Key Takeaways
- • Connecticut legislators are advancing Senate Bill 1522 to increase the real estate transaction fee from $40 to $50—the first increase since 2011—to fund the Community Investment Act (CIA), which distributes capital across affordable housing, farmland preservation, open space, historic preservation, and agricultural programs.
- • The CIA has generated over $159 million in cumulative investments since its 2005 inception, according to Preservation Connecticut's Executive Director Jane Montanaro, demonstrating the program's established track record in community development funding.
- • The proposed legislation would simultaneously rename the CIA to the Donald E. Williams, Jr. Community Investment Account, honoring the former state senator credited with originating the act.
- • State Representatives and advocates, including Rep. Maria Horn (D-Salisbury), are mobilizing public support for the bill's passage, framing the fee increase as a foundational investment in affordable housing, food systems, and cultural preservation across Connecticut.
- • The $10 increase would apply to real estate transaction fees, with portions distributed across multiple community investment sectors, addressing 14 years of nominal funding levels without adjustments for inflation or program expansion needs.
Summary
Connecticut state legislators and community advocates are pushing for legislative approval of a modest but long-overdue increase to the real estate transaction fees that fund the state's Community Investment Act. Senate Bill 1522 would raise the current transaction fee from $40 to $50—marking the first adjustment since 2011 and the first across the act's 20-year operational history since its passage in 2005.
The CIA distributes revenues across five community development sectors: affordable housing, farmland preservation, open space preservation, historic preservation, and agricultural initiatives. According to Jane Montanaro, Executive Director of Preservation Connecticut, the program has channeled over $159 million into these categories since inception. The lack of fee adjustment over 14 years represents a significant erosion of purchasing power and program capacity without accounting for inflation or expanded community needs.
Beyond the fee increase itself, the legislation incorporates a symbolic naming convention, redesignating the fund as the Donald E. Williams, Jr. Community Investment Account. Williams, a former state senator, is credited with instrumental leadership in establishing the original act. During a press conference on Monday, April 7, 2025, advocates from each funded sector joined state senators and representatives in calling for passage. Rep. Maria Horn (D-Salisbury) emphasized the program's centrality to Connecticut residents' quality of life, stating: "this is an investment in the people and things that people eat and the places that they live and the cultures and traditions that we believe in and make us who we are." Horn noted that her predecessor, Roberta Willis, stressed the act's broad importance across all state residents.
Advocates are actively encouraging public engagement, urging constituents to contact state officials in support of the bill's advancement. The modest $10 fee increase represents a pragmatic approach to funding gaps that have accumulated over more than a decade of static revenue collection.
The CIA distributes revenues across five community development sectors: affordable housing, farmland preservation, open space preservation, historic preservation, and agricultural initiatives. According to Jane Montanaro, Executive Director of Preservation Connecticut, the program has channeled over $159 million into these categories since inception. The lack of fee adjustment over 14 years represents a significant erosion of purchasing power and program capacity without accounting for inflation or expanded community needs.
Beyond the fee increase itself, the legislation incorporates a symbolic naming convention, redesignating the fund as the Donald E. Williams, Jr. Community Investment Account. Williams, a former state senator, is credited with instrumental leadership in establishing the original act. During a press conference on Monday, April 7, 2025, advocates from each funded sector joined state senators and representatives in calling for passage. Rep. Maria Horn (D-Salisbury) emphasized the program's centrality to Connecticut residents' quality of life, stating: "this is an investment in the people and things that people eat and the places that they live and the cultures and traditions that we believe in and make us who we are." Horn noted that her predecessor, Roberta Willis, stressed the act's broad importance across all state residents.
Advocates are actively encouraging public engagement, urging constituents to contact state officials in support of the bill's advancement. The modest $10 fee increase represents a pragmatic approach to funding gaps that have accumulated over more than a decade of static revenue collection.
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