You choose: hostile architecture or hostile residents

CT House Bill 5002. It's called "AN ACT CONCERNING HOUSING AND THE NEEDS OF HOMELESS PERSONS"

According to Margarita Alban, Greenwich Planning & Zoning Chair, this awkward 86-page bill doesn't address the single greatest obstacle to creating affordable and diverse housing in CT i.e. funding and economics. There is not a mechanism to fund affordable housing and current economic conditions are not attractive for building such housing.

Here is what she says the bill really does:

It seeks to increase density.

It prohibits certain parking requirements.

It facilitates conversion of commercial space to residential

It makes it more difficult for local zoning commissions to protect the health and safety of residents

It encourages development near transportation

It implements more reporting requirements

It assigns an increasing number of affordable housing targets

All these are heavy-handed zoning changes that do not get to the root cause of the problem. The bill includes one singular provision as it relates to homelessness. It outlaws "hostile architecture" in public spaces. That means park benches must be designed to accommodate people sleeping on them (i.e. no more dividing arm rails).

Between the Lines: Speaking of "hostile architecture", let's employ "resident friendly architecture" before the local residents turn hostile to this overreach. The bill will be on Governor Lamont's desk today. Email Governor Lamont here and urge him to veto this.

Story here