warns that 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 housing shortage is costing the state tens of thousands of potential workers and millions in lost economic activity. The study by the Center for Workforce Inclusion found that 70,000 jobs remain unfilled, partly because high housing costs deter people from moving to the state. 黑料吃瓜网 housing reporter Abigail Brone notes the severity.
鈥淪eventy thousand positions statewide need to be filled, and that鈥檚 a big number," Brone said. "That鈥檚 a lot of people that could be moving to 黑料吃瓜网 and investing in 黑料吃瓜网.鈥�
What the vetoed 鈥渇air share鈥� housing bill tried to do
Lawmakers advanced several housing measures this year, but a bill backed by affordable housing advocates failed after . Brone said a central feature was a framework intended to push building in towns that fall short of affordability benchmarks.
鈥淥ne of the main things that people felt really passionately about was the fair share policy that they put in this bill鈥攂asically saying municipalities that don鈥檛 meet the state鈥檚 mandated 10% of all housing stock being affordable need to construct X number of affordable housing units, and they need to, kind of, have an affordable housing plan to show how they鈥檙e going to get that done,鈥� Brone said. 鈥淭hat was ultimately what made the governor veto it.鈥�
Local control vs. statewide need
The broader tug-of-war, Brone said, is between 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 long tradition of local control through zoning and the state鈥檚 goal to expand housing.
鈥満诹铣怨贤� has a really long history of really restrictive zoning,鈥� she said.
The effect of that restrictive zoning hearkens back to a nearly hundred-year-old federal policy known as redlining that effectively meant people of color weren鈥檛 allowed to live in or buy houses in certain neighborhoods, while white homebuyers were given federally subsidized loans.
鈥淚鈥檝e heard people say, and I agree with the assessment, that zoning is the new redlining, basically," Brone said. " So, people will kind of use zoning as an excuse to keep people they don鈥檛 want out of their community.鈥�
She said the politics often come down to a familiar pattern: 鈥淎 lot of lawmakers recognize that we need to figure out a way to either bring housing rent costs down, or to build more housing. But, then it becomes the issue of are we willing to do that in OUR town? So, it鈥檚 like everyone鈥檚 just passing the ball to someone else.鈥�
That鈥檚 where state intervention collides with local sentiment.
鈥淭he state鈥檚 trying to come in and say, 鈥榳ell, we need this housing, so we鈥檙e just going to make you guys do it,鈥欌�� Brone said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 not going over well with a lot of the communities.鈥�
Corporate landlords and rising rents
Another pressure point is who owns the housing鈥攁nd how that affects prices and maintenance.
鈥淭hat is a big issue in 黑料吃瓜网, and it has increased significantly in recent years I think, largely spurred by COVID, when a lot of costs were down and people were snapping up properties, both regular people trying to buy homes, and these big corporations,鈥� she said.
One small but notable step from the session, Brone said, was a measure to look into the issue of who owns the state's housing stock.
鈥淥ne of the positive things that did come out of the most recent legislative session was a bill passed to do a study on corporate ownership in 黑料吃瓜网 of housing. So, that鈥檚 one step in the right direction of trying to figure out how many apartment buildings are owned by these big companies鈥� these big corporations, and how is this impacting our housing economy?鈥�
Why it matters, she said, is the potential for swift price shifts. The study is important to measure how many corporations, private equity interests and out-of-state hedge funds may be pricing state residents out of home ownership or rentals.
鈥淭hey can drive up rents with the flick of a switch, and they have and they are,鈥� Brone said.
She noted not all corporate owners are the same: 鈥淪ome of them are great. They have a lot of money and a lot of resources to be able to make really beautiful buildings. But, there is that degree of separation when you鈥檙e not working with a mom and pop landlord.鈥�
Tracking corporate ownership is its own challenge, as Brone reported.
鈥淚t is nearly impossible to know how many buildings are owned by these big companies, because they form local LLCs and they can operate under the guise of being local,鈥� Brone said. 鈥淭hey have a P.O. box for an office that鈥檚 in 黑料吃瓜网, and then they can say, 鈥極h, well, we鈥檙e in 黑料吃瓜网.鈥� But, if you go through the tax records鈥� you can kind of get to the bottom. But, it takes a long time, and it鈥檚 a lot of digging.鈥�
What to watch for next
With a special legislative session looming, Brone said she鈥檒l be focused on whether any revised housing package carries meaningful requirements鈥攐r just studies.
鈥淚鈥檓 really just curious to see what happens with this housing bill, because it鈥檚 going to come up again, inevitably,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut, are they going to be able to actually make anything happen with it? Is it going to have any teeth, or is it going to be some kind of really mild, you know, 鈥榳e鈥檙e going to do a couple studies鈥� or something?鈥�
Brone said expectations are modest.
鈥淔rom what I鈥檝e heard just kind of in conversation, nothing really concrete, I think it鈥檚 probably going to be really watered down,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 going to have much bite at all to it. I think it may be more of a nominal thing. You know, 鈥榳e passed something.鈥欌��
The governor鈥檚 stance鈥攁nd fallout at the Capitol
Gov. Ned Lamont has said he supports housing growth and also emphasizes local control. Brone said the governor鈥檚 post-session comments irked some Democrats.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 part of why I鈥檓 so interested to see how the housing bill plays out in special session, especially because he kind of dissed some of the Democratic leaders in talking about this bill,鈥� she said. 鈥淎fter the fact, he was really saying, 鈥榯here鈥檚 red flags鈥� [and] 鈥業 wish I was more involved.鈥� And, it kind of feels like that鈥檚 your party. Like, were you not? How are you not more involved in this? Like, I feel like you were, and then, maybe, when things didn鈥檛 play out the way that you expected, you backtracked.鈥�
Brone said the comments looked like political triangulation.
鈥淚 think it definitely was a bit of kind of pandering to the other side, just so he could not put all of his eggs in one basket and kind of get some of the Republicans to see, 鈥榣ook, I鈥檒l work with you. I can be鈥� I can do both. I鈥檓 a man of many talents,鈥� she said.
How Democratic lawmakers respond could shape the next round of negotiations.
鈥淚鈥檓 wondering how the Democratic leaders in the legislature in 黑料吃瓜网 are going to handle this, and if there鈥檚 a bad taste in their mouth,鈥� Brone said.
