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House advances bill banning municipalwide bans on multifamily housing; debate centers on local control
Summary
Lawmakers debated and temporarily passed H.B. 7035, which would bar municipalities from imposing blanket bans on multifamily housing (defined as buildings of three or more units). Supporters said it prevents exclusionary bans that reduce housing supply; critics said 21 words here threaten local zoning discretion and could create unintended impacts in industrial zones.
Hartford — The Connecticut House on May 21 took up H.B. 7035, a bill aimed at stopping municipalities from enacting municipalwide bans on multifamily housing.
Representative Antonio Felipe, the bills proponent, described the measure as a guard against ordinances that would "implement a permanent ban on the development of multifamily housing in the municipality." He defined multifamily housing on the floor as a building containing three or more residential units and said the bill would not force municipalities to rezone industrial or commercial zones for housing.
"You just can't across your entire municipality, ban multifamilies outright," Felipe said, emphasizing that towns would retain project-by-project review through planning and zoning bodies.
Opponents pressed that the measure strips a layer of local control. Representative David Zullo called the insertion of 21 words "the beginning of the assault on local control" and warned it could undo carefully crafted municipal plans and even invalidate temporary bans. Representative Scott raised concerns about industrial zones and middle-housing distinctions, asking whether the bill might unintentionally permit multifamily projects in places towns never intended for housing.
Representative Felipe responded that the statutory language is meant to prevent blanket bans across an entire municipality while allowing municipalities to continue using zoning to locate housing appropriately.
The bill was moved out of the floor as "passed temporarily" to allow further consideration, per common legislative practice. Floor debate focused on whether the statutory language is sufficiently precise to protect both housing goals and legitimate local zoning choices.
What's next: The measure will proceed through the legislative process; proponents say it will expand housing opportunity in areas that have effectively prohibited multifamily housing, while opponents seek clarifying language to preserve local planning discretion.
