For over sixteen years, I’ve worked on one of Connecticut’s most complex public policy debates: how to create truly affordable housing while preserving local control, environmental concerns, neighborhood character, and addressing key infrastructure and safety issues.
I recently hosted a legislative town hall, “Overdevelopment, Housing & Local Control: What HB 8002 & 8-30g Mean for Our Communities,” with Rep. Tony Scott, Sen. Ryan Fazio, and CT169 Strong co-founders Alexis Harrison and Maria Weingarten, aiming to separate emotion from facts and keep the public informed about development and housing policies. 1
Connecticut General Statute 8-30g gives developers special zoning appeal rights in towns, including Fairfield, that fall below a 10% affordable housing threshold 2. This shifts the burden of proof onto local zoning commissions, making it harder for them to reject certain projects. For Fairfield, this statute led to the approval of developments that altered neighborhood scale and character, if they qualified under state guidelines. Only after these changes did Fairfield earn an affordable housing moratorium in April, which now temporarily restricts further projects under 8-30g and allows more local discretion.
In 2017, as Chair of the Housing Committee, after years of work, I helped lead the bipartisan effort to override Governor Malloy’s veto of an 8-30g reform bill, now Public Act 17-170. 3
That law made it easier for towns like Fairfield to qualify for an 8-30g moratorium, recognized elderly and other affordable units more clearly, and clarified how Housing Unit Equivalent (HUE) points are calculated. Critically, it also included a five-year “sunset” compromise: several key changes were temporary and expired on September 30, 2022, forcing towns back to stricter original 8-30g standards and reducing their local flexibility.
We improved a flawed statute with bipartisan negotiation and set a timeframe for review. This was Connecticut’s first major affordable housing reform in decades. Since then, few reform bills have advanced.
Now the landscape has shifted again with a Democrat party supermajority.
The new housing law, House Bill 8002 4, which I voted against and protested in a rushed special session 5, adds a statewide housing-growth framework that directly affects towns like Fairfield by requiring regional housing needs assessments, mandatory growth plans, and expanded authority for regional Councils of Governments (COGs) and the State Office of Policy & Management (OPM).
These changes reduce parking mandates for new developments and increase the influence of state and regional bodies on local planning. This could allow state priorities to override local plans. I voted no because the process lacked transparency, accountability, and full legislative input. By increasing state controls and mandating new housing targets, HB 8002 adds pressure to local infrastructure, such as traffic, schools, and budgets, directly affecting Fairfield’s ability to implement its own conservation and development goals.
But whether we supported it or not, HB 8002 is now law. That makes our local municipal leadership response absolutely essential.
If municipalities like Fairfield don’t engage assertively and intelligently in this new framework, decisions that impact housing, zoning, and development capacity will be made for us by state and regional bodies, rather than in partnership with our residents. 6
As Fairfield’s First Selectperson, I will:
- Demand a real seat at the table with the Office of Policy & Management (OPM) and the regional Council of Governments (COGs).
- Insist housing targets realistically reflect sewer, stormwater, school, and roadway capacity, not just abstract numbers.
- Protect neighborhood density, environmental and safety, and respecting personal property rights while still expanding affordable, accessible, and diverse housing in ways that actually “fit” the community.
My record is clear: I have successfully changed 8-30g once and I offered compromise amendments and voted against HB 8002. I continue to fight for balanced reforms that protect local control, our environment, respect neighborhood voices, and safeguard quality of life. I understand the statutes, the legislative process, and the financial mandate tactics used to pressure towns. Some partisan critics attack me for knowing and working with long-time commercial developers. I see that experience as an asset. You cannot shape growth in Fairfield’s interest if you don’t understand how these relationships work or have a seat at the table.
That is why I am best prepared to lead this fight: together, we can provide real housing without sacrificing local control, safety, livability, or the unique spaces that define our community. Join me in securing and protecting Fairfield’s future.
As always, I want to hear from you directly. Please contact me at 203-807-8098 or Tony@TonyHwang.org and share your concerns, priorities, and hopes for Fairfield’s future. I respectfully ask for your trust and your vote for First Selectperson on February 3, 2026. Together, we can ensure Fairfield remains strong, affordable, and well-managed for the next generation. For more information, visit: https://tonyhwang.org/
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