RPA Priorities for Connecticut in the 2026 Election

Direct the Office of Responsible Growth and Councils of Government to develop ambitious Housing Growth Plans that quadruple housing production to align with prior historical peaks

Implement the Council on Housing Development’s recommendations on how best to streamline existing state funding and permitting to drive smart growth centered around transit; and support bold levels of investment for the Housing Growth Program and the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority

Coordinate state climate goals under the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection with the Office of Policy & Management’s state Conservation & Development Plan to align state investments to end sprawl and increase climate adaptation and resiliency

Support legislation and agency actions removing barriers to missing middle housing, multi-family ownership models, ADUs, to renting a room in single-family homes, and to lot-size reforms

Direct the Department of Administrative Services to support missing middle code reforms like single-stairways, smaller elevators, and incorporating innovative fire prevention technology and direct the Department of Housing to support pre-approved designs for ADUs, modular housing, mass timber and other new building models

Direct the Department of Transportation to work with CT’s 17 bus systems to create more integrated regional spurs with single-fare ridership, fast headways on core lines, and appoint riders to decision-making bodies

Work with state and federal authorities to make the 30-30-30 plan (30-minute ride from Hartford to New Haven, from New Haven to Stamford or from Stamford to Grand Central) a reality

Direct the Office of Policy & Management to study and report on the Special Transportation Fund, focusing on protecting long-term solvency by diversifying revenue sources and considering alternatives means of capturing value

Eliminate plans to expand I-95 and explore opportunities for highway removal in cities devastated by urban renewal projects

Incorporate Complete Streets & Vision Zero planning frameworks for all state-supported projects

Invest in grid upgrades and reform local regulatory bottlenecks for increasing solar, wind, geothermal, and other renewable sources

Codify binding accountability and aggressively target the building and transportation sectors to hit Global Warming Solutions Act targets

Scale multi-hour utility storage to safeguard grid reliability and maximize the value of intermittent renewables

Consider alternative public or private models of power distribution that increase competition, speed up green transition, and lower costs for ratepayers

Ensure both are fully staffed with leadership experienced in both grid modernization and clean energy deployment with sufficient capacity to oversee ambitious implementation

Lay out a clear vision and plan for what growth will look like in CT and how it will help current and future residents

Balance efforts to make cities prosperous and equitable for current and future city-dwellers

Map out a more integrated, innovative, and fiscally sustainable state bureaucracy to meet our conservation and development goals

Build in-house planning, data collection, accountability, and technical assistance for state, regional, and local planning activities centered around implementing the state’s Conservation & Development Plan

Empower Councils of Governments and local municipalities to quickly merge services and governance structures between municipalities and create assistance and incentives to do so