A new study by the Housing Collective found that zoning and land-use boards in New London and Fairfield counties are not diverse and don’t reflect the people in their communities.
These boards make important decisions about housing, businesses, and land use, but they’re mostly made up of older, white, male homeowners.
Key findings revealed that men dominate the boards, though only half the population is male; about 70% of board members are men.
There's a lack of racial diversity in Fairfield County; over 90% of board members are white, even though only 60% of the population is, and in New London County, nearly all board members are white, while the population is about 70% white.
Also, most board members are 60-65 years old, much older than the average resident. Over 90% own their homes, even though only 70% of residents do.
Advocates worry that this lack of diversity affects zoning decisions, which may not meet the needs of the whole community.
Melissa Kaplan-Macey from the Centers for Housing Opportunities said the results are both expected and still surprising. “I think it's what we have kind of suspected for a long time. And not casting blame on anyone for this. It really is the case that boards are hard to serve on,” she said.
In fact, these boards are unpaid and often require a big time commitment, which makes it hard for younger people, renters, and busy parents to join.
“What we're really pointing to is that if you have local land-use boards that were more representative of the communities they serve, we expect we would find boards that respond more fully to the needs of the local community and not a smaller subset,” Kaplan-Macey explained.
The report also offers some recommendations for what next steps could be taken in order to have more representative boards and make it easier for people to serve. Among these are: stipends or pay for board members that could make the work more accessible, flexible meeting options, and training and outreach for people from underrepresented backgrounds to serve.
