The complexity surrounding state zoning laws can seem insurmountable for those
who want to create change in their communities and see more affordable housing constructed.
Open Communities Alliance, a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to amending discriminatory policies and actions based on income, race and ethnicity, recently released a guide to help affordable housing advocates. The guide is designed to help them better understand where to start, when addressing zoning codes.
The goal is to create inclusive housing opportunities for all residents and undo housing segregation. The racial upheaval of 2020 inspired the new guide, according to Erin Boggs, executive director of Open Communities Alliance.
“It really picked up post the murder of George Floyd, where you started to see a lot of activism at the local community level all across Connecticut, and the focus of some of that has been on changing local municipal zoning rules and processes and open communities,” Boggs said.
But, advocates struggled to make sense of what the state needed and where to start.
“We found that there were big holes in what people knew about the zoning process and organizing and how to make change in their municipality,” Boggs said.
A change in local zoning would allow developers to construct more affordable housing across the state, bringing rent costs down, according to the Alliance.
Rents have increased 20% since 2021, and median home cost in Connecticut has risen 36% since 2020.
The guide helps advocates, whether first-time activists or more organized groups, understand and navigate state zoning laws. It will better educate them on ways to challenge political roadblocks that may prevent affordable housing creation.
“The kinds of groups that we encountered that inspired us to put this guide together were local groups started by individuals who really care about affordable housing, often starting from a racial equity perspective, but also thinking about the impact on declining school enrollments and the need for seniors to downsize,” Boggs said.
The guide also explores what developers look for when proposing new affordable housing projects.
Making change at a local level is more attainable than people often realize, Open Communities Alliance Policy Director Hugh Bailey said.
“Zoning is local. It's done at the local level. It's done on a small scale, project by project in a lot of cases. And the number of people who are making these decisions is pretty small in most cases talking about a seven person board,” Bailey said.
