With its close proximity to New York City, its mix of urban and suburban communities, and its coastline and natural beauty, Fairfield County, Connecticut is a great place to live. But not everyone shares in the high quality of life for which the county is known. It is a tale of two cities with the highest rate of income inequality of any metropolitan area in the United States, and is one of the nation’s most racially segregated places. And while it continues to be the state’s economic engine, the county’s economy has struggled to grow and diversify over the last two decades.
Despite strong demand for affordable housing, exclusionary zoning limits the market’s ability to create enough housing supply to meet demand. This is one of several findings in Regional Plan Association’s Fairfield County Housing Needs Assessment which provides data and analysis for all 23 towns and cities in the County. The report, comissioned by Fairfield County’s Center for Housing Opportunity (FCCHO) is intended as a resource to help local officials bring much-needed affordability and equity to their communities.
