Community Spotlight: Partnership for Strong Communities
Franklin & Frankel presents this month’s community spotlight on the Partnership for Strong Communities, a Connecticut nonprofit working to make sure every resident has access to a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.
Organization Overview
Founded on the premise that housing is a fundamental human right, the Partnership for Strong Communities works to promote equitable change across Connecticut’s housing landscape. Their tagline, “Here for Housing,” captures a mission built around four core priorities: housing affordability, housing creation, housing choice, and housing stability. In practice, that means coordinating advocacy, advancing original research, and uniting partners from state legislators to local nonprofits around a shared vision: a Connecticut where everyone has a safe, stable home that is affordable to them, in a community of their choosing.
The Partnership backs that vision with serious research and policy work. Their Connecticut Housing Needs Assessment has become a go-to resource, cited repeatedly by legislators, advocates, and journalists across the state. They also publish an annual State of Housing in Connecticut report and maintain a Housing Bill Tracker that follows housing-related legislation through each session, along with timely analysis on issues like the effect of rental “junk fees” on affordability. A staff of about a dozen and a board of more than twenty members, drawn from financial institutions, law firms, nonprofits, and government, carry that work forward.
Personal Connection
I first learned about the Partnership early in my career working in Connecticut state government. What struck me right away was how effective the Partnership was. They didn’t just talk about housing policy, they actually influenced it. They knew how to organize stakeholders across very different sectors and get them pulling in the same direction, and I watched that work translate into real change at both the state and local level.
When I moved back to Connecticut in 2023, I knew I wanted to get into board service, and the Partnership was one of the first organizations that came to mind. Former Partnership leaders like Howard Rifkin and David Fink had already shown me what persistent, effective advocacy could look like, and I wanted to be part of continuing that work. Serving on the Partnership’s board has been one of the most rewarding parts of being a part of my Connecticut community, and I’m grateful for the chance to keep contributing in a small way to the development of affordable housing in Connecticut.
Access to affordable, safe, and stable housing in Connecticut is a cause that connects naturally to our work at Franklin & Frankel. Our real estate practice puts us in regular contact with the challenges Connecticut families and communities face around housing, from availability to affordability. Board service like this is the kind of community involvement we’re proud to support at the firm, because it reflects the same commitment to our neighbors that drives our work with clients every day.
Call to Action
If you’d like to learn more about the Partnership for Strong Communities or find a way to get involved, here are a few places to start:
- Visit pschousing.org to read their research and current policy priorities.
- Reach out to your state legislators using the advocacy tools on their Take Action page.
- Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube for updates.
- Consider a donation to support their advocacy and research work.
We’re proud to spotlight the work of organizations like the Partnership for Strong Communities, and we’ll be back next month with another member of our community doing great work.