Hundreds of people signed up to speak Tuesday at a public hearing focused on a bill that would limit the amount landlords can increase rent annually, an attempt to address rising rents amid a larger housing crisis.
The public hearing covered two bills that cap annual rent increases for rental housing and at mobile home parks at 4% plus the consumer price index. But the bills outline broader philosophical questions the Housing Committee is considering this session in addition to highlighting real-world consequences for Connecticut residents.
This hour, we hear about the rise of tenant unions in our state from Connecticut Public's Camila Vallejo and the Connecticut Mirror's Ginny Monk. The Connecticut Tenants Union and one resident and organizer at Seramonte Estates in Hamden also join us.
Bouncing as she walked, plastic heels clacking on the concrete as she swished her colorful “Encanto” costume, 4-year-old Ayla pointed to the sidewalk in front of her.
"Watch out for the holes,” she warned.
Ayla not her real name has lived in the Wedgewood Apartments in Bloomfield nearly all her life. (The CT Mirror/CT Public agreed to the family’s request not to identify the child.)
In Connecticut, protections for people who rent their homes are limited. Tenant unions aren’t new, but they've gained momentum in Connecticut over the past year, with at least five tenants unions having formed.