Make 8-30g a Public Good: End Developer Self-Certification in CT Affordable Housing
The Issue
I strongly believe in affordable housing for the working families, seniors, and neighbors who genuinely need it. When developers receive major zoning overrides under Connecticut’s affordable housing statute (CGS § 8-30g), the public is promised a clear bargain: higher-density development in exchange for deed-restricted, below-market homes reserved for income-eligible residents.
Right now, weak compliance rules under CGS § 8-30h are breaking that bargain.
Under current law, private developers are allowed to self-certify who qualifies for the affordable units in their own buildings—with no state audits, no asset checks, and virtually no penalties for noncompliance.
In Fairfield’s Westway Road case, a developer acted as his own compliance administrator, bypassed six outside applicants on the waitlist, and certified himself and his business partner’s son for the development's only two deed-restricted affordable condos—while holding out-of-state property and securing financing inconsistent with low-income limits. Meanwhile, towns are left spending taxpayer money on drawn-out zoning enforcement battles while working families lose out on homes meant for them.
When loopholes let insiders capture units meant for struggling neighbors, the entire community loses trust in a program that is supposed to be a public good.
We urge the Connecticut General Assembly, the Housing Committee, Governor Ned Lamont, and the Department of Housing to amend CGS § 8-30h in the 2027 legislative session to:
Ban Self-Certification & Insider Deals: Prohibit developers, property owners, and their immediate family members or business affiliates from screening applicants or purchasing/renting deed-restricted affordable units.
Require Independent Audits at Zero Cost to Taxpayers: Fold private § 8-30g and § 8-30h compliance reporting into the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority’s (CHFA) existing digital compliance portal, funded by a modest annual per-unit monitoring fee paid by property owners—not taxpayers.
Mandate Transparent Lotteries & Asset Screening: Require timestamped, auditable waitlists and lotteries alongside asset and primary-residency verification so every unit goes to a qualified household that actually lives there full-time.
Enforce Real Penalties: Replace weak compliance rules with financial disgorgement and the suspension of municipal moratorium points whenever a developer violates affordability covenants.
This isn’t about blocking housing—it’s about basic accountability. Sign this petition to urge Hartford lawmakers to close the § 8-30h loophole and make 8-30g a true public good.
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The Issue
I strongly believe in affordable housing for the working families, seniors, and neighbors who genuinely need it. When developers receive major zoning overrides under Connecticut’s affordable housing statute (CGS § 8-30g), the public is promised a clear bargain: higher-density development in exchange for deed-restricted, below-market homes reserved for income-eligible residents.
Right now, weak compliance rules under CGS § 8-30h are breaking that bargain.
Under current law, private developers are allowed to self-certify who qualifies for the affordable units in their own buildings—with no state audits, no asset checks, and virtually no penalties for noncompliance.
In Fairfield’s Westway Road case, a developer acted as his own compliance administrator, bypassed six outside applicants on the waitlist, and certified himself and his business partner’s son for the development's only two deed-restricted affordable condos—while holding out-of-state property and securing financing inconsistent with low-income limits. Meanwhile, towns are left spending taxpayer money on drawn-out zoning enforcement battles while working families lose out on homes meant for them.
When loopholes let insiders capture units meant for struggling neighbors, the entire community loses trust in a program that is supposed to be a public good.
We urge the Connecticut General Assembly, the Housing Committee, Governor Ned Lamont, and the Department of Housing to amend CGS § 8-30h in the 2027 legislative session to:
Ban Self-Certification & Insider Deals: Prohibit developers, property owners, and their immediate family members or business affiliates from screening applicants or purchasing/renting deed-restricted affordable units.
Require Independent Audits at Zero Cost to Taxpayers: Fold private § 8-30g and § 8-30h compliance reporting into the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority’s (CHFA) existing digital compliance portal, funded by a modest annual per-unit monitoring fee paid by property owners—not taxpayers.
Mandate Transparent Lotteries & Asset Screening: Require timestamped, auditable waitlists and lotteries alongside asset and primary-residency verification so every unit goes to a qualified household that actually lives there full-time.
Enforce Real Penalties: Replace weak compliance rules with financial disgorgement and the suspension of municipal moratorium points whenever a developer violates affordability covenants.
This isn’t about blocking housing—it’s about basic accountability. Sign this petition to urge Hartford lawmakers to close the § 8-30h loophole and make 8-30g a true public good.
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Petition created on November 13, 2026