Government & Politics

Former First Selectman Evonne Klein Receives Award for Promoting Access to Housing

By David Gurliacci | May 22, 2018

Former Darien selectwoman and current state Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein has received an award in part for “her efforts to expand access to affordable housing through legislative action that would discourage exclusionary zoning practices,” the state Department of Housing announced. Another reason she received the Edward M. Kennedy Legislative Advocacy Award from the Connecticut Fair Housing Center was for her efforts to “eliminate archaic and undefined terminology in the state’s zoning statutes,” the announcement said. “Breaking down the barriers to opportunity means acknowledging that the pockets of segregation in our society did not happen by chance,” Klein said.  “They were formed as a result of carefully crafted government policies in the early 1900s. “Exclusionary zoning, redlining, and housing discrimination are now illegal thanks to the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968,” she continued.  “However, the effect of their long term existence is a challenge we still face.  We need organizations like the Connecticut Fair Housing Center to work on the front lines, battling discriminatory housing practices and segregation each and every day.”
As co-chair of the state’s Fair Housing Working Group, Klein oversaw the introduction of five legislative proposals that would promote inclusivity and fairness — making Connecticut a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Each year, the center selects recipients who have made significant strides to bring fair housing issues to the forefront of the legislative process.