Why Isabel fights for affordable housing

Together, we can make Connecticut an easier place to live

Isabel Ordóñez faced a situation many across our state have experienced. After her rent went up and her employer illegally stole the wages she’d earned, she was unable to pay her rent and was evicted.

She wanted to do more to fight the rising cost of living in our state. She found a way to push for affordable housing after an organizer with The Connecticut Project knocked on her door and invited her to a local New Britain chapter meeting. She knew she wasn’t alone. Others also struggled with the rising cost of rent and wanted to take action to make housing more affordable.

“A veces nosotros tenemos miedo verdad por los problemas que nos pasa pero uno en la organización encuentra ese apoyo y esa libertad de hablar (Sometimes we are really afraid because of the problems that happen to us, but in the organization you find that support and that freedom to speak),” Ordóñez said, explaining how The Connecticut Project empowers people to join together to make a difference.

Now more than ever, it’s important for people to speak out, like Isabel. This week,  Gov. Lamont chose to veto an affordable housing bill. House Bill 5002 would have empowered towns to zone for affordable housing, increased the number of fair rent commissions across the state, and approved a pilot to try to better connect people with rental assistance.

The push for affordable housing isn’t over, though. The governor has indicated that there is room for another affordable housing bill, making it even more important for people to keep pushing for an affordable future. Ordóñez and others continue to advocate for affordable housing. She is advocating in her community with The Connecticut Project to talk about the biggest costs working class people are struggling to keep up with, including housing, child care, utilities, groceries, and more.

She knows firsthand how there’s power in numbers. Change won’t happen unless people like you take action to push for solutions.

“Pues cuando encuentro a una persona que está pasando una situación similar, a la que a la que yo pasé eso me sirve de experiencia porque nadie que no haya pasado por lo que lo que uno ha pasado pueda expresar verdad en lo que es (Well, when I find a person who is going through a similar situation, to which I went through that serves me as an experience because no one who has not gone through what one has gone through can express truth in what is),” Ordóñez said.

The governor has vetoed the affordable housing bill, but it is going to come up again. That means there will be another chance to push for housing that working class and middle class people – renters and owners – can afford.  

Find leaders like Ordóñez at your local community chapter, join our newsletter list, and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest efforts to make Connecticut more affordable.