Housing segregation, both racial and economic, was hotly debated in our legislature in this and recent sessions. No one doubts that it exists, though we debate its causes and remedies. What we don’t talk about enough, however, is its cost.

Its cost, first, and foremost, is moral. Housing segregation shrinks social trust. Our country is beset by polarization and mistrust of people who we are told are different. This is made worse by housing segregation. When we are each other’s neighbors we learn that we share much more, in our values and our hopes for our families, than politicians and media would suggest.

It is no accident that we are driven into opposing camps by politicians. They have learned that stoking fear is a sure-fire way to get political contributions and votes. Fear is a strong short-term motivator. But it makes for bad decisions. And it shrinks us, causing us to live in fear and suspicion of others who we don’t know well because they are not allowed to be our neighbors. Hope and trust make us better people. They are enduring, and they lead to better decisions.

Opinion: The Ongoing Cost of Housing Segregation, Tim Fisher, CT Mirror, July 22, 2025, available here