Connecticut HB 5396: AN ACT CONCERNING THE CESSATION OF EDTPA AS PART OF EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS IN THE STATE.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5396
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON
CERTAIN LAND OWNED BY A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2026) (a) As used in this section: 1
(1) "Religious organization affordable housing development" means 2
a development proposed by a religious institution or jointly proposed 3
by a religious institution and any other developer that is located on real 4
property owned by such religious organization where not less than 5
twenty per cent of the proposed dwelling units are subject to affordable 6
housing deed restrictions; 7
(2) "Dwelling unit" has the same meaning as provided in section 47a-8
1 of the general statutes; 9
(3) "Religious organization" has the same meaning as provided in 10
section 49-31k of the general statutes; 11
(4) "Affordable housing deed restriction" means a deed restriction 12
contained in an instrument filed on the land records of the municipality 13
in which the development is located that requires, for not less than forty 14
years after the initial occupation of the development, that certain 15
dwelling units in the development be sold or rented at, or below, a cost 16
in rent or mortgage payments equivalent to not more than thirty per 17

Substitute Bill No. 5396

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cent of the annual income of individuals and families earning sixty per 18
cent of the median income of the state or the area median income as 19
determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban 20
Development, whichever is less; and 21
(5) "Summary review" has the same meaning as provided in section 22
8-2r of the general statutes. 23
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any zoning regulations 24
adopted pursuant to section 8-2 of the general statutes or any special act, 25
except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, any proposed 26
religious organization housing development shall be allowed subject 27
only to summary review. 28
(c) Any zoning regulations adopted pursuant to section 8-2 of the 29
general statutes or any special act may require that a religious 30
organization housing development have: 31
(1) A gross density of (A) thirty or fewer dwelling units per acre if 32
less than twenty-five per cent of the dwelling units in such development 33
are subject to an affordable housing deed restriction, or (B) fifty or fewer 34
dwelling units per acre if twenty-five per cent or greater of the dwelling 35
units in such development are subject to an affordable housing deed 36
restriction; 37
(2) A height not greater than the maximum allowable height for a 38
residential development in the municipality; 39
(3) Side and rear setbacks of not less than fifteen feet; and 40
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 8-3n of the general 41
statutes, off-street motor vehicle parking if the development is greater 42
than one-half mile from any public transit station, provided such 43
parking requirements shall not exceed one parking space per dwelling 44
unit. 45
(d) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to 46
any real property: 47

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(1) Owned by a religious organization for fewer than three years; 48
(2) Located in a special flood hazard area designated on a flood 49
insurance rate map published by the National Flood Insurance Program; 50
(3) Located within a radius of three thousand two hundred feet of any 51
facility that extracts or refines oil or natural gas; 52
(4) Lacking adequate access to water or sewerage infrastructure; or 53
(5) Used as a cemetery. 54
(e) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to 55
any development that would require the demolition of any property 56
listed in the (1) National Register of Historic Places, or (2) State Register 57
of Historic Places, provided such demolition may occur for property 58
listed in said state register if such demolition has been approved, in 59
writing, by the State Historic Preservation Officer. 60
(f) The summary review process specified in subsection (b) of this 61
section shall require that a decision on any application be rendered not 62
later than ninety days after receipt of such application by the planning 63
commission, zoning commission or combined planning and zoning 64
commission, except an applicant may consent to one or more extensions 65
of not more than an additional ninety days or may withdraw such 66
application. 67
(g) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to make any 68
portion of real property used for a religious organization affordable 69
housing development exempt from taxation pursuant to section 12-81 70
of the general statutes unless such development meets the requirements 71
of said section. 72
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 New sec