DesegregateCT will officially become an RPA program, boosting its efforts to combat housing inequity across the state
Pete Harrison named first DesegregateCT Director, will lead coalition’s 2022 agenda
STAMFORD, CT – Amid a growing movement of fair housing and zoning reform advocacy in Connecticut, non-profit Regional Plan Association (RPA) today announced that DesegregateCT will become an official RPA program, boosting the coalition’s strategic goals and capabilities across the state. RPA also announced it has hired Pete Harrison to serve as the grassroots coalition’s first full-time Director. The announcement builds on RPA’s 100-year history of planning and advocacy in Connecticut and its fiscal sponsorship of the coalition. DesegregateCT was founded in June 2020 by Hartford resident Sara Bronin.
The repositioning will support DesegrateCT’s efforts to expand housing opportunity by promoting transit-oriented communities, advocating for sensible lot sizes for homes, and reducing bureaucracy. These actions will promote sustainability, enrich communities, combat segregation, and improve housing access across the state. In 2021, the coalition was a strong advocate for Public Act 21-29 - passed by the state legislature with overwhelming margins and signed by Governor Ned Lamont - which were an important first step in ensuring Connecticut’s zoning laws are more equitable and affirmatively further fair housing.
To lead the next phase of DesegregateCT’s advocacy, RPA has hired Pete Harrison, the group’s current senior policy fellow, to become its inaugural Director. Pete brings ten years of experience to the position as a former tenant organizer, housing policy expert, professor, and researcher. As Director, he will lead campaign communications, strategy, and organizing efforts while managing a robust team of interns and volunteers to advance the coalition’s 2022 platform at both the state and local level.
Since its launch in June 2020, over 80 organizations have joined Desegregate Connecticut as coalition members, representing a wide range of nonprofits and neighborhood groups and issues such as the environment, social justice, and planning.
“In less than two years, DesegregateCT’s pro-homes vision has already made a tangible impact in the fight for equitable and sustainable land use in Connecticut,” said Pete Harrison, Director of Desegregate Connecticut. “As the group’s first Director, I look forward to working with our team, our coalition, and our partners at RPA to expand awareness of the need for change in communities across the state, and to ensure that understanding translates into action.”
“RPA has a century-long history of advancing equity and strategic planning in Connecticut and today’s announcement furthers our commitment to the state,” said Melissa Kaplan-Macey, Vice President for State Programs and Connecticut Director at Regional Plan Association. “We look forward to continuing zoning reform efforts necessary to combat the inequity and segregation that hinder Connecticut’s quality of life and prosperity.”
“Our grassroots movement was built on the creativity, tenacity, and dedication of interns and volunteers, but we still have a lot of work left to do, and we need to grow to do it,” said Sara Bronin, founder of DesegregateCT. “With Pete as our first Director and the Regional Plan Association - which has worked with us hand-in-hand from the beginning - as our permanent home, we are better-positioned to achieve housing justice, climate justice, and inclusive prosperity in Connecticut.”
“Connecticut has long grappled with sprawl, segregation, and inequality, trends that RPA has worked to reverse over the past century,” said Tom Wright, President and CEO at Regional Plan Association.“Today, no group has moved the needle more on these intersectional issues in the state than DesegregateCT, and the work they’ve already done provides a roadmap for communities across the region. We’re proud to continue to invest in this coalition and build more inclusive and diverse places to live and work.”
About Desegregate Connecticut
Desegregate Connecticut is a coalition of neighbors and nonprofits who believe in creating abundant, diverse housing in service of equity, inclusive prosperity, and a cleaner environment. More information on our movement can be found at desegregatect.org and on Twitter @desegregateCT.
