About Us
We’re trying to make Connecticut more inclusive, by design.
We are a pro-homes coalition of neighbors and nonprofits advocating for more equitable, affordable, and environmentally-sustainable land use policies in Connecticut, with a focus on expanding the diversity and supply of our housing stock. Formed in June 2020, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the renewed conversation on racial justice, our work is about first imagining and then enacting a new vision for local and state land use policies that promotes racial, economic, and climate justice. We leverage original research and grassroots organizing in service of public education and policy change at both the state and local levels.
EDUCATE
We expand public knowledge about housing segregation and zoning impacts - and alternatives to the status quo.
RESEARCH
We gather and analyze data so you can connect the dots on housing, health, economy, and environment.
ADVOCATE
We activate communities, generate policy ideas, and mobilize for change.
Desegregate Connecticut emerged in June 2020 during a period of rising public awareness about inequities in our society, as exposed by the twin pandemics of COVID and racial injustice. (It is a team effort, but founded and led by Sara Bronin.) It is a program of Regional Plan Association, a nonprofit that for 100 years has advanced ideas to improve economic health, environmental resiliency, and quality of life in the NJ-NY-CT region, and that has a century-long record of public engagement and service in Connecticut.
With 80+ organizations aligned with our goal of tackling segregation in land use laws, we have helped change the public conversation and achieve reforms at both the state and local levels, including the passage of zoning reforms in 2021.
In addition to establishing a platform for the 2022 legislative session, we are working to raise awareness about local planning and zoning laws. Thousands of people have attended our meetings and educational events. We assembled a first-in-the-nation interactive Zoning Atlas with details for all 2,622 zoning districts in our state, with the help of a team of volunteers, staff at the Connecticut Data Collaborative, and our very generous partner-funders.
Our Year 1 Annual Report further summarizes our achievements in education, research, and advocacy. Please sign up for our mailing list and be ready to take action!