By: Jonathan M. Cabral, Director, The Connecticut Project
Talk a little bit about your background/history and how you came to be at The Connecticut Project (TCP).
Community development has always been a passion of mine. After starting my career in the private sector, I had the opportunity to work in the public sector, where I held a few different roles at the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. During my time there, I had some amazing opportunities that allowed me to conduct research, evaluate and develop affordable housing programs, and make housing policy recommendations. At The Connecticut Project, I now get to take my experience and support efforts that will ultimately lead to systems changes that will allow for a just, thriving, and optimistic Connecticut.
What is important to you about The Connecticut Project’s mission, and what are the ways that mission aligns with the Partnership’s mission?
The Connecticut Project’s mission aims to bring together communities, ideas, and resources to improve systems and generate real-world outcomes for people who are low-income, or asset limited. We do that by mobilizing people, partners, and resources around priorities that create economic opportunity for families. Our work at TCP aligns with the Partnership’s efforts to enhance the quality of life for Connecticut’s residents, recognizing that having an affordable home is the foundation for building a strong and thriving community.
How long have you been in partnership with the Partnership? What have you found most inspiring or noteworthy about the work that we do?
The Connecticut Project is still in our early stages, and we have been in partnership with the Partnership almost from our founding. I’m impressed by the ways in which the Partnership is a respected authority on housing in Connecticut and by your proven track record in organizing statewide efforts that connect advocates, researchers, residents, and policymakers. The Partnership has a holistic approach in addressing housing needs, understanding the various intersections of housing and other policies issues such as the criminal legal system, health, and education.
How do you measure success in the projects you support, and what outcomes have been most notable?
The Connecticut Project’s work is focused on systems change – we make progress that improves people’s lives right now and we aim to change the big systems that perpetuate inequity and lack of opportunity. Since we move in the short and long-term, it requires patience and perseverance. Our support for housing initiatives focuses on solutions that result in a more inclusive, equitable, and efficient affordable housing ecosystem. The current housing crisis is several decades in the making and requires a long-term strategy to get more housing built throughout the state. Our goal is ultimately to make housing affordable, which requires both supply and demand solutions. We measure success based on whether a project gets us closer to that goal. At the end of the day, the questions that matter when looking at a project are: did it result in low-income people getting more housing access? Did it pave the way for more access in the future?