Housing

HB 5259 requires Connecticut school districts to provide educational services to homeless children and youth in alignment with the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 11431 et seq.). It prohibits school districts from denying enrollment based on residency and guarantees homeless students a hearing if denied accommodations. The bill also ensures unaccompanied homeless youth (those without a parent or guardian) can access their educational and medical records held by the school. These changes directly affect homeless students, their guardians, and school districts across Connecticut.

SB 335 prohibits landlords from charging tenants extra for utilities (like heat or electricity) if the rental unit lacks an individual meter for those services. It directly affects tenants in residential rental properties where utilities are included in rent but not separately metered. The bill amends rental agreement laws to make any clause requiring such payments unenforceable. Landlords must now charge only for utilities when a tenant has a dedicated meter, preventing "pass-through" fees for shared building systems. This takes effect October 1, 2026.

HB 5362 revises Connecticut's affordable housing laws to implement recommendations from the Majority Leader's Roundtable. It defines key terms like "affordable housing development" (including "set-aside developments" requiring 30% of units to be priced at ≤30% of income for 40 years, with 15% reserved for lower-income households) and clarifies the role of housing commissions. The bill creates a streamlined appeal process for developers whose affordable housing applications are denied or restricted, directing such cases to specialized judges in the relevant judicial district for expedited review. This law directly affects housing developers, municipalities, and housing commissions by setting new affordability standards and changing how disputes over housing applications are resolved.

SB 256 requires private equity entities (firms that pool investment capital to buy residential properties) to wait 75 days after a single-family or two-family home is listed for public sale before purchasing it. The bill mandates that if the listing price changes, the 75-day clock restarts. Private equity buyers must also provide written notice confirming the waiting period was observed. Violations may result in civil penalties up to $250,000, enforced by the Attorney General. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

HB 5369 establishes a task force to study how affordability is calculated in housing appeals, specifically examining the current 10% threshold that determines when affordable housing appeals are unavailable under state law. The task force, composed of housing experts, municipal representatives, and legislative leaders, will evaluate this threshold and propose alternatives by January 1, 2027. It directly affects housing developers, municipalities, and affordable housing advocates who navigate the appeals process under section 8-30g of the general statutes. The bill does not change existing law but creates a process for reviewing the affordability calculation method.