Legislative Update: State Senate Passes Interagency Council on Homelessness, Zoning Reform, and Indexed Nonprofit Funding Bills!

Great news! Over the weekend, the state Senate passed H.B. 6894, An Act Establishing an Interagency Council on Homelessness, as well as H.B. 5002, An Act Concerning Housing and the Needs of Homeless Persons.

H.B. 6894 codifies Governor Lamont’s Interagency Task Force on Homelessness as a permanent Interagency Council, which will ensure inclusive decision-making that will amplify the voices of those with lived experience, service providers, and state leadership to create informed, equitable, transformative solutions to homelessness. Thanks to your sustained advocacy one of our main policy goals over the last two years now goes to the Governor's desk to be signed into law!

H.B. 5002 includes zoning provisions to build around transit and increase the supply of affordable housing, as well as expansion of Fair Rent Commissions, and parking reform to support density. It also enacts a pilot program for mobile showers and laundry facilities for people experiencing homelessness and a prohibition of hostile architecture. This bill is a step in the right direction to preventing homelessness before it begins and providing a dignified and humane response to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. 

Update on S.B. 1358, An Act Concerning Equitable Compensation for State-Contracted Nonprofit Human Services Providers

From our friends at the CT Nonprofit Alliance: We are excited to report that S.B. 1358 passed the State Senate with bipartisan support!

Beginning in the next biennium, this bill would require the state to index nonprofit funding in the budget to inflation annually. This is an important step toward financial stability for the sector. We are waiting for this bill to be called in the House, and will update you as soon as it does.

CT CAN End Homelessness Budget Update

The budget bill has passed the House, and we are waiting for the final bill to pass in the Senate soon. Tomorrow morning at 10AM, please join us for a brief budget update with Zach Dendas (Sullivan & LeShane).

In addition to tomorrow's update, we will provide a full breakdown of the final budget after the end of session on June 4th, as well as the opportunity for a full legislative session debrief at the next Policy & Advocacy Committee meeting on June 17th (register here for the series).

In the mean time, please reach out to Katherine Whitney at kwhitney@cceh.org with any questions!