CTPOA needs your help. Here are the bills that should be opposed the link to present video testimony or written testimony.
Please take to time to at least provide written testimony. It only take 5 minutes and you can present the talking points as described here.
S.B. No. 909 (RAISED) AN ACT ESTABLISHING A RIGHT TO HOUSING
Link to Bill: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/TOB/S/PDF/2023SB-00909-R00-SB.PDF
This Bill established a committee to discuss making housing a human right. The committee is comprised of all Tenant Advocates and ZERO Housing Providers or Real Estate Professions!
For the process to be valid, there needs to be equal input from both sides of the equation or you will get a biased result. We oppose any structure that is not balanced and therefore either make the composition of the committee balanced or kill this proposal.
5. S.B. 907 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING FAIR RENT COMMISSIONS.
Link to Bill: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/TOB/S/PDF/2023SB-00907-R00-SB.PDF
This Bill forces cities with a population of 10,000 or more to create a Fair Rent Commission by July 1, 2023 where the current law says towns with 25,000 or more. This will create an undue hardship on these small towns and the legislation that went into effect last session hasn't been fully deployed and already we see several issues with the Bill that passed last session.
1. Every commissions must be balanced with equal representation between landlords and tenants. The city of New Haven has a lopsided commission favoring tenants, this needs to be into placed into the statute that there's equal representation so decisions will be fair.
2. The time-frames need to be much quicker from notice to decisions. Everyday that there is not a decision is another day the landlord can't get his rent increase and wait times for hearings in many cases has been months.
3. There needs to be some minimum threshold for bringing an action before the Fair Rent Commission, some monetary standard like a rent increase exceeding the Fair Market Rental values. Otherwise this becomes a tool for tenants to bash landlords with. The current term for hearing eligibility "Egregious Increase" is too vague.
6. S.B. No. 906 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING HOUSING PROTECTIONS
FOR VICTIMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE.
Link to Bill: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2023/TOB/S/PDF/2023SB-00906-R00-SB.PDF
While we agree that victims of Family Violence need help, it can't be at the expense of a housing provider. We need clarification that this Bill does not allow a tenant claiming to be a victim of family violence not to comply with their lease terms. In essence, they need to pay their rent, not create any disturbances in the property to impact the other occupants and not violate their lease and use the premises for illegal purposes.
Also the Bill does not specify a time-frame to declare oneself a victim. As written one could have been a victim years ago and now decide to being this to their current landlord and exercise the privileges the Bill is providing, this needs to be clarified. If these conditions are not met, we oppose this bill as being an undue burden on the housing provider
