Lawmakers and Gov. Ned Lamont are aligned on most portions of a new housing bill, written to replace the vetoed House Bill 5002. But a handful of the most substantial pieces of the measure are still up for debate.
State legislative leaders say they won’t bring a weak bill to the floor during a special session of the General Assembly planned for next month.
At the state Department of Housing’s annual conference at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket on Thursday, top state officials said negotiations are almost wrapped up.
“I think we’re still talking. I think we’re pretty close,” Lamont said.
The new bill seeks to replace H.B. 5002, the most significant piece of housing legislation to come across the governor’s desk during his years in office, which tackled homelessness, zoning and parking, among other topics. Lawmakers narrowly passed the measure in the waning days of this year’s legislative session. The governor then surprised many Democrats when he vetoed the measure in June.
The veto caused anger and disappointment among many Democrats who said Lamont’s staff had worked on the bill with them, and they’d been assured he would sign it.
Lamont issued the veto under pressure from outside groups and town officials. Opponents feared the bill would dilute local control and put unrealistic expectations on towns for building more housing.
On Thursday, Lamont gave some of the clearest details released so far on the new version of the bill — including changes to a parking reform measure, more regional resources, and state aid to build sewer and water systems.
Lamont said after Thursday’s event that he was still discussing some of the same measures he’d taken issue with when he vetoed the bill — parking reform and a requirement for towns to plan and zone for a set number of units known as fair share. Those were among the most controversial measures in the bill.
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said he wants to find a solution — and he also wants to see housing built more quickly.
“I hope we can get there, but we will not bring a weak bill to the floor of the Senate,” Duff said.
House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, said he thinks lawmakers and the governor agree on about 85% of the bill, but the 15% they don’t agree on is substantive.
“Knowing that we were talking about 15% of the bill … maybe 13%? I’m not just saying that for the sake of saying that, I truly believe that,” Rojas said. “A bill ain’t dead until it’s dead, and it ain’t dead yet.”
Rojas said he’s optimistic that officials will have a housing bill ready for the Nov. 12 and 13 special session. Lawmakers also plan to debate a financial plan to respond to federal human services cuts at the session.
Lamont said he agreed there was little of the bill left to negotiate but “the final two yards is always the toughest.”
“I want to do everything I can to make it easier and faster for developers to build. I want towns to take the lead,” he said.
He said the new bill aims to have towns select areas to “pre-zone” for more housing, such as locations close to public transit — a description similar to elements of the portion of the old bill known as Work, Live Ride.
He said the state will provide regional councils of government with planners who have “the skills they need to work with the towns” and to work “as a region.” He said towns will be able to work collectively on housing, sewer and water resources under the approach. The state will help with the projects, and for towns that build more housing and need to expand their schools, Lamont said the state will be ready to help.
According to Lamont, town officials have said they’re OK with allowing the conversion of commercial properties to residential without a special hearing in certain districts and — as long as the first floor can remain commercial so residents can access restaurants and shops. The previous proposal had allowed those conversions as of right without the qualification regarding the first floor.
H.B. 5002 had also removed mandates for developers to build off-street parking for residential buildings with up to 24 units. Lamont said under the new bill, that number will likely be lowered to 16 units.
“The parking requirements are overdone, and that’s one of the things we’re looking at with this bill,” Lamont said. “Maybe 16 units, you don’t have to have additional parking, but we’ll give the towns a little bit of flexibility if there’s a particular need.”
Rojas and Duff weren’t as specific.
“I think the big picture of the bill is: How do we get more bang for our buck? How do we reduce regulations and all the other obstacles and needle points that exist in our housing development process?” Rojas said. He said the legislature had done its job during the session and passed a good bill.
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff speaks during a panel at the Connecticut Housing Conference at Foxwoods Casino on October 23, 2025. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror
“This is an issue that literally impacts everybody across the state of Connecticut,” Duff said. “And while you have people in communities who don’t want growth and don’t want housing, it’s really important for us to say ‘But there are actually more people who want growth and who want housing, who can’t afford a place to live.’”
Rojas has often characterized other housing bills as painfully incremental. Both lawmakers said they want to see bigger moves.
“Incremental legislation is not putting shovels in the ground, and that’s why we have to go forward faster,” Duff said.
Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz praised a few towns such as West Hartford that have taken steps to build more affordable housing.
They also pushed back against ideas that have spread widely among some who opposed H.B. 5002 — that more affordable housing in towns is a problem for current residents.
“I love Mayor Shari Cantor, and people come up to her a little grumpy sometimes, and go ‘I like West Hartford just the way it is.’ She goes, ‘I know. You’re going to love it the way it will be,’” Lamont said. “That’s what we’re trying to think about in this state.”
“I think there’s a myth out there that if your town has affordable housing in it, that somehow that affordable housing makes that town or city undesirable, and the exact opposite is true,” Bysiewicz said.