New Housing Collective Report Reveals Lack of Representation, High Vacancy Rate on Local Land Use Boards

“Room at the Table” Offers Solutions to Increase and Support Civic Participation in Local Decision Making

CONNECTICUT – The Housing Collective today released "Room at the Table," a new report illuminating the demographic composition of local land use boards in Connecticut’s Fairfield and New London Counties, uncovering both significant disparities between board members and the communities they serve and high vacancy rates on these decision making bodies. 

Demographic data collected in 2024 by the Centers for Housing Opportunity (CHO), an initiative of the Housing Collective, reveals that renters, women, and non-white residents are underrepresented on land use boards. But with 10% of land use board seats in both counties currently vacant and another 10% of members serving on expired terms, there is significant opportunity for more participation.

Among land use board members in Fairfield County: 

• 70% are male, while 49% of the county’s overall population is male
• 94% are white, while 58% of the population is white
• 91% are homeowners, while 67% of the population are homeowners 
• The average age is 61, while the average age of the population is 40 

Among land use board members in New London County: 

• 72% are male, compared to 48% of the overall county population 
• 97% are white, compared to 73% of the population
• 92% are homeowners, compared to 68% of the population  
• The average age is 63, while the average age of the population is 41 

"The data clearly demonstrates that renters, women and people of color are underrepresented at the tables where crucial land use and zoning decisions are made that affect the future of local communities in Fairfield and New London Counties," said Melissa Kaplan-Macey, Chief Initiative Officer for the Centers for Housing Opportunity at the Housing Collective. “This lack of representation can and must be addressed with a focused effort to reduce barriers to participation and provide greater support for those who serve.”

Local control–the idea that local communities are best positioned to make decisions on zoning and related actions that impact the community–has been at the center of the conversation on land use reform in Connecticut for several consecutive legislative sessions. In this context, it is critical that the demographic composition of local land use boards reflect the experiences of all residents. In Fairfield and New London Counties, the data shows this is not the case. 

"Room at the Table" provides a set of recommendations for fostering a more inclusive and effective land use decision making process and enhancing education and training support for land use board members. These include increasing public awareness and outreach to underrepresented groups on paths to participation; providing crucial support such as childcare,  hybrid meeting formats, and consideration of stipends to make service more accessible; and enhancing skills-based education and training for board members.

“We welcome this new data, which shines a light on the need for broader participation on local land use boards in Fairfield County,” said Elaine Mintz, Vice President of Strategy & External Relations at Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. “At the Foundation, we believe that when all voices are included in shaping the future of their neighborhoods, our Fairfield County community grows stronger.”

“Local decisions about housing and land use impact everyone in our communities and our region, so everyone should have an opportunity to fully contribute to the local decision making process," said Maryam Elahi, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut. "The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut brings people together to work towards a healthy, thriving, sustainable Eastern Connecticut, and we know the work is more effective and more responsive to community needs when more people have a seat at the table.”

“Local land use decisions are being made without the full range of voices and lived experiences of the people they impact the most,” said Chelsea Ross, Executive Director of the Partnership for Strong Communities. “We have an urgent opportunity to reimagine participation—not as a privilege for a few, but as a shared responsibility and a pathway to more equitable, inclusive, and strong communities across our state.”

“LISC CT is dedicated to developing and preserving affordable housing across Connecticut, which involves constant collaboration and partnership with local communities. Further efforts to increase and support civic participation on local land use boards, like those outlined in the Room at the Table report, will help ensure these critical local decision making bodies are operating at full capacity, with ample support and resources, and open to all residents,” said Jim Horan, Senior Executive Director, LISC CT. 

“Local land use commissioners are on the frontlines of deciding how communities prosper and respond to challenges, yet people are generally not aware they can make an impact in their community through this land use decision making process. This report shows we have work to do to better support and encourage more people to participate so that all voices are represented in community decision making," said Renata Bertotti, Coordinator of the Land Use Academy at the Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) at the University of Connecticut.

"CCAPA's mission supports creating great communities for all and our aspirational planning principles reiterate representing equitable outcomes that serve the public interest, by intentionally seeking out all voices in the communities in which we live and work," said Emmeline Harrigan, President, Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA).

The full "Room at the Table" report and its detailed recommendations can be found here. 

Additionally, CHO will host a webinar on the “Room at the Table” report on Tuesday, July 22 from 12:00-1:00pm. CHO staff, along with land use commissioners from across Connecticut, will discuss the report’s findings and recommendations for the land use decision-making process. You can RSVP for the webinar here.

About The Housing Collective

The Housing Collective works to address the housing crisis by convening communities, resources, and stakeholders around collaborative regional responses in Connecticut. The Housing Collective partners with 250 organizations in Connecticut and beyond to prevent homelessness and address housing affordability through its three initiatives: Opening Doors, the Centers for Housing Opportunity, and the Housing Innovation Lab.

About The Centers for Housing Opportunity

The Centers for Housing Opportunity is a program of The Housing Collective, LISC CT, and Partnership for Strong Communities, together with community foundations and regional partners in Connecticut, working collaboratively across sectors to deliver safe, equitable, affordable housing solutions for families and individuals. CHO operates regionally in Fairfield County, Litchfield County, and Eastern CT.