Testimony in Support of HB 5092 An Act Protecting Renters from Rent Increases Upon Change of Ownership

Connecticut General Assembly Housing Committee Hearing

Testimony in Support of HB 5092 An Act Protecting Renters from Rent Increases Upon Change of Ownership

Senator Marx, Representative Felipe, and Members of the Housing Committee:

My name is Beth Sabilia and I am the Director of the Center for Housing Opportunity Eastern Connecticut, an initiative of the Housing Collective. Together with Melissa Kaplan-Macey, Chief Initiative Officer of the Centers for Housing Opportunity at the Housing Collective, I am submitting testimony in support of HB 5092, An Act Protecting Renters from Rent Increases Upon Change of Ownership.

Our organization supports the homeless response system in Western Connecticut and regional housing affordability initiatives in Western and Eastern Connecticut. As representatives of the Housing Collective, our mission is to protect, preserve, and produce housing that is stable and affordable for everyone. We work with landlords and service providers to prevent homelessness, and we work with local officials, community members, organizations, and housing developers to produce housing. We also work with local tenant groups to fight unfair evictions because we recognize that protecting people from eviction for no reason is one of the easiest ways to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place. 

For all of these reasons, we support HB 5092.

Since the summer of 2024, we have worked directly with residents of the Bay Point Apartments in Niantic (formerly known as Windward Village) as they fight unfair evictions and rent increases of up to $900a month after Alpha Capital Funds purchased the residents’ building. In the fall of 2025, Alpha Capital Funds purchased an additional five buildings in New London and issued Notices to Quit to more than half of the residents in those buildings. All Notices to Quit were based on “lapse of time” and not due to any fault on the part of those neighbors.

Our role has included helping residents organize, engage with property ownership, and navigate appeals before their local Fair Rent Commissions. Many of these residents are older adults living on fixed incomes, and some faced the possibility of homelessness for the first time because they could not absorb sudden rent increases or find comparable housing. 

We saw firsthand the fear, uncertainty, and bewilderment among these residents who asked in many ways: “How can this happen? How can you do everything right and still face the possibility of eviction without another place to go?” These stories highlight the very real human consequences of unchecked rent increases following a change in ownership.

These residents in eastern Connecticut have achieved meaningful outcomes through collective action. Tenant organizing efforts have helped block evictions, prevent rent increases, and push back against landlord intimidation, while winning support from local and state political leaders, including some on this Committee. As this Committee knows, however, these challenges are not limited to eastern Connecticut. Renters are facing this problem across the state, and many do not have access to organizing and advocacy support from groups such as the Housing Collective, CT Fair Housing Center, or the CT Tenants Union. 

While it is encouraging to see residents come together to fight unfair rent increases, they should not have to organize and fight to simply stay housed. The state has an opportunity to address this trend directly by establishing reasonable protections that keep people in their homes and promote community stability.

Connecticut’s struggles with housing affordability are significant and well-documented. Addressing them will require significant investment and housing production. But preservation strategies are equally important, especially those that do not require direct state funding. HB 5092 is one such tool. By limiting excessive rent increases tied to a change in ownership, the state can help preserve affordability without any new spending. 

Connecticut has far too few affordable homes, and renters across the state are facing increased housing costs, constrained markets, and, yes, increased housing instability. As recently as 2024, it was the worst state in America for renters according to Consumer Affairs. Thousands of working families and individuals are one missed paycheck or one emergency away from losing their homes and falling into homelessness. HB 5092 would prevent displacement due to excessive rent increases from companies that seek to turn homes into commodities.

What if, instead of being one of the worst states for renters, Connecticut were one of the best? Connecticut could be a place where all residents have peace of mind and a sense of belonging in their communities. This bill will provide the peace of mind and security we all deserve by establishing modest baseline protections for the one-third of Connecticut residents who rent their homes.

We also want to acknowledge that, if passed, this law asks local Fair Rent Commissions to step up and do more. We support the expansion of Fair Rent Commissions enacted by the General Assembly in 2025 and respectfully request consideration of additional resources or training for commissioners to ensure our Fair Rent Commissions operate at full capacity, especially for new commissions in smaller towns, so they have the tools and training to serve their communities. 

Thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony.

Very truly yours, 

Beth Sabilia
Director, Center for Housing Opportunity Eastern Connecticut, The Housing Collective

Melissa Kaplan-Macey
Chief Initiative Officer, Centers for Housing Opportunity, The Housing Collective