Connecticut has a housing supply problem. Study after study, locally and nationally, points to an undersupply of homes as a core driver of soaring housing costs. Building more homes in Connecticut, in a variety of communities, at a variety of price points, is an essential piece of the puzzle to solving our affordability crisis. That’s why arguments from legislators at the Capitol this year around Just Cause Eviction protections and their potential to stymie housing supply caught my ears. As a proponent of evidence-based policy solutions, I put on my research cap to understand what, if any, data backs up this claim. If enacted, HB 6889, An Act Concerning Evictions for Cause would extend Just Cause eviction protections to a wider range of Connecticut renters. This bill builds on existing protections already in place for renters over 62 years old, those with disabilities, and families living in federally subsidized or public housing. Opponents argue that reducing the ability to evict tenants will see landlords looking to exit the market and developers leave for greener pastures. A recent publication out of the University of Minnesota and Loyola University Maryland begs to differ. This study compared building permit numbers in states with, and without, Just Cause Eviction protections in place. In California and Oregon, where Just Cause protections became law in 2019, the study finds permitting did not decline relative to nearby states without these tenant protections. Similarly, our New England neighbor, New Hampshire, passed Just Cause protections in 2015. Permitting slowed in New Hampshire in the years to come, but it did so in other comparable states without just cause protections as well. I also took a look at housing supply across all 50 states. Using American Community Survey data, we can assess growth in housing units across time. In Washington, where Just Cause passed in 2021, the number of housing units grew by over 11% when compared to the previous five-year period, the sixth largest increase in the nation. Oregon, which increased renter protections in 2019, saw a 9% increase, the 15th highest. New Jersey, which increased renter protections back in 1974, sits close to the middle of the pack at 29th. Connecticut sits at 47th. The evidence is compelling, tenant protections are not the reason Connecticut is failing to grow our supply. Ask anyone who has worked in development or housing finance, and they will tell you that building affordable homes takes time, years, sometimes a decade. But there are families right now in Connecticut facing unjust evictions. Their stories are abundant, moving, and persuasive. So is the data. Just Cause is a sensible, evidence-based policy that will keep people in their homes now, while we work on other solutions to expanding the number of homes in our state. Kayla Giordano is Senior Strategic Initiatives Manager for Partnership for Strong Communities.   ...read more read less