The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received October 25, 2024.
Connecticut’s high cost of living is strangling our communities. Schools are half-empty while education costs remain high, and housing remains unaffordable for many. The high cost of living is not just about building expenses—it’s driven by high taxes, overregulation that slows construction, expensive energy rates, inflation, and high education costs funded by property taxes. This makes raising a family in Connecticut prohibitively expensive.
At Thursday’s Candidate Forum, Renee LaMark Muir mentioned that only 2-3% of housing in Essex, Deep River, and Chester is classified as “affordable” under the state’s flawed 8-30g statute. This statute’s formulaic and heavy-handed approach overrides local zoning and fails to reflect real-world housing needs, dividing communities and harming the environment.
What she didn’t address is that this classification only considers housing meeting narrow state criteria, not the naturally occurring affordable housing that already exists but isn’t tracked. Despite this, Renee supports expanding programs like the Connecticut Housing Authority’s First Time Homebuyers initiative. However, did we learn nothing from the 2008 housing crisis? Injecting more money into a constrained market artificially inflated prices, risking another bubble.
Moreover, the coming wave of Baby Boomers downsizing will bring more family homes to market, allowing the housing sector to adjust naturally. Government intervention in the market, as seen in 2008, risks more harm than good.
Renee’s views demonstrate a lack of private-sector experience and understanding of how markets truly function. Hartford does not need more career policymakers concocting regulations without real-world business experience. It was evident at Thursday’s forum that we need leaders who understand how markets respond to incentives and how ill-conceived regulations can stifle growth.
That’s why I’m supporting Kathryn Russell for State Representative of the 36th District. She has the private-sector experience, entrepreneurial insight, and proven leadership to address these complex issues with pragmatic solutions.
