NEW HAVEN, CT – Today, Mayor Justin Elicker applauded the passage of S.B. 1317, An Act Concerning Liens for Violations of the Housing Code or Public Place Ordinances, by the Connecticut General Assembly. The legislation, which passed the State House on Thursday evening with a bipartisan vote of 125 to 22 and passed the State Senate earlier this month by a bipartisan vote of 29 to 7, aims to enhance the ability of municipalities to enforce housing code ordinances by allowing unpaid penalties to become liens on properties in a more streamlined manner, providing municipalities with another important tool to help ensure properties meet appropriate health and safety standards and incentive landlords to maintain compliance with the law. Now that it has passed both chambers, it will be delivered to the governor for consideration to sign into law.
Following the passage of the bill, Mayor Elicker issued the following statement:
“Every tenant deserves to live in safe, sanitary, healthy, and high-quality housing. The passage of this legislation marks a significant victory for New Haven and all Connecticut municipalities, enabling us to streamline our ability to hold negligent property owners accountable for housing code violations. This legislation eliminates unnecessary administrative barriers while preserving all due process protections, allowing our housing agencies to more efficiently ensure safe, dignified housing for all residents.
Notably, this is not only a win for residents' quality of life but also for government efficiency, enabling cities and towns to better protect residents’ rights to safe and healthy housing without wasteful administrative hurdles. A process that typically takes around six weeks per case and absorbent staff time will now take one or two days. It’s a win-win. I want to thank the New Haven state delegation for championing this legislation and New Haven Livable City Initiative Director Liam Brennan and Assistant Corporation Counsel Sinclair Williams for their innovative problem solving on this important issue.”
The City of New Haven worked with state lawmakers to advance this legislation, and Livable City Initiative Executive Director Liam Brennan testified in support of its passage earlier this year.
Approximately 70 percent of New Haven residents are renters and over 45,000 rental units exist in the Elm City. The Livable City Initiative is the city department charged with ensuring safe and healthy housing through housing code enforcement, anti-blight initiatives, the residential landlord licensing program, and other initiatives.
