Elicker: “Some large companies see paying fines simply as the cost of doing business and deliberately fail to fix problems because the savings of not addressing housing issues is more than the cost of the small fines they potentially could incur. This must change.”
NEW HAVEN, CT – On Friday, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and other city officials provided testimony before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Planning and Development Committee in support of H.B. 6391, An Act Increasing Penalties for the Violation of Municipal Ordinances. The legislation, introduced by State Representative Roland Lemar of New Haven, proposes to amend state statute to enable municipalities to increase the maximum penalty for violations of certain municipal ordinances from $250 to $1,000, and that the fine amount may subsequently be adjusted annually for inflation. Such ordinances would include those that cover housing, health, blight, and noise, among others.
“In New Haven we work hard to ensure residents and businesses comply with city ordinances and state statutes to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and quality of life that everyone in our community deserves. While our goal is to ensure compliance, at times certain individuals or businesses violate the law and it is our work to bring them into compliance,” stated Mayor Elicker in his testimony. “An increased ceiling for fines municipalities could choose to enact to $1,000 would allow a graduated penalty and help us modify behavior to ensure better compliance with the law and a better lifestyle for New Haven residents.”
In particular, Mayor Elicker and city officials emphasized how the proposed legislation could help the city address issues with bad acting and absentee landlords who repeatedly violate the city’s housing code and create unsafe living conditions for their tenants.
“While the majority of landlords comply with the law and provide safe environments for renters, there are some who consistently and repeatedly violate city law and create unsafe and deplorable environments for tenants. From rodents to mold to broken plumbing to broken heating systems, our housing inspectors see repeat violations and an unwillingness of certain landlords to address the problem,” stated Mayor Elicker. Elicker continued, “Our assessment is that some large companies see paying fines simply as the cost of doing business and deliberately fail to fix problems because the savings of not addressing housing issues is more than the cost of the small fines they potentially could incur. This must change. Giving municipalities the option to increase fines after repeat offenses to $1,000 will give us the tools to hold companies accountable when all other options fail.”
Mayor Elicker provided live testimony (which can be viewed here at the ~1:45 minute mark) and submitted written testimony (which can be read below).
In addition to Mayor Elicker, other city officials that testified in support of the legislation included Rebecca Bombero, Deputy Chief Administrator Officer (whose live testimony can be viewed here at ~3:03:45 mark) and Mark Wilson, Manager of Neighborhood and Commercial Property for the Livable City Initiative (whose live testimony can be viewed at ~3:44:30 mark here.)
Building on Mayor Elicker’s testimony, Mr. Wilson cited multiple specific examples of tenants who were living in unsafe and illegal living conditions while their landlords refused to take action to remedy the situation.
Mayor Elicker’s and Mr. Wilson’s testimony, as prepared, can be found here.
PRESS CONTACT
Lenny H. Speiller; (203) 725-4249; Lspeiller@newhavenct.gov
