New London Lawmakers Cite Racism and Inertia as Causes of Housing Crisis

Lawmakers and housing experts discuss new legislation and challenges at Connecticut College forum

Published on Feb. 3, 2026

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State and local lawmakers, along with housing experts, gathered at Connecticut College for the first in a planned series of forums to discuss the ongoing housing crisis in Connecticut. Speakers cited racism and institutional inertia as prime causes for the lack of affordable housing, particularly in wealthier suburban areas. The forum also focused on new state legislation, House Bill 8002, which aims to spur housing growth and address issues like minimum parking requirements and fair rent commissions.

Why it matters

The housing crisis in Connecticut has left many residents struggling to afford rent and mortgages, with over 25% of renters spending half their income on housing. This forum brought together key stakeholders to openly discuss the root causes of the problem and potential solutions through new legislation and community efforts.

The details

The "Housing + Law: A Conversation with Connecticut State Lawmakers" event featured presentations from New London Mayor Michael Passero, state Sen. Martha Marx, state Rep. Nick Menapace, and Sean Ghio of the Partnership for Strong Communities housing advocacy group. They discussed how racism and institutional resistance, particularly in wealthier suburban areas, have hindered the creation of affordable housing units. The forum also focused on the recently passed House Bill 8002, which aims to spur housing growth through measures like requiring municipalities to create housing plans and expanding fair rent commissions.

  • The event took place on Tuesday, February 4, 2026.
  • House Bill 8002 was passed in November 2025.

The players

Michael Passero

The mayor of New London, who touted the city's recent growth in housing units, mostly downtown.

Martha Marx

A state senator representing the 20th District, who serves as the chairwoman of the General Assembly's Housing Committee.

Nick Menapace

A state representative for the 37th District, who also serves on the East Lyme Planning Commission.

Sean Ghio

The policy director for the Partnership for Strong Communities housing advocacy group.

House Bill 8002

Legislation passed in November 2025 that requires municipalities to create housing growth plans, expands fair rent commissions, and amends minimum off-street parking requirements.

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What they’re saying

“And it's not just Republican (lawmakers), there's a lot of moderate Democrats in Fairfield County, those wealthier towns where they want their kids to go to perfect little schools that are majority white; they don't want Black and brown people there.”

— Martha Marx, State Senator (theday.com)

“They don't want people from New London and Hartford living (there)," he said, calling that opposition thinly veiled racism.”

— Nick Menapace, State Representative (theday.com)

“Ten years ago, there was very little (housing) being built in New London and it was difficult to find funding to keep affordable housing going. In the last six years, we've created 900 new housing units, mostly downtown.”

— Michael Passero, Mayor of New London (theday.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This forum highlighted the complex and deeply rooted issues behind the housing crisis in Connecticut, with racism and institutional resistance cited as major barriers to creating more affordable housing, especially in wealthier suburban areas. The new state legislation aims to address these challenges, but overcoming entrenched attitudes will require sustained community efforts.