The board of directors of the Connecticut Municipal Redevelopment Authority will hold its inaugural meeting this morning.

The MRDA is a quasi-public state agency responsible for assisting municipalities with efforts to spur transit-oriented development, particularly focusing on the growth of new housing. This assistance can include helping municipalities with the development of housing growth zones that can significantly increase housing production. Municipalities must opt in to participate in the authority.

“The availability of housing is directly connected to a healthy economy because businesses want to expand and add jobs in locations where they have access to a quality workforce, and workers want to live where they have access to jobs and transportation,” Lamont said in a statement. “The Municipal Redevelopment Authority will be taking a holistic approach to partnering with Connecticut’s municipalities to spur the development of new housing that is easily accessible to transportation options and meets the needs that businesses are seeking.”