CT Mirror: Keeping a House in Connecticut Is Harder for Black Americans and Latinos

Not something you'd want to hear considering the current housing climate:

Black and Latino residents in Connecticut face higher chances of losing their homes as well as getting evicted across the state.

That’s according to a report released this week by the Connecticut Voices for Children, an advocacy and research organization based in New Haven.

The report shows the problem is worsened by restrictive housing construction laws and regulations throughout the state. It recommends more state government action to promote affordable housing.

Any solutions would need to contend with sustained local opposition to denser housing, which shows no signs of dissipating any time soon.

The report shows Black and Latino homeowners have higher rates of delinquencies on their mortgage payments, said Samaila Adelaiye, a research and policy fellow for Connecticut Voices for Children.

“The percentage of Black and Latino households behind on mortgage payments is notably higher in Connecticut at 15.9% and 8.1%, respectively,” Adelaiye said.

The statewide average is 5.5 percent. Adelaiye said the reasons have much to do with the limited housing stock available, making homes more expensive for homebuyers.

Black and Latino renters and homeowners are more likely to struggle with their cost of living expenses according to the United Way CT’s financial hardship report, using data from 2021.