New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Elicker: Greenwich uses zoning to exclude people of color
Mayor says he won’t apologize for comments
GREENWICH — A number of Greenwich’s political leaders demanded an apology from New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker after he said that Greenwich is among the towns in Connecticut that have discriminatory housing policies that “keep out communities of color.”
But an apology is not coming, Elicker said Thursday.
During a public hearing before the state legislature’s Planning and Development Commit
tee, which stretched 24 hours from Monday into Tuesday, Elicker spoke in defense of Senate Bill
1024, which he praised as including “several vital provisions which will expand housing access in our state.”
In his testimony, Elicker said that Greenwich and other communities have zoning regulations in place that keep minority and low-income people from moving to those towns.
“Places like Greenwich and Woodbridge and New Canaan and other towns are using zoning to keep out communities of color. Let’s be clear about it,” Elicker said. These practices had historically been done explicitly but are now done “in a way that is more creative,” he said.
His comments created a stir in the late-night testimony, with state Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, RGreenwich, repeatedly pressing Elicker for specific examples of when Greenwich had discriminated against people through zoning laws.
“You made an incredible accusation against my town, and I’d like to understand how to wrap my mind around it,” said Fiorello, who represents parts of Greenwich and Stamford. She said she wanted Elicker to “enlighten her” about how Greenwich had been discriminatory.
“This is illegal activity,” she said. “To use zoning to keep people of color out is absolutely illegal.”
Under questioning from Fiorello, Elicker said that Greenwich is “predominantly white.” And Fiorello responded by saying the town is “very diverse” with a 27 percent nonwhite population.
“You can keep saying it — it doesn’t make it true,” Fiorello said. “Unless you have real evidence to prove it, I think it is quite a statement for Mayor Elicker to be making against the town of Greenwich.”
On Wednesday, Fiorello and state Rep. Harry Arora, R-Greenwich, put out statements calling for the mayor to apologize.
“Mayor Elicker’s inflammatory statement is a gross mischaracterization of Greenwich and other towns,” Fiorello said.
“This baseless accusation is purposeful in pitting neighbor against neighbor. This rhetoric cannot go unchallenged. If he has proof that Greenwich or any town or city is actively using zoning laws to discriminate, I urge him to go
to the proper authorities. If he does not have proof, then he must issue an apology retracting his statement.”
Arora, who testified against SB 1024 during the hearing, denounced what he called “malicious remarks.”
“Mayor Elicker’s comments are outrageous and completely irresponsible,” said Arora, who immigrated to the United States from India. “As a state lawmaker, who happens to be a minority, I call on the mayor to issue a formal apology to Greenwich and its proud residents. I love my community and the diverse people who reside here. If Mayor Elicker truly wishes to address the important issue of affordable housing in Connecticut, I invite him to reach out so that we may work together in a collegial and collaborative manner to develop a solution that works for the entire state and truly brings the reform he advocates for.”
But when contacted on Thursday, Elicker said he would not back down from his comments.
“I will not apologize,” Elicker said through a spokesman. “We live in one of the most segregated states in the nation. There is a history of explicit racism in all towns in our state, Greenwich and New
Haven included. Today structural racism persists throughout our state. The difference is that some communities like ours in New Haven are working to address it and other communities like Greenwich and many other Connecticut towns are fighting to protect zoning regulations that perpetuate structural racism. Whether intentional or unintentional, policies that hurt the disadvantaged and keep certain people out are inherently racist. Instead of fighting these policies and each other, let’s work together to address them.”
When contacted Thursday, state Rep. Stephen Meskers, D-Greenwich, pointed to the diversity in town, particularly in his district along the shoreline.
“Over 32 percent of my district are people of color — the majority, 23 percent, are Latinx,” Meskers said. “Fifty-two percent of my constituents live in owneroccupied dwellings, 48 percent of them are renters. I have walked my entire district for two consecutive electoral cycles. I am confident of our inclusiveness and diversity.
“While it is easy to get slammed with the Gold Coast moniker, our town is economically diverse. We have an ALICE population of 21 percent
where the state average is 30 percent,” he said, referring to the United Way designation of “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.”
“We have hedge fund titans and manual laborers, skilled neurosurgeons and hospital orderlies; they all live in my district and they all deserve my respect and support,” Meskers said.
First Selectman Fred Camillo also issued a statement, calling Elicker’s comments “off base, inflammatory and divisive.”
Camillo pointed to the efforts of Greenwich Communities, formerly known as the Greenwich Housing Authority, to enhance and add affordable housing in town and the work by the Planning and Zoning Commission to begin a housing trust fund in town, which will be considered by the Board of Selectmen next week.
Also, Camillo said he spoke to Elicker after the hearing and said he looked forward to working with him in the future.
“In the meantime, I will stand by, ready to correct the record when any misstatement of fact, slander or attack on my hometown is made,” Camillo said.
The Greenwich Republican Town Committee has also weighed in, saying that it was “standing up for the whole of Greenwich.”
“Anyone who lives in Greenwich or was raised in Greenwich knows that our rich cultural and ethnic diversity is one of our biggest strengths,” RTC Chair Dan Quigley said in a statement. “Mayor Elicker’s words are disparaging to all of us. He should be ashamed of himself.”
The debate over the reforms proposed in SB 1024 has been contentious. Advocates of the bill, which is endorsed by the Desegregate CT group, say it would allow for the creation of more affordable housing where it is needed most. However, opponents say it would create a “one-size-fits-all” approach and that it would replace local control on zoning with mandates from the state.
Camillo testified on Monday against the bill and dozens of residents submitted written testimony against it. In addition, Margarita Alban, chair of the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, has been vocal in opposing the bill, saying it would not create more affordable housing and would end up giving developers more ability to force through large buildings that people with lower incomes could not afford.
During the public hearing, state Sen. Rick Lopes, D-New Britain, said there is a distinction between policies and people.
“It’s not the people of Greenwich, the people of New Canaan who are racist, bigoted people,” Lopes said. “What we’re talking about is that because of the history of zoning there’s a structural racist component that occurs in communities that make it harder for people of lesser economic means to live there.”
Elicker told Lopes, “I think that’s a fair way of explaining it.”