Tenure Status
The resulting visual representation clearly shows a difference in the number of units between Hartford and the rest of Connecticut. In Hartford, 74.5% of housing units are rented while 25.5% are owned by residents. In contrast, Connecticut as a whole has a distribution with 33.8% units and 66.2% owned units. This visual representation highlights the contrast in tenure distribution, between these two areas.
Median Income and Rent Comparison
Rent to Income Ratio
Race Distribution Across Hartford
Hartford Connecticut can be described as a melting pot, where people from different backgrounds come together. One interesting aspect is the percentage of African American residents in Hartford compared to the overall state. In Hartford they make up 36.4% of the population while across Connecticut, it is 10.8%. On the other hand , there are more White individuals in Hartford (27.8%) compared to the state average (72.0%). This indicates that Hartford has a diverse racial makeup.
Additionally, Hartford has a higher presence of individuals who identify with categories such as “Some Race Alone” (20.7%) and “Two or More Races” (12.0%) compared to the rest of Connecticut, where these numbers are 6.0% and 6.3% respectively. In terms this means that Hartford exhibits diversity in these specific categories.
Now, when we consider the state of Connecticut as a whole it is predominantly made up of White residents (72%). The percentage of African individuals is lower (10.8%) compared to that in Hartford indicating that the rest of Connecticut is not as racially diverse. Although both Hartford and Connecticut have proportions of people identifying as Asian Alone, there are more individuals falling into the “Two or More Races” category throughout the state.
Policymakers and community leaders can effectively customize their efforts, for the requirements of both Hartford and the state by comprehending these variations.
Evictions in Hartford
Various factors have shaped the history of evictions in Connecticut. Over the years, we’ve seen numerous cases of housing discrimination, economic downturns, and a severe lack of affordable housing, all of which have played a significant role in exacerbating eviction challenges. Furthermore, certain communities have been disproportionately impacted by historical disparities and systemic inequalities. Evictions can disproportionately harm Black and brown communities. As a result of long-standing and persistent disparities, Black and brown communities frequently experience disproportionately high eviction rates in comparison to other racial or ethnic groups. Evictions have far-reaching repercussions, causing housing instability, displacement, and exacerbating poverty. They have the power to cause upheaval in families, hinder children’s education, and perpetuate a cycle of poverty. Recognizing the importance of tackling the underlying factors that contribute to unequal eviction rates is essential in our efforts to achieve fair and secure housing for all.
Connecticut is home to 169 cities and towns, but it’s alarming to see that almost half of all eviction cases from 2017 through 2021 were concentrated in just five areas: Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Haven, and New Britain (Cheung, 2022). These five cities have consistently had the highest number of eviction filings every year.
According to CT Data, a staggering number of 16,523 evictions have been filed between March 2020 and November 2023. There have been 6,838 evictions filed in the past year, and 559 evictions filed in the past month.
After the Connecticut and federal CDC eviction moratoria expired in June 2021 and August 2021 respectively, there has been a significant surge in eviction case filings. In fact, the number of eviction cases filed by landlords in recent months has nearly reached the levels seen before the pandemic.