The Housing Record from Open Communities Alliance is designed to combat misinformation on one of the most important issues we’re facing as a state, and one that promises to be a big part of our political discussions in coming years: the affordable housing and segregation crisis. 

Connecticut is an expensive place. There are a lot of reasons for that, but high on the list is the cost of housing. Whether that’s owning or renting, those costs are out of reach for too many people, and the situation is only getting worse.

Those high costs have led to efforts to bring costs down. That includes spending more on vouchers for people in need as well as cutting regulation to allow for more building. Efforts are underway at the local, state and federal levels.

Those efforts have also brought on a backlash. One of the biggest obstacles to affordability is what’s called exclusionary zoning, where some towns allow only single-family homes on large lots on most of their land, which has the predictable impact of putting homes out of reach for most potential residents. If builders were allowed to put up smaller homes using less land, there’d be a better chance for affordability. But not everyone favors that.

There’s also a long history of segregation in Connecticut. It’s no accident that many towns and neighborhoods are segregated by race; in fact, it’s the predictable result of decades of public policy. Reversing those policies will take a lot of work, but it’s in everyone’s interest that all residents of Connecticut have the right and opportunity to live in a place that’s right for them.

What we see today in the housing field is all kinds of tortured reasoning and circuitous arguments aimed at stopping the push for integration and greater affordability. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. At the same time, there are some people who have genuine concerns about housing plans, and it’s up to people who know the issue well to both combat misinformation and to make sure everyone is up on the facts. That’s the only way we can make informed decisions on the best way forward to a more affordable Connecticut for everyone.

That’s what this space aims to create.