Senator Tony Hwang Votes “No” on Emergency House Bill 8002, ‘An Act Concerning Housing Growth’

(Watch Video Here)

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
-John Dalberg-Acton, 1887

HARTFORD, CT—State Senator Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) late tonight voted against Emergency Certification House Bill 8002, An Act Concerning Housing Growth, during the Connecticut General Assembly’s special session. He cited deep concerns over the bill’s sweeping override of local control, lack of transparency, the illusion of “opt-in” flexibility, and the consolidation of zoning and planning authority in Hartford. The bill passed the Senate and now heads to Governor Ned Lamont for signature into law.

“Connecticut is facing a serious housing crisis that demands thoughtful, collaborative solutions,” Senator Hwang said. “I strongly support expanding affordable, accessible and diverse housing opportunities, but HB 8002 represents a top-down mandate that marginalizes local leaders, limits community engagement, and undermines the democratic processes that should guide decisions affecting every neighborhood in our state.”

A Flawed, Rushed Process

Hwang highlighted broad bipartisan unease regarding how the legislation was drafted and advanced. The emergency certification process prevented public hearings, limited debate, and shut out residents and local officials — echoing similar transparency concerns Hwang raised during debate on the omnibus housing bill (HB 5002) earlier this year.

“Residents deserve legislation developed through open hearings, robust debate, and meaningful community input – not bills bundled behind closed doors and pushed through by one-party rule,” Hwang said. “This process erodes public trust and weakens accountable government.”

“Opt-In” in Name Only

Although HB 8002 is framed as offering municipalities the chance to “opt in” to state-led housing targets, Hwang warned that the structure is coercive, not voluntary.

“On paper, towns can choose whether to participate,” Hwang said. “In reality, the state holds the purse strings. Opting out means risking access to essential state resources — infrastructure funding, planning support, and housing investment. That is not a choice. That is pressure dressed up as flexibility.”

Hwang also noted that the bill quietly erodes one of the few existing tools municipalities can use to manage affordable housing responsibly: the ability to earn temporary 8-30g moratorium exemptions.

“By reducing or eliminating access to 8-30g moratoriums, the bill strips towns of a proven safeguard that allows them to demonstrate good-faith progress toward affordable housing while still maintaining balanced, locally informed planning,” Hwang said. “Removing this safety valve forces towns into the state’s system while exposing them to aggressive 8-30g override developments that may not align with infrastructure capacity, environmental constraints, or community needs.”

A Major Transfer of Power Away from Local Communities

HB 8002 grants regional Councils of Governments (COGs) significant authority to set housing growth targets and influence local zoning. It creates new “priority housing development zones” with mandated density requirements, restricts municipal authority over off-street parking, mandates the creation of additional fair rent commissions, and expands state oversight into local land use decisions.

“Rather than promoting cooperation, this bill imposes a one-size-fits-all formula that disregards the uniqueness of Connecticut’s 169 towns,” Hwang said. “Local leaders, local planners, and local residents are sidelined by a centralized approach that fails to acknowledge the real-world constraints of individual communities.”

Environmental, Infrastructure, and Transportation Realities Ignored

Hwang stressed that many communities face environmental and infrastructure limitations that cannot be solved through statewide mandates.

“Towns like Easton, Newtown, Bethel, and significant parts of Fairfield contain large public drinking-water watersheds with strict protections and limited development capacity,” Hwang said. “Mandating density without regard for environmental sensitivity risks harming water quality, natural resources, and public health. Local conservation and zoning officials, not distant state bureaucrats, are best equipped to make these decisions.”

He also underscored the bill’s failure to account for transportation reality on congested roadways.

“Our towns are already grappling with daily congestion, outdated roadways, and limited public transit,” Hwang said. “Major corridors such as Route 25, Route 59, the Post Road, Kings Highway East and Black Rock Turnpike are at or near capacity. Adding large-scale housing density without coordinated transportation planning will worsen traffic, increase roadway safety risks, and strain emergency response routes.”

He noted that local leaders better understand school traffic bottlenecks, dangerous intersections, limited sidewalks, and ongoing Vision Zero roadway safety needs.

“State-driven density mandates that ignore transportation capacity put residents at risk,” Hwang said. “Housing, transportation, and safety planning must be aligned and only local communities have the on-the-ground knowledge to do that effectively.”

A Call for Transparent, Locally Driven Solutions

“Housing policy must be built on collaboration, transparency, and respect for local authority,” Hwang concluded. “I remain fully committed to expanding affordable housing, but I cannot support a bill that strips local control, undermines environmental and infrastructure realities, and centralizes power in Hartford at the expense of democratic community governance.”

Hwang emphasized that real progress requires shared responsibility and true partnership, not unilateral mandates or reliance solely on private developers.

“All stakeholders must be part of the solution — local officials, state agencies, federal partners, regional planners, nonprofits, and the residents who live in these communities,” Hwang said. “Affordable housing cannot be achieved by forcing municipalities to conform to state-driven formulas or by depending only on private developers. Government at every level must be an active agent of change, providing support, resources, and policies that empower towns to grow responsibly and sustainably.”