Gov. Dannel P. Malloy cited the potential for state-sanctioned discrimination in his decision to veto legislation that would have changed Connecticut”™s affordable housing standards.
The legislation, House Bill 6880 ”“ An Act Concerning the Affordable Housing Land Use Appeals Procedure, would have made it easier for municipalities to qualify for moratoriums on appeals of local zoning denials under the 8-30g Affordable Housing Statute. In his veto message to the Connecticut Secretary of State, the governor questioned whether the bill would encourage a new era in housing discrimination.
“For many lower-income residents who must work in areas of the state where the cost of housing is high, a long history of decisions and discriminatory policies has made securing that housing persistently difficult,” Malloy said. “Those decisions include the historical practice of redlining ”“ denying mortgages to entire neighborhoods because of the residents”™ race or ethnicity ”“ and passing restrictive zoning rules that make it nearly impossible to build multifamily housing, or that require home lots to be so large that only the wealthy can buy them. These kinds of rules effectively price people of limited means who work in such towns out of the market. It is our responsibility as a state, and the responsibility of every city and town in Connecticut, to correct this injustice.”
Malloy added that it was “imperative for our state”™s economic vitality that we provide more housing for our workforce within a reasonable commuting distance of their jobs,” although he offered no strategy on achieving that goal.
