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Housing Committee advances a slate of concept bills on zoning, deposits, inspections and conversions
Summary
The committee approved multiple concept bills by voice vote — including land-use/zoning changes for starter homes, a one-month security-deposit cap, allowing private building inspectors, rent-hold for landlords with code violations, and a tax credit for commercial-to-residential conversions — and recessed for later votes.
The Housing Committee used its concept-raising session to advance a series of housing-related measures by voice vote or brief roll calls, moving several items onto a path for further study and public hearings.
Items approved by voice vote included a starter/silver homes concept to allow smaller lots and townhomes in residential zones (Item 1), a Department of Housing proposal capping security deposits at one month (Item 3), an opposing concept to allow larger deposits (Item 4), a concept barring rent increases for landlords with multiple unresolved building-code violations (Item 7), a tax-credit incentive for converting commercial and industrial properties to residential/mixed use (Item 9), and a concept to allow licensed private building inspectors to operate in lieu of municipal inspectors (Item 10).
On Item 3 (security deposits) Representative Scott asked for statutory clarity on whether prepaid rent counts as a security deposit; sponsors said the Department of Housing will clarify in drafting. On Item 6, the committee advanced a concept to prohibit municipal penalties for certain activities of daily living on public land, with members stressing carve-outs for school grounds and highways and noting winter-weather survival concerns in Bridgeport.
The committee recessed until 3:00 p.m., and staff said votes would be held open to collect remote or delayed votes from members serving on other committees.
