Editor’s note: Following is a statement by state Sen. Ceci Maher, D-26, on state housing legislation that won final General Assembly approval last week. Maher is a Democrat elected last year to represent the 26th District, which includes Westport.

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I understand the concerns of my constituents regarding the housing bill that passed the state House of Representatives and Senate. 

I am also aware we must do something to address our state’s housing challenges, which has had adverse effects on many across Connecticut. 

For those reasons, I would only support a housing bill that struck a balance between both concerns. I voted to pass the housing bill because I strongly believe this legislation addresses both issues effectively by positioning us to take meaningful steps forward on our state’s housing issues without compromising the authority of local municipalities.

The legislation that received my support in passing the Senate will examine ways we can determine the best future that will ensure all Connecticut families and seniors can afford to reside in our state. 

There were portions of the original bill that received criticism, as fears were stoked that part of the legislation would strip control from municipalities. However, in the final version of the bill, the legislation I voted to pass, will simply assess what the need is for increased affordable housing and then identify options for how towns and cities can go forward, empowering towns with knowledge to create more financially accessible living options.

Addressing the state’s housing challenges has been at the focal point of this legislative session, and with good reason. 

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), our state has a sizable shortage of affordable housing units and an overly large percentage of residents’ income are going towards housing, making it difficult to afford other necessities. With current housing issues facing people across the state, inaction would further hurt current Connecticut residents and attracting new residents, from out-of-state, extremely difficult.

What’s more, eventually addressing how we can develop more affordable places to live can have a positive impact on commerce and real estate in our community.  

In Massachusetts, their legislature passed the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Communities Act. The law  enables communities to permit mixed-use projects, like commercial or ground-floor retail spaces, in new multifamily districts. Greg Vasile, who serves as CEO for the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, supported the legislation. He told the MetroWest Daily News, “There was no way that we could not embrace something like this that allowed for ground-floor retail, because it really builds communities. It’s great for businesses, it’s great for people and it gives a lot of ability for people in those communities to even start businesses.”

There exists so much we can do to strengthen our neighborhoods. I am committed to ensuring communities across the 26th Senate District remain places where young people who grew up and attended schools here can afford to return to  after graduating college to live and work. 

Gathering more knowledge on how best to move forward can also help seniors living on fixed incomes, ensuring they will never be priced out of towns they call home. 

The answer to our state’s housing challenges should not be to stoke fear, or to do nothing at all, as both will only exacerbate a problem that carries with it the potential to affect people in all communities, and at all stages of life, in more noticeable ways.