CT HB05045

Restructures Section 8-2 of Connecticut General Statutes to reorganize zoning regulation requirements into mandatory provisions (subsections b-d) and optional provisions (subsection c), effective July 1, 2018.

Adds "affirmatively further fair housing" as a mandatory design objective for zoning regulations and requires municipalities to provide housing opportunities for all residents, including multifamily dwellings and housing for low and moderate income households.

Establishes a new compliance verification requirement: municipalities must demonstrate compliance with fair and affordable housing provisions by July 1, 2019, and every five years thereafter, or become ineligible for discretionary state funding.

Expands environmental protections by making provisions for soil erosion control, drinking water protection, and Long Island Sound ecosystem restoration mandatory rather than optional.

Clarifies that municipalities cannot prohibit child care homes, recycling receptacles, or manufactured homes; and clarifies rules for temporary health care structures with an updated opt-out process requiring public hearings and newspaper notice.