Substitute Senate Bill No. 151 seeks to amend existing zoning laws to enhance housing development, particularly in residential zones. The bill prohibits municipalities from imposing certain land use and zoning limitations, including restrictions on family child care homes, recycling receptacles, and temporary health care structures for individuals with disabilities. It specifically prohibits setting minimum lot sizes greater than 5,000 square feet for single-family homes in areas with public water and sewer, and bans fixed caps on multifamily housing units. Additionally, the bill allows for the subdivision of improved lots in single-family residential areas into up to three smaller lots, provided they comply with local regulations and have not been subdivided in the past three years.

The proposed legislation also repeals existing provisions in subsection (d) of section 8-2 of the general statutes, which previously allowed for more restrictive zoning practices. It clarifies that zoning regulations cannot deny land use applications based on district character or the income level of applicants, with exceptions for age-restricted or disability-restricted housing. However, the bill does maintain certain protections for parcels listed on historic registers, those under the Farmland Preservation Program, or subject to conservation restrictions. The changes are set to take effect on October 1, 2026, with the overall goal of facilitating the development of more affordable housing options by easing zoning restrictions.