The housing crisis in Connecticut takes many forms. Whether it’s a lack of starter homes for young families, a shortage of units for employers looking to grow their workforce or the devastating increase in homelessness, the state is suffering on multiple levels.

There is no one policy that could solve all the state’s housing problems. But there are steps Connecticut could take this year that would address immediate concerns while laying the groundwork for more ambitious proposals in years to come.

Such large-scale plans will be necessary if Connecticut is to turn around its housing plight. The current situation is not new; it’s been building for decades, based on policy decisions made by generations of lawmakers and held in place by inertia. But we’ve reached an unsustainable point, and to get us out requires big thinking.

The first step is acknowledging the severity of the crisis. In his speech opening the 2024 legislative session on Feb. 7, Gov. Ned Lamont spent more time on housing than any other topic, returning several times to the ways the crisis is holding back our state. “We have too many people who cannot find a place to live — it is not available, or it is not affordable,” he said.

It’s vital, then, that the solutions meet the challenges we face. That requires actual investment.

To that end, Open Communities Alliance, in partnership with other organizations in the Growing Together CT coalition, is proposing a range of policies in 2024 that will help alleviate the immediate challenges our state is facing while building toward bigger things in the future.

To solve Connecticut’s housing crisis, start by taking these steps, Erin Boggs, CT Mirror, Feb. 22, 2024, available here