CTLCV Staff Reflection on Environmentalism & Affordable Housing

In September, CTLCV Staff attended YIMBYtown 2025 conference in New Haven, CT. This 3-day event is the largest pro-homes conference in the nation. Below is CTLCV staff member Lilliana Sarju's reflection from the event.

​"Attending YIMBYtown 2025 was a great experience for CTLCV. Over the course of the sessions, keynotes, and breakouts, I saw firsthand how strongly housing policy, zoning reform, climate planning, and social equity are interwoven. Additionally, being one of the few environmental nonprofits with a table at the event meant we were able to have productive and nuanced conversations with many attendees. 

The lineup was inspiring: discussions ranged from equitable zoning, community land trusts, transportation oriented development, housing finance innovations, to climate resilience in growth strategies. There were panels on how different states are updating regulatory frameworks to allow more missing middle housing, sessions on how to use incentive zoning and form-based codes to encourage density without sacrificing environmental goals, and deep dives into the tradeoffs between development and preserving ecological systems. What I learned there enriched my understanding of how environmental protections must be baked into housing policy, rather than treated as an afterthought.

Having CTLCV at YIMBYtown signaled that environmental justice belongs in housing justice conversations. The event gave us new tools, new connections, and renewed clarity on how to push our state toward smarter growth. I came home with fresh ideas to bring to our advocacy around zoning reform, green building standards, and aligning climate resilience with housing expansion."

Want to learn more about affordable housing & the environment? Check out this explainer.