Just Cause Eviction Protections
Most tenants in Connecticut can be evicted without good reason if they are month-to-month renters or their lease is expiring. These so-called “no fault evictions” occur 2-3x more often against tenants of color, and are often used as tools of retaliation against tenants who advocate for repairs or better conditions in their units. They show up on the tenant’s record the same as an eviction for cause, making it much more difficult to find new housing. They destabilize communities and lead to increased housing insecurity and homelessness.
GHIAA believes that housing is a human right, and no one should be unjustly evicted from their home. We are fighting to expand existing protections against no-fault evictions, which currently cover renters with disabilities and aged 62+, to protect all tenants in the state. To learn more about Just Cause, check out this fact sheet.
2025 Legislative Update: GHIAA came alongside the CT Tenants Union and Make the Road CT to support HB 6889, which would have expanded existing eviction protections to apply to all tenants in the state. While the bill had strong legislative support, and more than enough committed Yes votes in the House based on what representatives were saying in public, the bill was not called for a vote. Our understanding is that some legislators who were publicly supportive were reluctant behind closed doors and pushed leadership not to bring the bill to a vote.
GHIAA’s Impact: We generated 56 testimonies and won support through over a dozen constituent meetings. We turned out for press conferences and took part in public leadership where invited. The voices of our leaders mattered. What we did not find a way to do was hold wavering legislators, or the party leaders who were enabling them, accountable.
Municipal Housing Action Teams
Connecticut lacks over 90,000 units of affordable housing to meet the needs of all our state’s residents. Rates of homelessness, including among families with children as well as elders and other vulnerable individuals, are increasing annually. State leaders agree that housing affordability is at a crisis point in our state. Yet in spite of the efforts of many advocates and leaders, legislative proposals to increase housing affordability have been stymied year after year.
Since statewide change has so far been blocked, GHIAA leaders will organize in the towns where we live, work, and worship, to overcome obstacles and expand access to affordable housing in all our communities. This strategy will create impact in our local contexts, and will also build power regionally and statewide to fight for and win wider-scale change. To learn more about our Housing Action Team strategy, check out this info sheet.
2025 Update: HAT teams have been established in several GHIAA towns. They are at varying stages of the organizing process. We provided trainings on organizing skills and an introduction to affordable housing. Technical assistance and a housing consultant is also available, as needed. Teams are engaged in learning the landscape in their town, using a GHIAA-developed resource kit.
Some teams have already taken part in public hearings or other advocacy activities while others are still preparing to engage in those ways. Next steps include further training and building relationships across the various teams to catalyze shared learning across the region.
