State Representative Irene Haines Defends Local Control, Challenges Feasibility of HB 5002

Hartford, CT – Yesterday, During floor debate on House Bill 5002, State Representative Irene Haines (R-East Haddam, East Hampton, Salem) delivered a passionate speech in defense of local decision-making and raised strong concerns about the bill’s impact on small towns like East Haddam.

“We are a very close-knit town,” said Rep. Haines. “We know people who are looking for apartments. We know people who need housing. We know a couple of firefighters—they just got married this weekend—they need some affordable place to live.”

HB 5002 aims to increase housing density near transit stops and imposes additional planning requirements on towns that may not be near practical transit options. Rep. Haines challenged the fairness and feasibility of requiring East Haddam, located 15 miles from the nearest bus stop, to identify as a “Transit-Oriented District” to remain eligible for critical state funding.

“Our planning and zoning board members have decades of local knowledge,” she continued. “They understand the geography, the wetlands, the wells—everything that determines where housing can be responsibly built. This bill pushes us to create plans we know we can’t carry out just to maintain access to state grants. That’s not smart policy—it’s theater.”

Rep. Haines called for a more realistic and cooperative approach to supporting affordable housing, one that prioritizes infrastructure support through STEAP (Small Town Economic Assistance Program) grants and respects the local knowledge of town officials.

Rep. Haines concluded with a final reflection on the bill’s true impact:
“I’m struggling on this quest to become a transit-oriented district so I can get a STEAP grant—and is that what you’re trying to do? Is that what you’re trying to do to the small towns?”

For additional information, please contact the Office of State Representative Irene Haines.