Please support three bills to promote integration and create greater housing choices for a stronger Connecticut!

Tom -- Please support three bills to promote integration and create greater housing choices for a stronger Connecticut! 1. HB No. 5196 - Expanded Housing Authority Jurisdiction (IF AMENDED!). Most housing authorities are restricted to operating within the borders of their towns. Due to Connecticut's deep segregation, this makes it difficult for housing authorities to become full partners in offering a range housing choices to their clients and contribute to creating desegregated housing options. Housing authority jurisdiction is a function of state law. We can change this! OCA supports this bill with three critical changes. More information. ALERT: Hearing on Thursday, March 1st! Testimony may be submitted here. HB 5196 is available here. Fact Sheet available here. White Paper available here. Housing Authority Jurisdiction PowerPoint presentation available here. 2. Governor's Bill No. 5045: Zoning Accountability. In order to unlock its full economic potential, all of Connecticut's towns need to play on “Team Connecticut” and welcome an appropriate share of the affordable housing. This bill extends the state’s duty under federal law to affirmatively further fair housing to towns and authorizes OPM to provide monetary incentives to towns encouraging them to comply with zoning obligations. While other efforts to promote affordable housing rely on developer action, this bill recognizes that as part of executing the zoning authority delegated to them by the state, towns have a proactive role to play as well.  More information. 3. Fair Housing Data Transparency (Bill number anticipated). In January 2018, the Trump administration suspended a critical federal obligation to report data on the levels of segregation, its causes, and steps grantees are taking to promote integration.  Under current law, Connecticut still must collect this important data, but it is not publicly produced in a meaning fully way. OCA recommends that the state commit to carrying out the Obama-era reporting obligations suspended by the Trump administration. More information. Open Communities Alliance http://www.ctoca.org/

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