far too long and I am pleased the legislation was finally passed by both the House and Senate,” Rep. Rose said. “I thank my Housing Chairman Larry Butler for his tireless work and advocacy on this issue. We had to craft a bill that would help Milford, yet not jeopardize the building of affordable housing throughout the State. Whenever we pass a law we must bear in mind that it affects the entire state.”

“I am very happy about the bipartisan support given to this important legislation and grateful for its passage,” said Rep. Larry Butler (D-Waterbury), the House Chair of the legislature’s Housing Committee. “We have to protect towns and cities from predatory developers while encouraging the development of affordable housing, and this legislation accomplishes that.”

House Bill #6880

The bill:

• Allows Ryder Mobile Home park to be included in our count towards affordable housing stock
• Contains a five year sunset provision
• Lowers minimum number of HUE points smaller municipalities must obtain to qualify for a moratorium from 75 HUE points to 50 HUE points
• Encourages the development of three bedroom family units, senior units tied to family housing, and family units located in incentive housing zones
• Makes income-restricted units in an IHZ development eligible for points toward a moratorium.
• Award bonus HUE points for family units that contain at least three bedrooms, elderly units when 60% of an affordable housing completion certificate is tied to family housing, and family units located within an Incentive Housing Zone;
• Changes the definition of Median Income applicable to IHZ’s to conform to 8-30g’s definition (the lesser of state median income and the area median income as determined by HUD).
• Makes affordable housing moratoriums more achievable for midsize cities. The current threshold to qualify for a moratorium is 2%, this bill lowers that threshold to 1.5%. While this goal is still very difficult to attain. It is a step in the right direction.

The bill now goes to the governor for signing.

Rep. Rose is serving her fourth legislative term. She is co-chair of the Women’s Caucus, House vice chair of the legislature’s Housing Committee, Assistant Majority Whip and a member of the Internship and Veterans Affairs Committees.

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