Housing is a basic necessity — a fact that a year full of virtual school and stay-at-home public health recommendations has underscored. But housing also shapes almost every part of our lives, from the community of neighbors we belong to, to the school districts our children attend.

The zip-code a person grows up in can radically shape their future. Many of Connecticut’s towns and cities are racially and socioeconomically segregated — with municipalities just a few miles apart featuring staggering disparities in income and racial makeup.

On this episode of CUTLINE, host Lucy Nalpathanchil will take a look at the policies driving segregation in our state, and how this issue relates to a broader national crisis in housing stability — particularly as we come out of a pandemic that has put so many families on the brink.

Programming note: On Thursday, May 20th 2021, the Connecticut General Assembly House of Representatives passed H.B. 6107. This House bill includes several of the proposals discussed by Sara Bronin and Senator Tony Hwang during this program, including specifying that references to the “character” of towns in zoning rules must articulate specific physical characteristics, and requiring towns to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on lots with single-family homes, although towns could vote to opt out of this requirement. The bill will now go to the Senate for a vote.

CUTLINE: Connecticut’s Housing Divide premiered on CPTV Thursday, May 20, 2021.