When more people have a seat at the table, communities can make housing decisions that better reflect local needs and create more opportunities for everyone.
Zoning laws help decide what kinds of homes can be built in a community and where they can be built. These decisions affect housing choices, affordability, and neighborhood growth.
We found through our Room at the Table research report, that many local land use boards do not fully reflect the communities they serve, and many seats remain vacant. By getting involved, more residents can help bring diverse perspectives to housing decisions that shape their communities.
Who Makes the Rules?
These rules aren't set in stone forever, and they aren't made by strangers far away. They are run by a group of local citizens called a zoning board.
Regular people from the community—like your neighbors, local business owners, or parents—can actually sit on these boards. They hold public meetings where anyone can show up to vote, speak up, and help decide what kinds of homes should be allowed in the neighborhood.
The Housing Collective's Room at the Table report found that:
Nearly1 in 10 land use board seats are vacant.
Only about1 in 4 board members are women.
Just 14% of members are under age 45.
Renters make up only 7% of board members,even though renters represent a much larger share of Connecticut residents.
Our community's housing needs...
Housing Affordability
Finding affordable housing is a big problem today. It is getting harder for families to find homes they can pay for. Rent is going up, but paychecks are staying the same. Also, there are not enough affordable homes available.
This makes it hard for people to pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads.
To fix this, we need to:
Make better laws.
Build more affordable homes.
Make sure everyone gets paid a fair wage.
Did You Know?
0 / 50 States
There is no state or county where a renter working full-time at minimum wage can afford a two-bedroom apartment.
71%
71% of all extremely low-income CT families are severely cost-burdened.
50%
Low-income families spend more than 50% of their income on rent.
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Building a Better Housing Future
means finding solutions that keeps basic community needs affordable.