Connecticut’s New Housing Bill: More Bureaucracy, No Homes

HB 8002 was passed in a special session, and it creates layers of bureaucracy without building a single home.

Connecticut needs real solutions to housing affordability.

Instead, Democrats approved a bill that expands state power, burdens towns, and adds new compliance risks — while delivering zero new housing units in 2025 or 2026.

Below is what residents need to be aware of.

1. HB 8002 Builds Bureaucracy, Not Housing

The bill creates a massive administrative expansion:

• A new statewide housing council
• New mandates for all 9 Councils of Governments (COGs)
• Additional reporting and compliance requirements
• New enforcement mechanisms and penalties

But for all the paperwork, HB 8002 builds zero homes in 2025 or 2026.

Just more forms, more supervision, and more state control.

2. “Fair Share” Is an Unfair Burden on Towns

The bill’s “Fair Share” system assigns regional housing quotas to towns--not based on capacity, but on formulas decided by the state (or COGs operating under state direction).

This means:

• COGs must referee disputes between towns
• No funding is provided for COGs to manage this workload
• Towns face high litigation and compliance risks
• The quotas don’t reflect real local needs or infrastructure limits

It’s not Fair Share, it’s forced share.

3. COGs Were Never Built to Be Housing Enforcers

Connecticut’s COGs are planning organizations, not regulatory agencies.

They lack:

• Enforcement authority
• Staff trained in housing compliance
• Budget for legal, administrative, and regulatory duties
• Yet HB 8002 treats COGs like state enforcement arms, pushing responsibilities onto them that will ultimately fall on local taxpayers.

COGs can’t deliver the housing this bill mandates, they weren’t designed for it

4. There’s a Better Way, Town Up Affordability

A real housing strategy starts with communities, not mandates.

A better approach includes:

• Localized, incentive-based planning
• Infrastructure investment before imposing quotas
• Streamlined use of existing state programs
• Respect for each town’s character, capacity, and planning decisions

Connecticut needs solutions that work, not another layer of bureaucracy.

Tell Us What You Think

Share your ideas, concerns, and perspectives in your own words.

• What does affordable housing mean in your town?
• Every community is different. What does housing affordability look like where you live?
• What do you think of HB 8002?
• Does this bill help? Hurt? Miss the real issues? Especially when rising property taxes continue to make Connecticut one of the most expensive states to live in.
• What real housing solutions do YOU support?

Submit Your Video

We’re collecting short videos from residents across Connecticut to raise the voices that were never asked for. Share your story, your concerns, and what you think Connecticut should do next.