Committee to pause 8-30j plan work until special session; members urged to act quickly if contacting legislators

Committee staff told members they will hold off on finalizing the regional housing plan and town-specific 8-30j plan details until after any state special session produces final bill language. Eliza (committee staff) said they want to analyze any housing bill that emerges from the special session to determine what must be included in 8-30j plans before starting the outreach and drafting process with towns.

Sam Gold, who updated the group on legislative timing, said a draft bill exists but is being circulated narrowly. He described special sessions as having compressed timelines and limited public hearings and warned that a housing measure could be included in an omnibus, ‘‘must-pass’’ bill. “Special sessions don’t have the public hearings, and they have very short timelines,” Sam said, and added that if members intend to contact legislators they should “do it fast” because the special session, if called, is expected to last only two days.

Eliza reminded members that 8-30j plans are due in May 2027 and that the committee will use experience from prior plan rounds (13 towns participated previously) to decide financial and logistical support for towns that choose to participate. The group discussed evaluating past plan goals to determine what succeeded, what did not, and what towns want to carry forward or revise.

Attendees also summarized takeaways from recent state and regional housing conferences, including financing mechanisms, tax abatement considerations, and the availability of state programs through DECD and the Department of Housing and the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority.

No formal votes or new policy actions were taken; staff will wait for legislative developments before advancing the detailed work on regional and town 8-30j plans.