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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 194 (File 139, as amended by Senate "A")*
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A RIGHT TO HOUSING.
SUMMARY
This bill makes it a state goal to implement policies that respect,
protect, and fulfill a right to affordable, decent, safe, and stable
housing for every state resident (i.e., a “right to housing”). The bill
establishes right to housing components, identifies certain vulnerable
populations, and generally requires state agencies and political
subdivisions to consider them when taking various affordable
housing-related actions.
The bill also establishes a right to housing committee to review
housing policies and the state’s implementation of the right to housing.
The committee must annually report on its findings and
recommendations to the Housing Committee beginning July 1, 2022.
*Senate Amendment “A” (1) makes it a state goal to implement the
right to housing, rather than to progressively implement it; (2)
eliminates a provision requiring the Department of Housing (DOH)
commissioner to appoint an employee to serve in the department as
housing advocate; and (3) requires that low- and moderate-income
families be prioritized, rather than households with incomes below
50% of the area median income.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2021, except the establishment of the
right to housing committee is effective upon passage.
RIGHT TO HOUSING AS A STATE GOAL
The bill makes it a state goal to implement policies that respect,
protect, and fulfill a right to affordable, decent, safe, and stable
housing for every state resident. Toward that end, the bill requires
each state agency and political subdivision, in implementing the right 2021SB-00194-R01-BA.DOCX
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to housing goal, to do the following:
1. consider the right to housing and its components (see below)
when adopting or revising policies, regulations, or grant criteria
that implicate, impact, or affect the right;
2. when implementing right to housing policies, regulations, or
grant criteria, give priority to assisting low- and moderate-
income families, as determined by the housing commissioner
(see below); and
3. to the extent practicable, attempt to serve households currently
experiencing homelessness or at risk of housing loss and those
in the lower range of the income group to which the agency’s or
political subdivision’s programs are directed.
By law, “families of low and moderate income” are those who lack
the amount of income necessary, as determined by the housing
commissioner, to enable them to rent or purchase moderate cost
housing without financial assistance.
Right to Housing Components
The right to housing includes various components, five of which the
bill outlines. Each component implicates certain programs or services,
as shown in Table 1 below. (It is unclear what is meant by
“implicates.”)
Table 1: Right to Housing Components
Component Programs or Services Implicated
Right to protection from
housing loss
Governmental programs that ensure the legal
security of people and households at risk of losing
housing or experiencing homelessness, including
eviction prevention programs; legal assistance in
evictions; financial assistance; support services; and
problem-solving counseling
Right to safe housing that
meets all basic needs
The home's internal habitability, as well as the
necessary services and infrastructure to support a
healthy and dignified living standard
Right to housing and Governmental programs that provide rental 2021SB-00194-R01-BA.DOCX
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affordability assistance; encourage existing housing's
maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation; and increase
new low-cost housing stock, all of which ensure the
ability to secure and maintain housing without risking
access to other essential needs
Right to rehousing
assistance for people and
households that have
become homeless
Governmental programs that support the transition of
people experiencing homelessness to long-term
permanent, affordable housing
Right to recognition of
special circumstances
Adaptation of governmental programs to ensure
accessibility to households facing particular
obstacles to finding affordable, decent, safe, and
stable housing, whether because of race, religion,
sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability,
unemployment, criminal record, eviction history,
family status, income source, immigration status,
cultural traditions, being a victim of fraud or financial
manipulation, or other obstacles
RIGHT TO HOUSING COM MITTEE
The bill establishes a 17-member right to housing committee. The
committee’s purpose is to (1) review existing and proposed housing
policies and (2) advise on the state’s implementation of a right to
housing, as well as on vulnerable populations’ need for access to
permanent housing and any gaps in this access.
Under the bill, the committee must identify and review regular and
special session proposed legislation impacting the right to housing. It
may provide public hearing testimony analyzing legislation’s potential
impact on the right to housing and the vulnerable populations, in
order to preserve the right.
When advising on vulnerable populations, the committee must
cover the following:
1. individuals experiencing homelessness, including homeless
youth;
2. individuals with disabilities, including physical disabilities and
disabilities related to mental health, substance abuse, and 2021SB-00194-R01-BA.DOCX
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developmental conditions;
3. individuals with past or current criminal justice system
involvement;
4. individuals from historically marginalized racial and ethnic
groups;
5. individuals from historically marginalized groups based on
sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;
6. survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence,
stalking, and sexual trafficking;
7. refugees and immigrants; and
8. veterans.
Membership
Under the bill, the committee consists of the DOH commissioner, or
her designee, and 16 members whom the legislative leaders appoint.
The legislative appointees may be General Assembly members and
must have specified areas of expertise, as shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Right to Housing Committee: Legislative Appointees
Appointing
Authority
Number of
Appointees
Required Expertise
Senate
president pro
tempore
3 Expertise in the following:
fair housing protections (one member)
developing low-income housing (one member)
Expertise in, or personal experience with, the
following:
disability and housing insecurity (one member)
House
speaker
3 Expertise in the following:
homelessness policies and programs (one
member)
low-income housing policies and programs (one
member) 2021SB-00194-R01-BA.DOCX
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matters relating to evictions and housing court
(one member)
Senate
majority
leader
3 Expertise in, or personal experience with, the
impact of the following on housing insecurity:
sexual violence, domestic violence, dating
violence, or stalking (one member)
sex trafficking (one member)
refugee or immigrant status (one member)
House
majority
leader
3 Expertise in, or personal experience with, the
impact of the following on housing insecurity:
criminal justice (one member)
race or ethnicity (one member)
sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender
expression (one member)
Senate
minority
leader
2 Current or recent recipients of homeless
assistance, low-income housing assistance, or
assistance in an eviction or housing summary
process matter
House
minority
leader
2 One with expertise in, or personal experience
with, the impact of veteran status on housing
insecurity
A current or recent recipient of homeless
assistance, low-income housing assistance, or
assistance in an eviction or housing summary
process matter
Initial Appointments and Vacancies
The legislative leaders must make the initial committee
appointments no later than 60 days after the bill’s passage. Appointed
committee members serve three-year terms or until a successor is
appointed; appointing authorities fill vacancies.
Chairperson, Meetings, and Reporting Requirement
The bill requires the Senate president and the House speaker to
jointly appoint the chairperson. Once they have done so, the committee
may begin working even if the other positions have not been filled.
The chairperson must schedule the committee’s first meeting no later 2021SB-00194-R01-BA.DOCX
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than 90 days after the bill’s passage. If positions remain unfilled after
60 days, the chairperson may designate people with the required
expertise to serve until the appointments are made.
The bill requires the committee to meet at least twice each fiscal
year. At the committee’s request, DOH must provide presentations
and data on its right to housing implementation. The committee must
report annually on its findings and recommendations to the Housing
Committee beginning July 1, 2022. The Housing Committee’s
administrative staff serves as the right to housing committee’s
administrative staff.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Housing Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 12 Nay 3 (03/09/2021)