Connecticut
Connecticut housing crisis persists as Governor Lamont vetoes reform bill
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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.
When a house has been loved for generations, its walls tend to hold stories. In the case of one family residence in Darien, Connecticut, that sentiment was taken quite literally. On the casement between the living room and kitchen are ticks that denote decades of growth, a quiet record of childhoods unfolding in real time. Several of those measurements belong to the home’s newest steward—the original owners’ daughter—who was ready to put her own mark on the property.
Eager to see what she could make of the 1930s structure, she and her husband tapped British-born designer Becca Casey of Connecticut-based Becca Interiors to breathe new life—and old soul—into the interior. For Casey, being entrusted with that kind of emotional patina was a privilege she didn’t take lightly. “The greatest challenge was ensuring that the new extension had synergy with the original house while bringing together the couple’s different tastes and honoring the home’s history,” Casey says of the 2,400-square-foot space.
That delicate balance shows up everywhere, from tailored silhouettes and clean lines for him to pattern and color for her. Nowhere is that nuance more evident than in the property’s oldest room, a long, beam-lined living space that once sat largely unused. Casey swathed it in an atmospheric mural, transforming it into a multi-zone haven centered on the fireplace, with moments of repose throughout where the family can gather to play a game or enjoy a book.
Around the home, Casey’s eye for nuance is unmistakable. She wields color, pattern, and shape with equal aplomb, expertly marrying form with function in a way that’s both timeless and fresh. A hidden television disappears behind drapery-lined cabinetry, the inner skeleton of an armchair is displayed like a work of art, a vintage dining table reveals a plaque from the husband’s hometown (a serendipitous discovery that made the piece instantly meaningful). In the end, reviving the dwelling wasn’t about reinvention for Casey—it was about the possibility that a new chapter can bring. The result is a space that, according to Casey, feels “quietly refined and effortlessly lived-in”—an elegant meeting point between memory and modern family life.
FAST FACTS:
Designer: Becca Casey, Becca Interiors
Location: Darien, Connecticut
The Space: A 1930s colonial with six bedrooms, across 2,400 square feet.
LIVING ROOM
Bare windows and a transportive wallpaper nod to the pastoral landscape.
The living room is the oldest space in the house, so Casey wanted to honor its bones while streamlining the layout for modern functionality. Custom Dmitriy & Co. sofas—linen on the top, patterned French mattress tufting at the base—typify the union between “his” and “her” tastes.
Sconce: Woven Shop. Lamp: Visual Comfort & Co. Chair: custom.
Table: custom, Becca Interiors. Chairs: Pottery Barn.
A traditional English roll armchair was tucked into a corner at the request of the husband, whose wish list included a spot to read. Aiming for a “layered floor plan,” with distinct areas for the family’s many needs, Casey added a game table as a visual anchor with a direct sight line to the main entryway of the home.
DEN
An original stone fireplace anchors the family-ready space.
Pendant: Woka. Coffee table: LF Collection. Sconce: Hector Finch.
Coffee table: LF Collection. Rug: Woodard Weave. Chik blinds: Joss Graham.
Drenched in French Gray paint by Farrow & Ball and grounded by the original stone fireplace, the den is carefully choreographed to support togetherness, with a custom sectional and hidden TV.
DINING ROOM
The sun-drenched space looks out to the backyard pond.
Paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball. Chairs: Maison Louis Drucker. Table: antique. Tablecloths: Zara Home, Cabana Home. Pedants: Lightology.
Part of the new addition, the serene dining room is flooded with light, thanks to expansive floor to (almost) ceiling windows. Layered textiles keep the antique table—a happy find, originally made in the husband’s hometown—geared toward casual meals.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Salvaged beams mimic the look of the originals in the living room.
Paint: Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Rug: Lulu and Georgia. Bedding: The Company Store. Dresser: English Farmhouse Furniture.
Inspired by Belgian interiors, the elevated placement of the fireplace isn’t just a design flex—it’s an experiential choice that puts the flames right at eye level when lounging in bed. Beside it, two vintage English armchairs stun with their exposed interior, a Becca Interiors signature touch.
PRIMARY BATH
Natural materials were chosen for their ability to patina over time.
Mirror: Rejuvenation. Floor tile: Arto. Wall paint: Slipper Statin, Farrow & Ball. Sconces: O’lampia.
In the primary bathroom, wellness comes through atmosphere rather than gadgets. A Drummonds soaking tub is positioned for prime pond views, with a gray-green base (Drop Cloth, Farrow & Ball) that reinforces the room’s soothing palette.
WORKSTATION
Smart features make family management a cinch.
Roman shade: Hunter Douglas. Desk paint: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball. Chair: Soho Home. Rug: Merribrook Collection. Flushmount: RW Guild.
To make the most of a hall nook, Casey crafted a compact desk where the wife, a teacher, can grade papers. Labeled drawers store art supplies, while a floor-to-ceiling cabinet (at side) acts as a hub for deliveries.
About the Designer
Becca Casey is the Principal Director and founder of Becca Interiors. Raised in the countryside of Southwest England, her earliest influences were rooted in history, nature, and the quiet beauty of rural life. These foundations continue to shape her design philosophy today, one that blends heritage with modern sensibility while honoring craftsmanship and the beauty of daily life at home.
The Hartford community is grappling with two police shootings that happened within eight days of each other. Both started off as mental health calls about someone in distress.
People came together to remember one of the men killed at a vigil on Wednesday evening.
With hands joined, a prayer for peace and comfort was spoken for the family of Everard Walker. He was having a mental health crisis when a family member called 211 on Feb.19.
Two mental health professionals from the state-operated Capitol Regional Mental Health Center requested Hartford police come with them to Walker’s apartment on Capitol Avenue.
A scuffle ensued, and police said it looked like Walker was going to stab an officer. The brief fight ended with an officer shooting and killing Walker.
The family is planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
“All I will have now is a tombstone and the voicemails he left on my phone that I listen over and over again at night just so I can fall asleep,” Menan Walker, one of Walker’s daughters, said.
City councilman Josh Michtom (WF) is asking whether police could have acted differently.
“To me, the really concerning thing is why the police were there at all, why they went into that apartment in the way that they did, in the numbers that they did,” he said.
The president of Hartford’s police union, James Rutkauski, asked the community to hold their judgment and wait for a full investigation by the Inspector General’s office to be completed.
A different tone was taken in a statement released about another police shooting on Blue Hills Avenue on Feb. 27.
Rutkauski said the union fully supports the officer who fired at 55-year-old Steven Jones, who was holding a knife during a mental health crisis.
In part, the union’s statement says that Jones “deliberately advanced on the officer in a manner that created an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury. This was a 100% justified use of deadly force.”
The Inspector General’s office will determine if the officer was justified following an investigation.
The officer who shot Jones was the fourth to arrive on the scene. Three others tried to get him to drop the knife, even using a taser, before the shooting.
“It just feels like beyond the conduct of any one officer, we have this problem, which is that we send cops for every problem,” Michtom said. “I don’t know how you can de-escalate at the point of a gun.”
Jones died from his injuries on Tuesday.
The union’s statement went on to say that officers should not be society’s default for mental health professionals. The statement said in part, “We ask for renewed commitment from our legislators to remove police from being the vanguard of what should be a mental health professional response.”
The officers involved in both shootings are on administrative leave.
Marked by a ceremonial ribbon cutting and attended by Governor Ned Lamont, state legislators, Waterbury officials, and community leaders, UConn Health celebrated the acquisition of Waterbury Hospital which as of today is now the UConn Health Waterbury Hospital.
“This is a defining moment for healthcare in Connecticut,” said Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, CEO of UConn Health Community Network. “We now have the opportunity to take the award -winning academic quality and service of UConn Health and share it with the wonderful employees, doctors and community of Waterbury.”
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont described the initiative as a forward-looking investment in the future of healthcare access across Connecticut.
“Connecticut is leading with innovation,” said Connecticut Governor Lamont. “The UConn Health Community Network reflects a proactive approach to strengthening community-based care by connecting it directly to the capabilities of our state’s public academic medical center. What begins in Waterbury today, represents a new model designed to expand opportunity, access, and excellence for communities statewide.”
In addition to UConn Health Waterbury Hospital, the Network includes UConn Health Community Network Medical Group and UConn Health Waterbury Health at Home. The model preserves each member’s local identity and will grow thoughtfully over time to improve quality, expand access, and reduce the total cost of care.
“This reflects a bold step forward in how we think about healthcare in Connecticut,” said John Driscoll, Chair of the UConn Health Board of Directors. “Today we celebrate the beginning of a new approach to community-based care. We move forward with clarity of purpose and shared commitment to serve our communities better together.”
Comptroller Sean Scanlon highlighted the significance of the model for the long-term evolution of healthcare delivery in Connecticut.
“This partnership represents thoughtful leadership at a pivotal time for healthcare,” said Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon. “By aligning community hospitals with academic medicine, Connecticut is building a modern framework that positions our healthcare system to meet the needs of patients today and into the future.”
“Hosting this celebration on our campus is deeply meaningful for our staff, physicians and the families we serve,” said Deborah Weymouth, President of UConn Health Waterbury Hospital. “Waterbury’s legacy of care continues, and we are tremendously proud to have a strong partner who is deeply committed to our community and help lead this next chapter for healthcare.”
Welcome UConn Health Waterbury Hospital!
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