Increasing Community Participation through Education

Eastern Connecticut is often left out of larger, statewide conversations about obstacles to housing affordability and accessibility. This makes it difficult for our Eastern CT communities to make informed decisions to improve their housing ecosystems.

But with the right data, strategies, and people in the room, our communities in Eastern CT are empowered to work together to build a better housing future.

The Housing Collective’s Center for Housing Opportunity Eastern Connecticut (CHO-EC) launched Housing at a Crossroads, a two-part regional virtual learning series that brought together municipal leaders, nonprofit organizations, housing practitioners, advocates, and residents to explore the housing challenges shaping eastern Connecticut. 

In these webinars, participants heard from experts in housing, land use, community development, and social services who connected housing affordability and accessibility to broader community goals, including workforce retention, economic development, and aging in place. The series provided one of the few opportunities for stakeholders across the region to learn together, share experiences, and discuss practical solutions. 

The focus of the training was educational.

• Educate community members on housing challenges in Eastern CT
• Offer a platform for experts to share their knowledge around housing issues
• Empower participants with data and strategies to take action where they are

The strong, positive response from participants also highlighted the need for continued regional learning and collaboration. To meet this need, the CHO-EC is developing ongoing programming to bring together local officials, board and commission members, housing practitioners, and community leaders to share best practices, address emerging issues, and strengthen local decision-making.

As a regional backbone organization responsible for supporting housing affordability initiatives, the Housing Collective brings together cross-sector partners to produce, protect, and preserve housing in Eastern CT. We work in collaboration with our Center for Housing Opportunity Eastern Connecticut to align municipal leaders, planners, developers, tenant leaders, students, philanthropies, and residents around coordinated, data-informed housing solutions.

The Housing at a Crossroads virtual learning series was supported by generous funders, including the Liberty Bank Foundation, enabling the Center for Housing Opportunity Eastern Connecticut to expand access to housing education and expertise across a region often overlooked in statewide housing conversations. By building knowledge, connections, and local capacity, CHO-EC is helping communities across eastern Connecticut better respond to current housing challenges and plan for future needs.