Connecticut

Connecticut housing crisis persists as Governor Lamont vetoes reform bill

Published

4 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

Connecticut housing crisis persists as Governor Lamont vetoes reform bill

A political stalemate in Connecticut is a stark reminder that the housing crisis engulfing the country is a local issue that leaves some policy proposals at the mercy of community residents who may have little incentive to change their own neighborhoods.

Connecticut lawmakers spent months working on House Bill 5002, along with the office of Governor Ned Lamont, a Democrat, and housing advocates from across the state. Among other things, it would have encouraged towns to rework their zoning laws to accommodate development for more-affordable housing.

The bill was approved by the legislature in June but when it landed on Lamont’s desk, several groups organized in opposition. At issue was the question of how much say each municipality would have in allowing that new development, with opponents claiming untruthfully that the state wanted to mandate specific quotas for new homes.

Lamont eventually vetoed the bill, saying, “I just don’t think that it works when it’s us against them.”

Local housing activists were surprised by the about-face – and left frustrated.

“Housing requires a long lead time and financing and a lot of different pieces – financial, physical, legal – that have to come together. So even on a good day, it’s a complicated process,” said Tim Hollister, a partner with Hartford-based law firm Hinckley Allen, who’s worked on behalf of all sides of development deals over his career and has written several op-eds in local papers supporting the goals of the Connecticut bill.

Years of underbuilding coupled with strict zoning in many parts of the country and, more recently, higher interest rates, have combined to create an acute shortage of housing and an affordability crisis.

In the Northeast in particular, Hollister said, the more open, participatory political process is “both our blessing and our curse. We have set up a system that makes opposition against housing real and consequential. So it’s hard to develop, and we have a system that encourages or allows restrictions and discrimination and opposition, all ladled on top of the regular difficulties.”

Connecticut has a housing crisis

One thing that all sides can agree on: Connecticut needs more housing. A 2025 report commissioned by the legislature concluded that the state is “the most constrained housing market in the country—measured as the number of units available for year-round occupancy per household.”

The state’s older housing stock and popularity among those seeking beachfront vacation homes or easy commutes into New York City contribute to the scarcity, the report added.

“Connecticut’s overall population is aging and in decline, as many younger families cannot afford to move into existing housing, while seniors wishing to downsize lack housing choice in size and variety,” the authors wrote. They estimated the need for more housing at between 120,000 and 380,000 additional units.

“If you talk to someone in the grocery store, they’re going to tell you that their kid is in their basement and that they don’t know what they’re going to do with their aging parent,” said Melissa Kaplan-Macey, the chief initiative officer at The Housing Collective, a nonpartisan homeless services organization.

“Noone is against affordable housing,” said Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding, a Republican, in an interview. “Many of the communities that objected very loudly are communities that have taken it upon themselves to develop affordable housing.”

But Harding voted against the bill because, he said, “There was an arbitrary breakdown that designated how much affordable housing the community had to have and if you didn’t have that, the state would determine what your punishment was.”

Harding sees senior housing as a particular challenge. Many older residents want to stay in their communities, but downsize into a smaller, easier-to-maintain residence. But state zoning laws prioritize the construction of homes affordable to low- and moderate- income residents over senior housing, Harding said.

“That’s the problem with statewide zoning,” he said.

Towns want ‘local control’ over policy

Allowing the state to manage rulemaking, like zoning, was the main sticking point that derailed HB 5002.

The bill established a community-by-community allocation and encouraged cities and towns to develop new housing according to it. It would have prioritized state funding for those municipalities that complied, but states overtly that it would not have withheld aid or otherwise punished local communities.

But opponents, mostly representing wealthier communities, said the bill contained punitive requirements from the state. In a press conference after vetoing the bill, Lamont called it a “planning document” and not a mandate, but said the opposition influenced his decision to nix the bill anyway.

“The Governor ultimately did not sign the housing bill into law because of concerns he had around whether local leaders would be able to achieve the goals outlined in the bill,” a spokesperson for Lamont said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY.

“The Governor, working with the legislature over the past several years, has been actively working to put more financial resources into housing construction,” the statement continued. “One thing we have learned from that work is that local leaders need to be bought in to the solution – and it was clear that was not the case with this bill.”

Why can’t blue states build housing?

Some housing advocates see parallels between Connecticut’s experience and the challenges in neighboring Massachusetts, where the state in 2024 took one community to court when it refused to adhere to a law mandating planning for housing.

“I think some of it (getting policy made) is having a little bit more political courage to do things that may seem unpopular at first,” said Jonathan Berk, founder of the real estate and placemaking consultancy re:MAIN and a Massachusetts resident.

In the Bay State, legislators are now more “gun shy” about working in favor of additional housing measures because some constituents have said they don’t like the statewide legislation, Berk said. “A lot of that is despite polling that shows some of these reforms are actually popular, but it’s that vocal minority, passive majority situation that has played itself out in local housing decisions for decades across the Northeast.”

In Connecticut, some advocates are trying to see the silver lining.

“What is really fascinating about the way the conversation around this has changed over the last year is we are not talking as much about whether we need these goals or not, but what those goals should be, which is a giant shift,” said Erin Boggs, executive director of the Open Communities Alliance, a fair housing and affordable housing group.

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Women’s Basketball Game Notes Vs. Central Connecticut State University – Providence College Athletics

Published

15 hours ago

November 7, 2025

Press Room

Women’s Basketball Game Notes Vs. Central Connecticut State University – Providence College Athletics

FRIARS SET TO HOST CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY ON MONDAY, NOV. 10 … Providence will host Central Connecticut in non-conference action on Monday, Nov. 10 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

SCOUTING CENTRAL CONNECTICUT… CCSU finished the 2024-25 season with an 11-19 overall record, including a 10-6 mark in the NEC (third place). Head Coach Kristin Caruso begins her first season at Central Connecticut and has a roster that features nine newcomers.

CCSU COMING OFF SEASON-OPENING LOSS… Central Connecticut enters the game with a 0-1 mark, having lost its season opener to Bryant, 71-50. The Blue Devils trailed by just one (46-45) heading into the final 10 minutes of play, but Bryant put the game out of reach with a 25-5 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter. Lucia Noin was the lone player in double figures for CCSU, with 18. Kayla Henry grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

FRIARS AND BLUE DEVILS ALL-TIME… Providence and Central Connecticut have met seven times during the history of the two programs. The Friars lead the all-times series, 5-2. The Blue Devils won the first two meetings between the two squads, both of which took place in the 70s. Providence has won each of the last five games vs. CCSU. The last meeting was on Dec. 10, 2022. The Friars claimed a 77-45 victory on that day in Alumni Hall.

ALL-TIME VS. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE leads series, 5-2

Date Site Score Record

2/27/78 New Britain, Conn. 56-58 (L) 0-1

1/18/79 Providence, R.I. 43-46 (L) 0-2

2/23/80 New Britain, Conn. 67-53 (W) 1-2

2/21/81 Providence, R.I. 75-54 (W) 2-2

2/20/82 New Britain, Conn. 69-56 (W) 3-2

12/8/07 Providence, R.I. 76-64 (W) 4-2

12/10/22 Providence, R.I. 77-45 (W) 5-2

PROVIDENCE DROPS SEASON OPENER TO HOWARD… The Friars were defeated by Howard, 68-56, in their season opener on Nov. 4 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. The Bison used a 9-2 run in the final 3:15 of the third quarter, including a three at the buzzer, to claim a 50-39 lead heading into the fourth. Howard extended its lead to as many as 18 with 2:20 left to put the game out of reach. Providence managed to get within 64-54 with an 8-0 run, but the deficit proved too large to overcome. Sabou Gueye led the Friars with 16 points and four steals. Payton Dunbar tallied 12 points, four assists and two rebounds. Howard out-scored Providence 26-12 in points off turnovers. The Friars committed 20 miscues in the game, compared to Howard’s 12 turnovers.

NEW LOOK FRIARS TAKE THE COURT IN 2025-26… The Friars have reloaded their roster for the 2025-26 season after losing 10 players to graduation (seven seniors and three graduate students). Junior Sophi Hall and sophomores Orlagh Gormley and Audrey Shields are the only returning players on the roster that have seen game action in a Friar uniform. The remainder of this year’s roster is made up of five transfer student-athletes, five true freshmen and one redshirt freshman.

FRIARS DEFEAT FRANKLIN PIERCE IN EXHIBITION GAME… The Friars hosted NCAA Division II Franklin Pierce in an exhibition game on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. The Friars claimed a decisive 71-38 victory, clamping down defensively in the second half to allow just 10 points over the final 20 minutes of play. Sabou Gueye and Payton Dunbar each scored 12 points to pace the offense. Teneisia Brown recorded seven points, four rebounds and a team-best five assists. Ashley Dinges tallied nine points and a team-best six rebounds and two blocked shots. Providence forced Franklin Pierce into committing 30 turnovers and held a 29-19 scoring advantage in points off turnovers in the game. The Friars also dominated the glass with a 40-26 edge in rebounding.

HOME-SWEET-HOME… The Friars will play eight of their 11 non-conference games in the friendly confines of Alumni Hall / Mullaney Gymnasium in Providence, R.I., including a five-game home-stand to start the season.

BROADCAST AND TV ASSIGNMENTS… As part of the BIG EAST’s television and broadcast deal, the Friars will be featured on a host of network platforms encompassing television and streaming during the 2025-26 season, including FS1, TNT, truTV, Peacock and ESPN+. Additionally, Providence’s games at the Emerald Coast Classic will be available on FloCollege and its non-conference match-up at South Carolina will be broadcast on the SEC Network. Each of the Friars’ home non-conference games will be broadcast live on ESPN+, in addition to 15 of the program’s 20 BIG EAST Conference regular-season games. Television and streaming designations for each game are available on the women’s basketball schedule via Friars.com.

FRIARS SET TO FACE PRESEASON NO. 1 AND NO. 2… The Associated Press recently released its top-25 rankings for the 2025-26 season and the Friars are slated to play No. 1-ranked Connecticut and No. 2-ranked South Carolina. Providence is one of five teams in NCAA Division I that will face the Huskies and Gamecocks this season, joining Louisville, USF, Tennessee and USC. Providence will face UConn, twice, as part of BIG EAST regular-season play on Dec. 31 and Feb. 22. The Friars will travel to Columbia, S.C. to face South Carolina in non-conference action on Dec. 28.

EMERALD COAST CLASSIC… Providence will participate in the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Fla. prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday on November 24-25. The Friars will face Middle Tennessee State in the first game of the tournament on Nov. 24. Providence will conclude the tournament on Nov. 25 against Mississippi State or Alcorn State. Under the direction of third-year Head Coach Erin Batth, the Friars have participated in the West Palm Beach Classic (2022-23) and the Cancun Challenge (2024-25).

BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL… The Friars were picked to finish 10th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, released at the league’s annual media day on Oct. 21 at Madison Square Garden. Last season, Providence completed the year with a 13-19 overall record and claimed a seventh-place finish in the regular-season standings with a 6-12 conference record.

ERIN BATTH ERA… Erin Batth enters her third season with the Friars in 2025-26. She was hired as the 11th women’s basketball coach in program history at Providence College on March 20, 2023. Batth arrived in Friartown with 17 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience, with her most recent stops coming at NC State (2018-22) and Michigan (2022-23). She has been part of five conference championships, eight NCAA Elite Eight appearances and three trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. She also served as an assistant coach at Liberty (2017-18), Georgia State (2014-17), Tennessee Tech (2012-14) and Towson (2010-12). Batth earned her first career win as a head coach on Nov. 7 vs. Hampton (76-46). She helped the Friars earn a bid to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) in her first year at Providence in 2023-24.

WHAT’S NEXT… The Friars will continue their five-game home stand on Saturday, Nov. 15 against Boston College. The game will tip off at 1:00 p.m. at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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Police ask for public’s help after deadly pedestrian crash in Newtown

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2025

Press Room

Police ask for public’s help after deadly pedestrian crash in Newtown

Newtown police are asking for the public’s help and looking for a commercial vehicle that may have been in the area of a deadly pedestrian crash Thursday night.

The police department responded to Hawleyville Road near the exit 9 westbound off-ramp around 6:15 p.m.

Police are looking for anyone who may have seen a commercial vehicle parked on the side of the road in front of Papa Al’s shopping center.

“We appreciate everyone’s assistance by staying clear of the area until the investigation is complete,” police said in a statement.

Authorities said a person died in the crash, but their identity wasn’t immediately made available.

The road is closed until further notice, and the crash remains under investigation.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact police at 203-426-5841.

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Connecticut

Opinion: Housing vouchers are CT’s strongest housing policy, and best tool vs. Washington dysfunction

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2025

Press Room

Opinion: Housing vouchers are CT’s strongest housing policy, and best tool vs. Washington dysfunction

While much has been shared about the disastrous consequences of Gov. Ned Lamont’s veto of the housing omnibus bill, H.B. 5002 (see here, here, here, and here for some highlights), there is one area of housing policy where Connecticut is leading the charge: housing vouchers.

Connecticut is one of only a handful of states to have their own state-funded housing voucher program. While most of the country relies solely on the distribution of federal Section 8 housing vouchers (which only one in every four eligible households can access due to underfunding), for the past four decades Connecticut has stepped up to expand rental assistance to our most vulnerable populations through our Rental Assistance Program (RAP). The program is still going strong: in the most recent budget, the General Assembly approved $6.7 million in Fiscal Year 27 to create more than 400 new vouchers. We have a history of taking care of our people when federal dollars fall short.

Now, with federal funding more uncertain than ever, Connecticut is one of the best poised states to step in and step up to keep our families in their homes. As the Trump Administration has threatened housing stability for voucher recipients — through the government shut down, drastic proposed budget cuts, and new proposed work requirements — Connecticut doesn’t need to scramble to implement new emergency programs. We can build out our existing infrastructure to provide a safety net for the casualties of this administration’s cruelty.

What exactly is the Rental Assistance Program? It helps very low-income families afford safe, decent housing in the private market. Participants locate a private rental home — from apartments to single family homes — and arrange for the landlord to accept rental assistance payments. Rental assistance is a subsidy, not a free ride. Families making up to 50% of Area Median Income, or between $35K-$43K for a three-person household, will pay up to 40% of their monthly income in rent (30% for elderly and disabled tenants) and the state makes up the difference between what the family can afford and what the private market charges. (See pschousing.org for an explainer on the differences between federal and state housing vouchers.)

When it comes to housing, other states face a difficult choice: let their residents face eviction and homelessness, or build the plane as they fly it by creating new programs, funding streams, and bureaucracies while in crisis.

Connecticut is prepared and doesn’t need to face this impossible choice. It’s simple: mobilize and fund our existing Rental Assistance Program to keep families safe and stably housed.

Our most urgent first step is to mitigate the impacts of the government shutdown. Current funding for Section 8 vouchers is estimated to last until the end of November – then public housing authorities are on their own. The governor and General Assembly can lead in their upcoming special session by providing funding for the Department of Housing to cover the gaps.

An eviction can follow a family and make it impossible for them to find housing for years to come. Evictions as a result of the federal government reneging on their rental agreement are deeply unfair to voucher holders who have consistently paid 30% of their income in rent. It would be a mistake to allow a wave of evictions and homelessness to move forward during a temporary shutdown when we have the tools and the funds to step in.

Connecticut’s policymakers can plan ahead for how to best deploy our Rental Assistance Program to mitigate a future housing crisis from Washington:

Connecticut has the opportunity to be a housing leader. No one deserves to be evicted because of dysfunctional federal policies, and we can and should stand up for our neighbors. We urge our state leaders to not forget their most powerful tool in this fight — state housing vouchers.

Alysha Gardner of New Haven is senior policy analyst for Hartford-based Partnership for Strong Communities.

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