City leaders praise, acknowledge limits in Elicker’s housing goals
In his State of the City address, Mayor Justin Elicker reemphasized that housing is one of his top priorities, setting a goal to build 10,000 new housing units in the next 10 years.

Tim Tai
On Monday night, Mayor Justin Elicker set a goal to build 10,000 new housing units by 2034, with at least 30 percent of such units being “affordable.”
In his annual State of the City address, Elicker made it clear that housing would remain one of his top priorities for 2025, as it was for 2024. Housing continues to be one of New Haven’s most contentious issues. Last year, the New Haven-Bridgeport area was ranked the country’s fourth most competitive housing market. According to Elicker, Connecticut needs 110,000 new housing units to meet current demand.
Housing leaders and city officials told the News that Elicker’s new goals are a step in the right direction, following a year where New Haven made strides to protect tenants. But despite New Haven’s best efforts, experts said housing reform necessitates intracity and state support.
“The two biggest pain points for most renters, which is most New Haven residents, is poor housing conditions and unaffordable rents, and New Haven, Elicker’s administration, in response to pressure from his constituents, has taken steps to address both of those things,” Luke Melonakos-Harrison, vice president of CT Tenants Union, said. “But, in terms of the rent, there’s only so much that can be done at the local level because rent stabilization policies are preempted by state law, eviction policies are preempted by state law.”
Last year, New Haven built over 1,000 new housing units, over 40 percent of which are affordable, Elicker said. In his speech, he announced that the city has 7,000 new units “in the pipeline,” 25 percent of which will be affordable. This is a hefty increase from the 3,500 units in development as of February 2024.
Elicker noted that developments have been springing up throughout the city instead of in particular neighborhoods.
Former Mayor John DeStefano applauded the mayor’s decision to set a lofty goal for housing development, explaining that “bold, ambitious goals” like this one provide targets at which to shoot and contribute to a positive atmosphere. However, like Melonakos-Harrison, he said that the city can only do so much to achieve this goal.
The 1,000 units built in the last year, for example, were mostly built by the private sector rather than driven by the city, DeStefano added. Public efforts to make the city more attractive to developers and residents may have a more pointed impact.
“Part of it depends upon the private sector, and, frankly, just straight-up demand,” he said. “There may be 1,000 units created in the city — not all are driven by the city, except in the more abstract sense of is there a growing job market, how is the quality of life, what’s the school district like?”
While Elicker acknowledged in his speech that mortgage interest rates have reached record levels over the past few years, he also praised the Development Team of New Haven for not letting this affect economic growth.
Mike Piscitelli, a leader of the team, was optimistic that building housing and facilitating growth could work in tandem. He pointed to the redevelopment of South Church Street apartments — spearheaded by the Housing Authority of New Haven — which will create a minimum of 1,000 units, many of which will be affordable.
Elicker also cited steadily developing projects on Dixwell Avenue, State Street, Canal Place and West Rock as housing to look forward to in the near future.
Alders Carmen Rodriguez and Richard Furlow expressed enthusiasm about Elicker’s speech and its cohesion with the Board of Alder’s agenda while acknowledging that some of his aspirations may be a “heavy lift.”
“I feel that the administration is doing what they can do for housing,” Ward 21 Alder Troy Streater said.
While Streater was enthusiastic about the Dixwell housing developments — both in his ward — he emphasized that the housing shortage can not just be solved by New Haven and requires the cooperation of neighboring cities. High numbers of people moving to New Haven mean that even with ambitious housing policies, it is “hard to get a grip on” the resident influx, he said.
In the past year, New Haven introduced a number of affordable housing projects, including the inclusionary-zoned Anthem, Ex-Coliseum Apartments and the Valley Street Townhomes. Still, some think more could be done.
“I think we definitely need more affordable units. I think the numbers were a little low, I am learning now that those projects are built on having mixed-income,” Alder Frank R. Redente Jr. said, referring to projects that have both affordable and market-rate units.
Elicker also emphasized the need for continued landlord accountability, housing code enforcement and strengthened tenants’ protections.
Last July, the Livable City Initiative made some organizational changes and has since found increased success in enforcing housing codes. The city has also since granted LCI the power to fine up to $2,000 per day for housing code violations and the Fair Rent Commission the ability to reduce tenants’ rents.
Liam Brennan, who took over LCI in July, has been “much more approachable and transparent,” Melonakos-Harrison, the vice president of CT Tenants Union, said. Brennan’s community meetings and solicitation of feedback from tenants have been “very encouraging,” but Melonakos-Harrison is still waiting on Brennan “to overhaul the agency,” which he understands takes time.
Melonakos-Harrison credited many of the city’s improvements in tenants’ rights and housing code enforcement to suggestions made by CTTU. He was glad that Elicker has been focusing on engaging with people “closest to the issues” when developing new housing policies.
Other housing activists — including Unhoused Activists Community Team organizers — have instead decried New Haven practices that they see as out of touch with the city’s homeless residents.
Elicker briefly addressed the current state of homelessness in New Haven, acknowledging that the number of unhoused residents has significantly increased. He pointed out the city’s recent openings of an eighth homeless shelter and the REST Center for those seeking non-emergency mental health services.
Although he did not detail any specific plans to continue addressing homelessness, Elicker repeated that “New Haven does more than any other city in Connecticut to help those who are unhoused,” a statement he’s made before in response to criticism. The city faced a number of protests over its clearing of homeless encampments last year, led by U-ACT.
“Elicker says he’s done more for unhoused residents than any other Connecticut mayor, but the story on the street is different,” Adam Nussbaum ’25, a U-ACT student leader, wrote to the News. “If Elicker is serious about New Haven being a leader in housing for Connecticut, he can start with a moratorium on sweeps.”
New Haven is on track to have 150,000 residents by about 2034.
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