Fair Housing Advisory Commission

Regular Meeting

Norwalk, CT · August 18, 2025

Minutes

REGULAR MEETING – FAIR HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION AGENDA August 18th, 2025, 3:00 PM VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM Attendance: Rev. Richard Clarke, Joseph Mann, Alexandra Sollazzo, LMSW, Brenda Penn Williams, Daisy Franklin, Jalin T. Sead (Chair) I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Sead called the meeting to order at 3:03 PM. II. ROLL CALL Mr. Sead called the roll and announced there was a quorum present. Commissioners present were Rev. Richard Clarke, Alexandra Sollazzo, LMSW, Joseph Mann, Brenda Penn Williams, and Daisy Franklin. III. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES A. Regular Meeting – June 16, 2025 The minutes of the regular meeting held on June 16, 2025, were reviewed. A motion to approve the minutes was made, seconded, and unanimously carried. IV. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION No members of the public requested time, and no written comments had been submitted in advance. V. OLD BUSINESS Commissioner Daisy Franklin inquired about the previously planned “Survival of a Small City” event. Fair Housing Officer Zabrina Román explained that the event was postponed due to low RSVP responses, which did not warrant the resources required. She is awaiting confirmation of room availability to reschedule the program, with September being considered as a possible timeframe. Zabrina noted that her workload managing case investigations takes priority, but she intends to move the event forward once scheduling is finalized. Commissioners acknowledged the challenge of balancing casework and event planning. City of Norwalk Fair Housing Commission Regular Meeting August 18, 2025 1 VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Fair Housing Officer’s Report Fair Housing Officer Zabrina Román reported that the office has remained active since the June meeting, handling new fair housing complaints, assisting tenants with reasonable accommodation requests, and continuing landlord education. She noted that disability discrimination and voucher refusal remain frequent issues. Zabrina provided updates on new housing developments, including the Meadows Gardens redevelopment and a planned senior housing project, both of which she said reflect important fair housing principles. Commissioners discussed the significance of these projects in expanding affordable and accessible housing options in Norwalk. A substantial part of the discussion focused on immigration and housing. Zabrina shared concerns about the chilling effect of recent ICE activity in Norwalk and emphasized that her office does not track immigration status. Alexandra Sollazzo introduced a Latino Outreach program through Family & Children’s Agency, which prompted debate among commissioners. While some viewed the program as a valuable resource, others expressed concern about its exclusivity. Commissioners agreed on the importance of equitable support for all communities. Zabrina also addressed policy developments, including the Governor’s veto of HB 5002, a housing bill that would have spread affordable housing responsibility more evenly across towns. Commissioners voiced interest in supporting future advocacy efforts when the bill is revisited. Finally, Zabrina highlighted the impact of social media outreach. Instagram and LinkedIn activity has led directly to new case referrals, with multilingual posts helping to reach a wider audience. Commissioners praised her efforts, and there was additional discussion about the heavy workload of the office and the possibility of pursuing an intern in the future. VII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Jalin Sead commended the commissioners for their commitment to fairness and equity and encouraged them to remain active in the community. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded, and the meeting was adjourned at 3:39 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Zabrina Román Fair Housing Officer, City of Norwalk City of Norwalk Fair Housing Commission Regular Meeting August 18, 2025 2

Agenda

Packet

REGULAR MEETING – FAIR HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION AGENDA AUGUST 18, 2025, 3:00 PM VIA ZOOM To allow public access, anyone may access a meeting by telephone and/or Zoom, or a recording in the City of Norwalk YouTube channel. Specific instructions and links can be found at norwalkct.gov/meetings. Members of the public may call in to participate. Callers will not be able to see the meeting participants. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, dial *9 on the phone and you will be called on by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link above. Members of the public who wish to provide "live comments" may also use the Zoom meeting platform. All participants will be muted upon entering the meeting. To speak, click the “raise your hand indicator” and you will be called by the host of the meeting during the public comment section. All speakers must state their name and address. Comments must be on a topic on the agenda, and are limited to three minutes. Anyone disrupting the orderly conduct of the meeting, including by using threatening, hateful, or sexually-explicit language, will be removed. Please find the information using the link above. Members of the public who wish to provide public comment are encouraged to submit those via email in advance of the meeting. For these comments to be included into the record, they must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please email Zabrina Roman at ZRoman@norwalkct.gov with the subject line “Public Comment” to provide written public comment prior to the meeting. I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES A. Regular Meeting: 6.16.2025 1. Regular Meeting Minutes 6.16.2025 IV. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION V. OLD BUSINESS VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Fair Housing Advisor Report Page 1 of 4 VII. ADJOURNMENT Page 2 of 4 SPECIAL MEETING – FAIR HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION AGENDA June 16, 2025, 3:00 PM VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM Attendance: Rev. Richard Clarke, Joseph Mann, Alexandra Sollazzo, LMSW, Carol Frank, Daisy Franklin, Jalin T. Sead (Chair) I. CALL TO ORDER Mr. Sead called the meeting to order at 3:04 PM. II. ROLL CALL Mr. Sead called the roll and announced there was a quorum present. III. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES A. Special Meeting – May 19, 2025 Motion to approve the May 19 minutes was made and seconded. With no corrections offered, the minutes were accepted unanimously. IV. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION No members of the public requested time, and no written comments had been submitted in advance. V. OLD BUSINESS A. Housing Justice Starts Here: A Reintroduction to the Norwalk Fair Housing Office Zabrina reported that the June webinar drew 38 attendees (out of 41 RSVPs) and ran 72 minutes. Since the event, she has received five requests from local nonprofits to repeat the presentation and one request for a deeper dive on fair-housing issues specific to senior housing. Commissioners who attended noted strong engagement and positive feedback. City of Norwalk Fair Housing Commission Special Meeting April 29, 2025 1 Page 3 of 4 VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Meeting Dates and Times Commissioners reviewed the regular 3 p.m. meeting time and agreed it still works. A motion passed to adopt a hybrid format going forward: meetings will always have a Zoom option, while the Fair Housing Office will remain open for those who prefer to attend in person. Scheduled dates will remain on the calendar; meetings can be cancelled if there is no business. B. Fair Housing Officer Report Upcoming Event – “Survival and Resilience: Norwalk in Focus” • Format and logistics: In-person screening of Survival of a Small City on July 17, 1–3 p.m., in the Community Room. Attendance will be capped at 40 due to space limits. Light refreshments (water, soda, coffee, popcorn, chips, pastries) will be provided. • Film length: After discussion, the group leaned toward showing the full hour-long film, followed by a brief panel discussion (10–15 minutes). Commissioners will preview the film online if desired; Zabrina will supply the link. • Next steps: Zabrina will send calendar invites and coordinate a short post-film panel. Commissioners interested in serving on the panel should let her know. Fair Housing Officer Updates • Case load: Zabrina returned from scheduled leave to five new complaints that appear to warrant investigation, including one case that presents as overt racial discrimination. She is gathering additional documentation before sharing details. • Social media outreach: Instagram followers rose by 30 after the webinar, for a total of 114 followers and roughly 3,700 content views. About half the audience is in Norwalk; the largest age bracket is 25-34, and two-thirds are women. Although reach is growing, 74 percent of viewers are not yet followers, so engagement strategies will continue (QR codes at events, links in email signatures, etc.). VII. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, a motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and approved. The meeting ended at approximately 3:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Zabrina Román Fair Housing Officer, City of Norwalk City of Norwalk Fair Housing Commission Special Meeting April 29, 2025 2 Page 4 of 4