Planning for Equity

Date: Tuesday, April 19th, 2022

Time: 7:00pm

Click here for webinar materials

The History of Housing Segregation in West Hartford

Date: Thursday, December 9, 2021

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Click here for webinar materials. 

Fair Housing Bootcamp

Hosted by Mothers and Others For Justice

Date: October 27th, 2021

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: 158 Davenport Ave., New Haven

Zoning for Equity: How to Reshape Zoning in Your Town

Date: June 17, 2021

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Click here for webinar materials.

Glastonbury Community Voices: Why Affordable Housing Options Are So Important

Date: June 1, 2021

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Welles Village will share their ideas and experiences concerning affordable housing in the town of Glastonbury.  

Hosted by: Truth in Action with Love and Kindness (TALK), Open Communities Alliance (OCA), Glastonbury's Commission on Racial Justice and Equity (RJEC), and the Housing Authority of Glastonbury.

Doing Well While Doing Good: Promoting Opportunity and Housing Choice By Renting to Voucher Holders

Date: May 25, 2021 Time: 12:30 p.m.

This webinar is for landlords, property owners, leasing managers, building managers and more!

Speakers: 
Erin Boggs, Executive Director, Open Communities Alliance 

Pete Cimbolic, Managing Director, Operations and Program Evaluation, Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership 

Robert Idleman, Chief Financial Officer, The Metro Realty Group

Sheila Proano, Managing Director, Program Administration, Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership 

Moderator: 
Taniqua Huguley, Outreach Director, Open Communities Alliance 

Click here for webinar materials

The Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative, TALK, and OCA presents

Affordable Housing: Myths, Benefits, and Solutions

Date: May 10, 2021

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Pre-registration is required. Click here for the Zoom Link

Fair Housing Bootcamp: Using Your Housing Voucher to Get the Housing You Need and the Housing You Want

Date: April 28, 2021

Time: 12:30 p.m.

Topics that will be covered:

• Fair Housing 101
• Rent & Eviction Crisis in CT
• Location of Housing Vouchers in CT
• Accessing Housing in High Opportunity Areas
• & More!

Click here for the Zoom Link

TEACH-IN: ZONING, HOUSING, AND SEGREGATION IN CONNECTICUT

Date: March 25, 20201

Time: 5:30 P.M.

All Connecticut residents, no matter their income, race, or country of origin, should have access to affordable housing in an inclusive, safe, and vibrant community.

In Connecticut, where do you live is often defined by your income - and zoning rules often determine who has access to a town, and with it, which school district a child can attend. As these rules define access to opportunity in our state, they have created wide racial disparities.

OCA has the pleasure of joining the WFP and other partners on March 25th for a teach in to educate the public on the policies that drive zoning, affordable housing, and residential segregation in Connecticut. 

De-Designing Segregation in Hartford 

Part 1: January 28, 2021 | 6:00 p.m.

Part 2: February 9, 2021 | 6:00 p.m.

Click here for the webinar recordings and materials. 

*Consider registering even if you can't make it, the recording link will be sent out afterward to all who sign up!*

Find all sponsorship packages here

For all sponsorship inquiries contact our Outreach Director, Taniqua Huguley at [email protected] or (860)610-6040

The Impact of Housing Discrimination

Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Time: 7:00 p.m.

New Canaan Library, New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, New Canaan Community Foundation,  Interfaith Council of New Canaan, and the Grace Farms Foundation are collaborating to co-host an important series to address our community’s understanding of race and racism. “The Start of Change: Addressing Racism” is a six-part series, designed to bring our community together in developing a common understanding of the history, policy, and experiences shaping present-day discussions of race.

Erin Boggs and Taniqua Huguley will discuss the "Impact of Housing Discrimination" in New Canaan. 

Click here for the webinar recording and materials.

Drive-In Movie Night

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2020

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Showcase Cinemas Parking Lot (916 Silver Lane, East Hartford)

Join Open Communities Alliance (OCA), the Beta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Delta Pi Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., and the Town of East Hartford for a drive-in movie night at the largest outdoor movie facility in Hartford county.

In honor of the late Congressman John Lewis, we are screening the new “John Lewis: Good Trouble” documentary. 

This is a free event. This event is open to the public. Bring your own snacks. 

Click here to register your vehicle. 

Contact our Outreach Director, Taniqua Huguley at [email protected] for all sponsorship inquiries. 

Creating a Home for Everyone: How can realtors promote integration?

Date: Thursday, August 27, 2020

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Real estate agents play a pivotal role in housing segregation throughout the state and country. Historically, many real estate agents used discriminatory practices that denied people of color and voucher holders access to various neighborhoods. On August 27th, Open Communities Alliance and the Bridge Committee of Greater Hartford Association of Realtors are hosting Creating a Home for Everyone: How can realtors promote integration?, a webinar for realtors. This webinar will explore how housing segregation shaped the housing industry and made an impact on the state of Connecticut. We will discuss the realtors role in "unwinding" segregation. This webinar will emphasize the importance of providing fair equitable housing in our state. Erin Boggs, Executive Director of Open Communities Alliance, Bryan Greene, Director of Fair Housing Policy for the National Association of Realtors and Fred Freiberg, Executive Director of Fair Housing Justice Center will be our guest speakers. 

This is a free webinar but for internet security purposes, registration is required. 

Contact our Outreach Director, Taniqua Huguley at [email protected] for all sponsorship inquiries. 

Click here for the webinar recording and materials.

De-Designing Segregation in New Haven County

Part II: Strategies to Unwind Residential Segregation 

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Please join us for an exploration of innovative strategies being used around the country to counteract the history of intentional government segregation. We will consider the role of towns, regions, and the state in "unwinding" segregation, with a particular focus on the role the generation of mixed-income communities, can play in creating a more equitable and sustainable Connecticut.

The event will be streamed on Zoom and the Open Communities Alliance Facebook page.

It's a free webinar but for internet security purposes, registration is required. Consider registering even if you can't make it, the recording link will be sent out afterward to all who sign up!

Click here for the webinar recording and materials. 

De-Designing Segregation in New Haven County

Part I: The History and Impact of Segregated Towns and Regions

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2020 

The event will be streamed on Zoom and the Open Communities Alliance Facebook page.

It's a free webinar but for internet security purposes, registration is required. Consider registering even if you can't make it, the recording link will be sent out afterward to all who sign up!

Click here for the webinar recording and materials. 

Drinking Liberally Meriden

"Confronting Segregation"

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.

Location: Dawg House Bar & Grill (999 Broad St., Meriden)

Click here for more information.

OCA Coalition Meeting

Date: Thursday, January 23, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.

Location: CT Nonprofit Center (75 Charter Oak Ave., Hartford, CT 06106)

Light dinner will be served.

Click here to join the coalition and for more information about this meeting.

The History of Segregation and Affordable Housing in Fairfield County

PART I

Segregated by Design: How did we get here?

Date: Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

Location: Fairfield Museum and History Center 

PART II

De-Designing Strategies to Unwind Residential Segregation 

Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 7 p.m.

Location: Saugatuck Congregational Church, Westport

Click here for the webinar recordings and materials.

OCA Coalition Meeting

Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.

Light dinner will be served.

Click here to join the coalition and for more information about this meeting.

Date: Thursday, September 26, 2019

Location: Legislative Office Building (LOB)

300 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT

2:00 p.m. || Room 2C

Join Open Communities Alliance, our partners, and legislators to learn about Mobility Counseling, a powerful tool that can radically boost outcomes for low income families with housing vouchers interested in moving to thriving communities. For many low income families, such moves are one of the most effective paths to increased incomes and college attendance, decreased single parenthood and teenage pregnancy, and improved health outcomes, all of which contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty, increasing tax revenue, and saving millions of dollars in social service costs.

Many families also wish to stay in neighborhoods working towards revitalization. Increasing housing choices for historically disenfranchised families is an important component of a two pronged strategy for transforming outcomes for low income families and communities and complements intensive strategic investments in disinvested neighborhoods.

We will be joined Sebi Devlin-Flotz of Opportunity Insights, a research non-profit advancing data analysis and solutions flowing from the work of Harvard Economist Raj Chetty, which has produced powerful data demonstrating that zip code matters in its Opportunity Atlas, and recently released an important comprehensive report demonstrating dramatic positive outcomes from effectively run mobility counseling. We will also be joined by Adria Crutchfield, a member of the mobility counseling technical assistance consortium Mobility Works and the Executive Director of the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership, one of the most successful mobility counseling agencies in the country.  We are grateful that several legislators, including Senator Saud Anwar, Representatives Brandon McGee, and Jason Rojas, will also be joining us for this event.

Admission is FREE. This event is open to the public. 

Click here to RSVP

Salons at Stowe: Working to Overcome Barriers to Opportunity

Date: Thursday, September 5, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.

Location: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center 

77 Forest Street, Hartford, CT 06105

Join Christian Activities Council and Open Communities Alliance for a follow-up conversation to our 2018 Salon at Stowe: Hartford’s Problem with Affordable Housing – The Fight for BetterLiving Conditions. Learn about the ways these organizations are supporting tenants seeking to relocate –both in and outside of Hartford – and the urgent need for revitalization in North End neighborhoods. 

Light refreshments will be served.

Admission is FREE. This event is open to the public. 

Creating Mixed Income Communities in Glastonbury

Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

Location: Welles Turner Memorial Library (Friends Room)

2407 Main Street, Glastonbury 

Truth in Action with Love & Kindness (TALK) is hosting a discussion that aims to discuss the benefits of mixed income housing in Glastonbury. We will also discuss resistance experienced by similar communities, the steps to successfully undertake a mixed income housing endeavor, and ways to develop community support.

Light refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to Anne Bowman at [email protected], indicating whether you will be able to attend this meeting. 

Segregated by Design: Movie and Discussion

Date: Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at 5:45 p.m.

Location: Norwalk City Hall (Community Room)

Join the Norwalk Fair Housing Advisory Commission for a movie and discussion. The film Segregated By Design examines the forgotten history of how our federal, state and local governments unconstitutionally segregatedevery major metropolitan area in America through law and policy.

Cold supper will be served.

Please RSVP by Thursday, May 29, 2019 to Margaret K. Suib, Fair Housing Officer, at [email protected] or (203) 854-7820 and to request a reasonable accommodation. Location is fully accessible.

Mothers and others for Justice

Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.

Location: 660 Winchester Ave., New Haven, CT (Lower Level Community Room)

We have the great opportunity to join Mothers and Others for Justice at their monthly meeting. We will share information about racial disparities in housing in Connecticut and New Haven! 

This event is open to the public.

CT Asthma Conference

Housing Quality: A Strategy to Reduce Asthma Disparities

Date: Monday, May 20, 2019 

Registration and Breakfast: 8:30 a.m.

Program: 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

Location: Connecticut Hospital Association, 110 Barnes Road, Wallingford, CT 06492

Please join the Connecticut Hospital Association to discuss how housing is a vital sign for health and a lever to improve asthma health outcomes. Megan Sandel, MD, MPH, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Boston University School of Medicine and a nationally recognized expert on housing and child health, will present the keynote. OCA will present during the plenary session.

There is no fee for this event, but pre-registration is required. Register here

Learn more here!

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN BRIDGEPORT?

Date: Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 9:30am

Location: BPT Creates, 1001 Main Street, STE 14, Bridgeport, CT

Join Representative Kyle Langan to discuss solutions to Bridgeport's housing crisis. 

Free Breakfast will be provided.

Integration Matters

Date: Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 10am

Location: Non-Profit Center, 75 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT

Join the Sheff Movement Coalition and Open Communities Alliance for a conversation addressing segregation in Connecticut's cities, towns, and schools. See flyer (left) for more details.

Register here!

Richard Rothstein: The Color of Law

Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 (multiple events)

Location: Hartford and New Haven, CT

Join us for two chances to see historian Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law, an examination of the government's central role in creating residential segregation.

Racial, ethnic, and economic residential segregation today is no accident, but instead is the result of intentional government policies, such as redlining, enforcing racial covenants, and discriminatory lending and outright segregation in federal programs.

Learn more here!

Reception and Legislative Debrief

Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 4:30pm

Location: CT Nonprofit Center, Hartford, CT

Join us for a Thank You Reception preceded by a (short) Legislative Session Debrief for our coalition members and non-profit partners. Please feel free to bring a friend interested in the mission of Open Communities Alliance!

Learn more here!

Fair Share Housing Visioning Session

Date: Friday, March 3, 2017 at 10am

Location: CT Nonprofit Center, Hartford, CT

Please join us to think outside of the box as we work to envision a structure that would allocate affordable housing need by carefully considering town resources, existing affordable housing stock, environmental impact, transportation availability, access to high performing schools and healthy neighborhoods, employment proximity, and much, much more.

Learn more here!

Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities Presents: A Dialogue on Racial Profiling

Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at 5pm

Location: Hartford Public Library (downtown)

Please join the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities for an important discussion about community policing, and fair and impartial policing in the Greater Hartford area.  See the flyer (left) for more information.

Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things: How Glastonbury's Residents Have Reached Across Racial, Ethnic, Religious, Economic and Gender Boundaries and Made a Difference

Date: Thursday, October 20, 2016 at 6:30pm

Location: Riverfront Community Center, Glastonbury

Learn how your neighbors and friends became involved in social justice issues!

Learn more here!

D.U.E. Justice Coalition: Take Back Connecticut!

Date: Thursday, September 8, 2016 at 6:30pm

Location: Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT

Join us in our call for:

• Good jobs and fair wages
• Universal access to quality public education
• A vibrant and fairly funded public sector
• Racial, gender, and ethnic justice
• Democracy in our state and in our workplaces

Keynote Speaker Rev. Dr. William Barber, PResident of North Carolina NAACP and founder of Moral Monday Movement

Learn more here!

2016 Gallivan Conference

Opportunity Everywhere: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing to Transform Communities

Date: Thursday, June 9, 2016

Location: UConn School of Law, Hartford, CT

As soon as 2017, communities and states across the country will have the opportunity to define how they will bring greater equity and sustainability to their regions in accordance with HUD’s new rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. Every jurisdiction receiving HUD funding must create a plan, but these plans are only as good as the community input that goes into them. Join us to learn more about this tool to shape diverse and equitable communities. 

Learn more here!

37th Annual FHACt Fair Housing Conference

'Steps to Eradicating Housing Discrimination and Patterns of Segregation'

Date: Thursday, April 28, 2016, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM 

You will not want to miss this exciting conference which features:

Keynote Address by Washington Civil Rights Attorney John Relman on Disparate Impact and Where Fair Housing Stands after the Recent Supreme Court Decision Panel on Zoning and Patterns of Housing Segregation Interactive Demo of a Tool for Generating a Reasonable Accommodation Request Letter Panel on Lesser Known Fair Housing Protections in Connecticut.

If you need further information on the conference registration process, please contact: FHACt Secretary Nancy Kasper at 860-749-0809 or [email protected].

10th Anniversary Fair Housing & Civil Rights Conference

Date: April 7th & 8th, 2016

Join us for the 10th Anniversary Fair Housing and Civil Rights Conference, a free two-day symposium featuring workshops, panel discussions, networking and career development opportunities, all led by distinguished civil rights activists, government officials, world-class trainers, and non-profit organizations.

Attend workshops, panel discussions, and meet leaders from Federal and state agencies and organizations from across the Northeast, including: The EEOC, HUD, DOJ, FBI, MCAD, MA AGO, MA Office on Disability (MOD), New England Human Rights Commissions, Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), The Kellogg Foundation, The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Western New England University (WNE), and more.

Talk with speakers, attend book signings, meet dynamic practitioners and network with other attendees who are working to promote equality and fairness nationwide.

Learn more here!

D.U.E. Justice Coalition: Fairness for the 99% Accountability Event

Date: April 4th, 2016

On Monday, April 4, we will work to hold legislators accountable by calling out legislative “Zeroes” and “Heroes” during the 2016 legislative session. The coalition will issue report cards based on how legislators vote and then march to the State Capitol Building to directly hold our lawmakers accountable.

Learn more here!

Community Conversation: Can We House Glastonbury's Future?

Date: March 30th, 2016

The future of housing in Glastonbury and across the state must necessarily reflect changing demographics. These include a growing senior population with an interest in downsizing, millennials looking for more affordable housing options, and a more diverse workforce in need of housing across a continuum of affordability. This session will explore how housing could be shaped in Glastonbury to respond to all of these needs and ensure that Glastonbury is a vibrant place to live and work for years to come.

Learn more here! 

View the flyer

Zip Code Destiny

Date: February 29th, 2016

Connecticut is one of the most racially, ethnically, and economically segregated states in the country. Our segregated landscape directly contributes to an opportunity gap, which in turn, triggers deep outcome disparities in health, education, unemployment, and incarceration. Zip code is dictating destiny.

It does not have to be this way. There are solutions. Other states have proven that significant progress can be made if there is sufficient political leadership.

Join us to learn more about (1) the current state of segregation in Connecticut; (2) steps that officials are currently taking to try to address it; and (3) innovative strategies that are used elsewhere in the country that state leaders could replicate to create true housing choices and to help ensure a vital, prosperous, and growing Connecticut.

Learn more here!

LIHTC Webinar

Date: November 23rd, 2015

Around the country policymakers and advocates are trying to figure out how to effectively use the LIHTC program to benefit areas that are struggling and increase access to opportunity through leveraging existing resources in high-resource communities. Since the program is skewed towards under-resourced areas in many parts of the country, the challenge is often identifying strategies that will allow the program to create housing in thriving communities. This webinar looked specifically at the question of whether changes at the state level to the  Qualified Allocation Plan (the point system for allocating the credits) that prioritize higher opportunity areas increased the number of applications and developments in those areas.

Keren Horn, University of Massachusetts - Boston

Adam Gordon, Fair Share Housing Center

Geoffrey Sager, MetroRealty

Joseph Del Duca, Walters Homes

Erin Boggs, Open Communities Alliance 

Materials

-Watch the webinar

-Slides