Learn more about the key issues.

Connecticut’s racial and economic segregation is no accident. It is the result of decades of federal and state policies, and it is perpetuated by our state’s hyper-localized land use regime.  Our land use laws erect walls of exclusion that keep out working class people and people of color, perpetuating an unjust state of affairs. Click here to learn more about the causes of segregation. Click here to access our zoning dictionary to understand key terms.

Of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities, only 19 allow housing with three or more units without requiring special permits. Restrictive zoning, costly review processes, and arbitrary impediments thwart affordable and multifamily housing development. In southwest Connecticut, it is 3.5 times more expensive to live near a high-achieving school than a low-achieving one.

This reality has severe consequences. Children who grow up in low-income, segregated neighborhoods make less money, go to college at lower rates, and have other measurably worse life outcomes than those who grew up in integrated neighborhoods. Racially segregated areas have much larger income gaps by race. And neighborhoods with high concentrations of racial minorities lack access to grocery stores, child care, and vital services. There are economic and environmental consequences, too. Click here to learn more about the costs of segregation.