Connecticut HB 5505: AN ACT CONCERNING A PLAN TO LEVERAGE PRIVATE CAPITAL TO FUND SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS IN THE STATE.

Bill Text

LCO 1 of 4

General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5505
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF CERTAIN COMMERCIAL
WAREHOUSES FOR THE HOUSING OR SHELTER OF PERSONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section: (1) 1
"Commercial warehouse" means any building or structure that (A) 2
exceeds twenty-five thousand square feet, and (B) is primarily designed 3
for, or has previously been used for, the importation, storage or 4
distribution of goods in commerce, (2) "municipality" has the same 5
meaning as provided in section 7-148 of the general statutes, and (3) 6
"person" has the same meaning as provided in section 7-148hh of the 7
general statutes. 8
(b) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any municipal charter, 9
ordinance, regulation or resolution, any special act or any provision of 10
the general statutes, no person shall use, operate or permit the use of a 11
commercial warehouse to house or provide shelter to any individual for 12
a period exceeding twenty-four hours without first obtaining a permit 13
from the municipality in which such warehouse is located. A 14
municipality shall designate an officer or board of the municipality to 15
review any permit application and issue any such permit pursuant to 16
the provisions of this section. 17
(2) The officer or board designated by the municipality shall hold a 18

Substitute Bill No. 5505

LCO 2 of 4

public hearing on any permit application submitted pursuant to 19
subdivision (1) of this subsection and approve or deny the application 20
not later than one hundred eighty business days after the submission of 21
such application. Any such permit applicant shall deliver notice of the 22
permit application, by certified or registered mail, to each person 23
appearing of record as an owner of property that abuts the property 24
upon which the commercial warehouse proposed for use or operation 25
as housing or shelter is located. Such notice shall be given not later than 26
three business days after the submission of any permit application 27
pursuant to this subdivision. 28
(c) No officer or board designated by the municipality pursuant to 29
subsection (b) of this section shall issue a permit pursuant to this section 30
unless the applicant demonstrates that each individual to be housed or 31
sheltered in the commercial warehouse shall have continuous access to: 32
(1) Sanitary restroom and shower facilities; 33
(2) Potable drinking water; 34
(3) Sleeping accommodations, including a bed, cot or elevated 35
sleeping surface with clean bedding materials, and adequate space to 36
maintain health and safety; 37
(4) Sufficient heating and cooling systems to maintain a comfortable 38
indoor temperature; and 39
(5) Storage sufficient to secure personal belongings. 40
(d) No commercial warehouse shall be used or operated as housing 41
or shelter pursuant to this section unless such commercial warehouse: 42
(1) Complies with the requirements of the State Building Code, Fire 43
Prevention Code, Fire Safety Code and Public Health Code applicable 44
to public lodging accommodations; and 45
(2) Provides not less than two hundred square feet of space inside 46
such warehouse for each individual housed or sheltered in such 47

Substitute Bill No. 5505

LCO 3 of 4

warehouse. 48
(e) Following the issuance of a permit pursuant to this section, the 49
municipality may require that the permit holder provide written 50
evidence of compliance with this section as long as the commercial 51
warehouse remains in use or operation as housing or shelter. Evidence 52
of compliance may be obtained through an inspection of such 53
warehouse by the municipality, including by the zoning enforcement 54
officer, any public health official or any code official employed by the 55
municipality. 56
(f) The officer or board designated by the municipality pursuant to 57
subsection (b) of this section may revoke or suspend a permit issued 58
pursuant to this section if the permit holder violates any provision of 59
this section. 60
(g) A municipality may, by vote of its legislative body or, in a 61
municipality where the legislative body is a town meeting, by vote of 62
the board of selectmen, prohibit the issuance of permits for the use or 63
operation of a commercial warehouse as housing or shelter. 64
(h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the use or 65
operation of a commercial warehouse as housing or shelter (1) in 66
connection with a declaration of an emergency or a major disaster by 67
the Governor pursuant to title 28 of the general statutes, (2) for use as a 68
temporary warming or cooling shelter, (3) if such warehouse has been 69
converted into a residential property pursuant to section 8-2t of the 70
general statutes, or (4) if such commercial warehouse was in use as 71
housing or shelter on or before the effective date of this section. 72
This