Every year the state of Connecticut invests millions of state and federal dollars in the creation and preservation of subsidized housing and, to a large extent, determines where these investments occur. Subsidized housing investments are one tool that can be used to actively generate access to opportunity. For example, subsidized housing can be placed in mixed-income developments in areas with thriving schools. The question is, has the state leveraged its housing investments to make placements in a way that does not reconstitute poverty concentration, in areas that create access to opportunity?
To figure out where subsidized housing is located, one measure that can be employed is to consider placements relative to the racial/ethnic and higher poverty composition of the state as a whole. Connecticut is 29% people of color and 71% White non-Hispanic. The rate of poverty in Connecticut is 9.2%.
Basis for Analysis |
|||
|
Analysis Category |
|
Percentage of Connecticut Land Area |
People per Square Mile |
|
Disproportionately White Areas (72% White or greater) |
= |
93.5% |
506 |
|
Disproportionately Minority Areas (30% minority or greater) |
= |
5.8% |
3,948 |
|
High Poverty Areas (Poverty greater than 9.2%) |
= |
10.5% |
2,940 |
|
Racially Concentrated Areas of Poverty (50% or greater minority + 3x regional poverty) |
= |
< 1% |
7,400 |
Mapped, some of these criteria look as follows (click here for larger map):
