Senator Jeff Gordon: “Housing Solutions Must Be Responsible and Collaborative – We Must Defend Local Control”

HARTFORD, CT – State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock), in response to H.B. 5002 passing the Senate, issued the following statement:

“Addressing housing affordability should be a priority. But how we respond matters. Our policies must be thoughtful, collaborative, and grounded in the reality that different communities in Connecticut have different needs. We know this to be true.

In fact, during my 15 years as Chairman of Woodstock’s Planning & Zoning Commission, I experienced this firsthand while defending people’s rights to local decision-making in their towns. The people of Connecticut know best what is right for the communities in which they live. People do not need more state government bureaucracy telling them how to live their lives and make decisions about land use. Unfortunately, House Bill 5002 falls short on all of these fronts.

What should have been a straightforward, focused approach to tackling housing challenges turned into a sweeping, monster bill that was rushed through the process with limited debate and no real opportunity for public input. That is deeply concerning.

Connecticut families are already facing significant affordability issues. From electric bills and groceries to property taxes. The last thing they need is a top-down, one-size-fits-all housing policy that imposes more unfunded mandates on municipalities, and, by extension, on the people who live there.

When the state mandates complex housing changes without the necessary resources or public infrastructure to support such development, the mandates fail, and local taxpayers are left footing the bill.

I’ve always believed in common-sense and creative solutions that bring people together and empower communities. I submitted bills to do just that. People who live in our towns know them best. They understand what their neighborhoods can support and what their public infrastructure can handle. They do not want to stop housing or helping others.

But H.B. 5002 not only undercuts that local knowledge and input, it also seeks to dismantle years of careful planning, zoning, public health, public safety, and environmental stewardship in our towns.

This bill imposes arbitrary quotas for each town to build a significant amount of housing. How can towns realistically meet these expectations if they don’t have the infrastructure or financial capacity to do so?

Proponents of H.B. 5002 conveniently blame towns for the state’s decades of failed affordable housing policies under 8-30g. And mark my words, if towns cannot meet artificial quotas, they’ll be blamed again. That is unfair and inequitable.

H.B. 5002 removes long-standing development safeguards, such as flexible parking minimums, without ensuring proper support systems are in place. It promotes increased housing density in “transit-oriented districts” without regard for impacts on neighboring property values, water and waste management, traffic, roads, town character, or public safety. That’s not responsible growth, that’s another unfunded mandate.

To make things worse, towns that do not opt into development in “transit-oriented districts”, or have no way to create them, will be penalized through deprioritization of their eligibility for state discretionary grants. These are grants our towns rely upon, including the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP), Clean Water Fund, and Urban Action Fund. Deprioritizing STEAP grants would reduce funding for essential projects like rebuilding bridges, repaving roads, and improving water culverts.

Even Governor Lamont has said there’s no single solution that works everywhere. He’s right. Our state needs to address housing challenges with balance and collaboration, not coercion. We need state leadership that supports towns, not steamrolls them.

As a legislator, I support affordable housing efforts that are realistic, responsible, and reasonable. We can do this in ways that respect the character, capacity, and vision of each community. We can expand housing access without sacrificing local control. It’s not an either-or situation.

Housing affordability requires addressing the broader factors that make Connecticut one of the highest cost-of-living states in the country. I have introduced proposals, championed legislation, and gotten things done to address these issues. If hardworking people, their families, and seniors can keep more of their money up front, then they’ll have more for housing. And if we couple that with increased housing opportunities, the money they have will go farther.

That means rejecting rushed, overly broad legislation like H.B. 5002. It means preserving and improving a process that respects the people we represent by working for them, and with them.

We can do it. I know this firsthand from what I do and how I do it. Let’s get it done.”