The killing of George Floyd in May of 2020 sparked a long-needed racial consciousness awakening across the United States with people of all races filling the streets in cities, suburbs, and rural areas in protest. This energy has been channeled into heightened “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” efforts at corporations and foundations, calls to “defund” the police, accelerated efforts to end mass incarceration, and much more, running the gamut from window dressing to deep and meaningful structural change. The housing sectors—non-profit and for profit, builders, financial institutions, and government agencies—are examining their systems and practices. The pressing question is, how do we make this moment mean something?

Open Communities Alliance (OCA), a civil rights organization that will shortly celebrate its first decade, is dedicated to counteracting the history of government policies that compel segregation and their impact. OCA
is based in Connecticut, but we work towards solutions that will have national implications, build on the work of many who came before us, and take inspiration from the efforts of partners all around the country.

Open Communities Alliance: Confronting Segregation and Its Impact in Connecticut, Erin Boggs, Journal of Affordable Housing and Community Development, Volume 31, Number 1, 2022, available here