[Excerpt from news article by Sasha Allen and Katy Golvala, 1/27/26]
For months, Patricia hasn’t slept through the night. She’s stopped visiting friends, she no longer goes to the gym or the park, and she’s gained 60 pounds since immigration enforcement ramped up in the past year.
Patricia moved to the U.S. from Mexico 18 years ago and built a life as an active member of her community in Connecticut. But today, the only time she leaves her house is to work for a few hours each weekend, cleaning offices.
[….]
Across Connecticut, residents who fear they or a loved one may be deported are self-isolating and facing mounting mental and physical health consequences as a result.
A survey from DataHaven released in October found nearly a third of Connecticut residents worry “a lot” or “some” that either they or someone close to them could be deported, detained or have their legal immigration status revoked. That concern is significantly higher among Latino residents, 44% of whom reported such fears.
Anxiety surrounding potential immigration enforcement measures is leading some people to skip medical appointments, lose sleep and opt out of social activities — all of which, physicians say, damages mental and physical health.
Researchers at DataHaven found that, of the Connecticut residents who fear immigration enforcement, 14% have avoided medical care or know someone who has.
Camila Bortolleto is a steering committee member for HUSKY for Immigrants, a group that advocates to expand state-sponsored health coverage for residents regardless of immigration status. She said many immigrants are fearful that ICE will show up at their doctor’s appointment, or that they will get in trouble if they seek health care.
“We’re seeing a lot of folks who are very scared to seek medical care,” Bortolleto said. “They ‘tough it out’ until it gets so bad that they need urgent medical care. At that point, it’s much, much worse, health-wise. It’s also much more expensive by that point.”
Research finds this is a general trend influenced by immigration enforcement increases or policy change. Atheendar Venkataramani, a clinician, researcher and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, contributed to a study in 2021 that found that increased immigration enforcement correlated with a reduction in Hispanic individuals seeking health care.
“On average, what we found was that there was less health care seeking, even among people with chronic conditions who we would expect to see their doctor relatively frequently,” Venkataramani said. “Ours is one study, but there are tons of studies that link immigration enforcement with health care seeking and health care outcomes.”
[….]
The DataHaven survey found that more than half of Connecticut residents who fear immigration enforcement report increased stress or anxiety. And of residents fearing enforcement, around 20% report avoiding public settings, like school and work, or reported problems eating and sleeping.
Venkataramani agreed with Shader, saying that mental health is likely the aspect of health that “shifts most exquisitely” with immigration policy and enforcement changes. He’s seen these changes first-hand in his own patients who are immigrants.
“They’ll screen positive for depression and anxiety. They will come in with elevated heart rate, possibly elevated blood pressure,” Venkataramani said. “They’re very circumspect to share what’s going on.”
Plus, increased stress can have dramatic physical effects on the body, impacting cortisol levels, metabolism and heart health, he added. One 2018 study found that immigration policy targeting undocumented residents in Arizona led to lower birth weight in babies born to immigrant mothers.
[Excerpt from feature article by Cris Villalonga-Vivoni, Dec 5, 2025, across all Hearst CT newspapers]
Connecticut may be one of the country’s healthiest states, but that good health continues to be unequally experienced across the state, according to the latest report from DataHaven.
The New Haven-based research non-profit’s latest community well-being survey is in its eighth edition, said Mark Abraham, executive director of DataHaven. More than 53,000 Connecticut adults have participated in interviews for DataHaven’s survey since it began in 2015.
This year, 1,371 adults were interviewed about their health, economic stability and community. It was then statistically weighted to better match the state’s demographics, leaving the overall results with a maximum margin of error of 3.5%, according to the study.
Roughly 20% of respondents described their health as “fair” or “poor,” a figure that was higher among low-income residents, parents, people with disabilities, and those previously incarcerated. At the same time, more people are experiencing mental health and chronic health issues while also facing barriers to accessing care.
Here are some of the other key insights into the health of Connecticut residents:
Health at a glance
How healthy someone feels depends on several factors and varies widely across demographics, according to the data.
More residents, for example, are being diagnosed with chronic health conditions.
According to the survey, about 150,000 more adults have been diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension since 2018. Meanwhile, roughly 17% of respondents reported an asthma diagnosis, including 27% of Latinos, 17% of Black residents, and 15% of white residents. Among Latinos, asthma rates were exceptionally high for Puerto Ricans, at 36%.
Mental health challenges also continue to rise, with more than 200,000 additional adults reporting anxiety and depression since 2018. LGBTQ+ respondents, in particular, were 1.5 times more likely to screen positive for major depression, 1.4 times more likely to report anxiety, and 1.6 times more likely to delay medical care in the past year.
Abraham said it’s difficult to pinpoint a single cause of rising mental health issues because residents are often dealing with overlapping pressures, like financial instability, housing problems, food insecurity, and more.
“If people are financially stressed, that can increase anxiety and depression and thinking about financial insecurity and the effects that has on your social networks, ability to go out to events and visit family members,” he said. “If you’re financially stressed, it could make it more difficult to get that social support.”
Insurance gaps
Around 92% of people have health insurance, with Black (91%) and Latino (81%) adults being less likely to have coverage compared to white adults (96%). However, the data show that the likelihood of having insurance increases with both education and income levels.
In Connecticut, more than half of respondents get their health insurance through a current or past employer or union, while 17% are covered by HUSKY, the state’s Medicaid program. At the same time, 23% use Medicare while 9% buy their insurance directly from the insurers.
Medicaid enrollment is highest in Connecticut’s urban centers and is more common among men, low-income residents, and people with prior incarceration. Among those covered, 22% have children at home and 27% report a disability.
Racial disparities are also apparent, with 31% of Black residents and 36% of Latino residents relying on Medicaid, compared with 11% of white residents.
Gaps in access
Accessing medical care remains a growing problem across Connecticut, with about 11% of respondents reporting they don’t have a regular place to go for medical care.
Some people were more likely to say they don’t have a regular provider, including men, people of color, and individuals who have been incarcerated multiple times. Of those without a usual source of care, about 17% also have children at home.
About 12% said they didn’t get the care they needed in the past year. In particular, people born outside the U.S., those with low incomes, individuals with disabilities, and those who were previously incarcerated were more likely to forgo medical care.
Although 60% of respondents saw a dentist in the previous six months, over 14% said they hadn’t been to one in at least two years—a gap that was more common among low-income residents, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ adults.
Roughly 13% of adults, including 22% of young adults, reported needing mental health care in the past year but were unable to access it, mainly due to cost or a lack of services.
In comparison, many individuals in the higher income brackets reported having one or more care providers.
Transportation, Abraham said, proved to be a surprising yet significant barrier to care. An estimated 7% of adults reported missing a doctor’s appointment because they had no way to get there, a rise from previous years. This rate was highest among people of color, low-income residents, individuals with disabilities, and those who identify as LGBTQ+.
“That’s something I want to look into more. Like are people unable to buy cars? Or they’re just worried about paying the cost of the bus if you know you’re paying more for rent?” he said. “I’m not sure exactly what’s driving that, but that’s kind of concerning, that people can’t get around.”
Nicotine, cannabis, alcohol
Fewer people are smoking cigarettes across the state, according to the new data; yet, Abraham said, this is partly because vaping has become more popular, especially among younger adults.
At the same time, cannabis use doubled, likely due to legalization in 2021. Around 24% of people reported using marijuana in the past month, up from 12% in 2018. The spikes in usage come during a time of higher rates of loneliness, Abraham said, prompting further research on the relationship between cannabis and mental health.
Another typical behavior among young adults, at a 23% prevalence rate, is binge drinking, or consuming multiple drinks on an occasion. Black residents reported the highest rate at 31%, compared with 23% of White residents and 19% of Latino residents. About 27% of those who binge drink have children at home.
Changes in policy
Questions about public benefits, such as SNAP and Medicaid, were added to this year’s survey in light of major federal changes to the programs, Abraham said.
About 26 percent of Connecticut adults, or their household members, have received SNAP at some point, while 36 percent have received Medicaid/HUSKY. Most respondents added that there isn’t enough support for low-income residents, and many worry that ongoing changes will lead to more people will struggle to access care or may go hungry during a time of rising food insecurity.
Increasing immigration enforcement and activity is also negatively affecting Connecticut residents, according to the data.
Across Connecticut, 31% of adults worry “somewhat” or “a lot” that they or someone they know could be detained or deported, or lose their legal status. Latino adults, in particular, are reporting higher levels of stress, sleep loss and are avoiding medical care, travel and social activity as a result.
“More people might experience the effects of that system, and the questions in our survey, I think, might be able to track going forward, like, how people are affected by that kind of activity in the communities?” Abraham said.
[Excerpt of article by Alex Putterman, all Hearst Connecticut newspapers, November 15, 2025]
Do Connecticut residents trust their government? It depends what type of government you’re talking about.
According to a new survey from the nonprofit DataHaven, 67% of Connecticut adults say they trust their local government either “a great deal” or “a fair amount,” and nearly as many people, 61%, say they trust Connecticut’s state government “a great deal” or “a fair amount.”
When it comes to the federal government though, only 37% of Connecticut adults express “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of trust, compared to 59% who have “not very much” trust or “none at all.”
This lack of trust extends across racial, gender, geographic, socioeconomic and age groups, with all demographics expressing a lack of confidence in the federal government.
How much do CT residents trust government?
Connecticut adults gave local and state government high marks. Federal government? Not so much.
The 2025 DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey, conducted in partnership with Siena Research Institute, asked respondents dozens of questions about a wide range of subjects, including trust in institutions, satisfaction with where they live, housing, health, transportation, police, gun violence, drug use and more.
It featured interviews in English and Spanish with 1,371 Connecticut adults between Aug. 4 and Oct. 16, followed by statistical weighting to ensure results accurately represented the state’s demographics. Statewide results carried a maximum margin of error of 3.5%, DataHaven says.
“You can’t find a lot of these data anywhere else, and at a time when data is being disappeared or is missing or being obscured, I think this is an incredible role,” DataHaven board chairperson Kate Szczerbacki said last week at an event where the survey was presented for the first time
Here are some key takeaways from this year’s results:
Inequality persists across nearly all measures
One of the first things to notice in the new DataHaven results is sharp racial and socioeconomic gaps across nearly every measure.
According to the survey, Black and Latino adults are less likely than white adults to say they’re financially stable; less likely to report being in good health; less likely to have insurance; less likely to have access to a car; less likely to find “suitable employment;” less likely to have access to fresh produce and far less likely to own a home.
Only 51% of Black adults said they are “completely” or “mostly” satisfied with their lives, compared to 68% of white adults and 64% of Latino adults.
Low-income people also reported far more challenges than those with higher incomes. As one example among many: 16% of people earning less than $30,000 report “feeling down, depressed or hopeless,” compared to 1% of people with incomes above $200,000.
Unsurprisingly, low-income people also say they are struggling more financially. Only 21% of people earning less than $30,000 say they’re “living comfortably” or “doing alright,” compared to 92% of people earning more than $200,000.
Life in Connecticut has changed since COVID
At the event last week where the survey data was unveiled, DataHaven staff noted ways Connecticut has changed for better or worse since the organization conducted a previous survey in 2018, in some cases likely as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the positive side, more adults report the availability of suitable employment, more say they have safe places to ride a bicycle and fewer report regularly smoking cigarettes.
On the negative side, more adults report anxiety or depression; more report diabetes or hypertension; more ran out of money to pay for housing; more lacked transportation; more failed to get needed medical care; more say they face food insecurity; and fewer say they get the social and emotional support they need.
Connecticut also has seen an increase in cannabis use – 24% of people said they had used the drug in the past 30 days – likely due to legalization in 2021.
Trust in police is divided by race
Overall, Connecticut adults report a high level of confidence in the police, with 81% saying they trust law enforcement “a great deal” or “a fair amount.”
The number, however, is notably split by race: 38% of white adults trust the police “a great deal,” compared to only 21% of Black adults and 21% of Latino adults. On the other hand, only 3% of white adults say they have no trust at all in the police, compared to 10% of Black adults and 9% of Latino adults.
Trust in police also is significantly lower in urban communities than suburban ones, lower among people who have been incarcerated than among those who haven’t, and lower among LGBTQ people than straight and cisgender people.
Gun violence is a major concern in some communities
In Connecticut’s suburbs, gun violence is not a common concern, with only 4% of adults saying they fear themselves or their family could be harmed by a firearm.
In “urban core towns,” on the other hand, it’s a major issue, with 34% of adults expressing fear. Fear of gun violence also is higher among Black and Latino people and those in lower income brackets.
The source of this fear? In urban core towns, 10% of adults say a family member has been hurt or killed by gun violence in the past year, as opposed to 0% in suburban towns.
People are generally happy where they live
Ultimately, despite all the issues the survey identifies, most Connecticut adults say they’re relatively happy where they are: 83% say they’re satisfied with the city or area where they live, compared to only 16% who aren’t.
That figure is highest in suburban towns (88%) and among people earning more than $200,000 (89%), but remains fairly high in urban core towns (75%) and among the state’s poorest residents (78%). There is no gap between genders in these results and only a small one among racial groups.
Additionally, 73% of people say their area is either an “excellent” or “good” place to raise children, and similar majorities give good marks to the police, public parks and availability of fresh produce where they live.
[….]
[Excerpt of front page news article, published 11/20/2025, with interactive data visualizations by Sasha Allen, CT Mirror]
Connecticut residents are struggling more with mental health issues and some basic needs than they were in 2018, according to a community survey released earlier this month by DataHaven, a nonprofit organization producing data for the state.
The survey, conducted from August through October 2025, surveyed over 1,300 Connecticut adults to asses quality of life, health, employment and resources across the state.
One takeaway: Connecticut residents making less than $30,000 per year are, predictably, more likely to struggle with food, housing and transportation costs — but these residents are also more prone to mental health issues.
Mark Abraham, the executive director of DataHaven, said the survey elicited some positive findings.
“Connecticut continues to show great resilience and a high quality of life, with more than 83% of adults saying they are satisfied with the place they live,” Abraham said in a Nov. 6 press release.
The survey found that the majority of those surveyed believe Connecticut is a “good” or “excellent” place to raise children — and most were satisfied with the city they lived in.
However, many questions included in the survey related to the numerous changes and cuts being made to social safety net programs at the federal level — and found that nearly 30% of families with children have struggled this past year.
“The data also reveal areas of concern that communities are working hard to address, including cuts to food assistance, health care and housing that over a million people in our state have been relying on,” Abraham said. “The results also show rising anxiety, worries about immigration enforcement, differences in access to economic and health opportunity, and financial stress, especially for renters and families with children.”
Anxiety, depression and mental health care access
While 200,000 more adults reported feelings of anxiety and depression now compared to 2018, the survey also found a strong correlation between mental health issues and income.
Thomas Burr, the public policy and affiliate relations manager at the Connecticut branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, wasn’t surprised by the survey’s findings.
“That’s what I’m hearing,” Burr said. “It seems like this last year especially, all the drama coming out of D.C., coupled with an economy that’s still not great for a lot of people, has really brought a lot of people down.”
“Demographically speaking, mental health affects everyone, whether you’re wealthy or poor,” Burr said. “But I think because being poor and having issues potentially putting food on your table or [keeping] stable housing is just more trauma on people. And the more traumatic stuff you’re dealing with, the more challenges you’re dealing with, the greater the impact on your overall mental health.”
When broken down by race, Black, Latino and Puerto Rican residents had heightened feelings of anxiety.
One question added to the survey just a few years ago asked residents: “During the past 12 months, was there any time when you needed mental health treatment or counseling for yourself but didn’t get it?” Statewide, 13% of Connecticut residents answered yes. But 19% of those making under $30,000 reported not getting mental health treatment when they needed it.
“It’s higher for folks who have limited income because cost was a big reason,” Abraham said. “But also just not knowing where to go for support or to find those services was a big reason, especially for younger people.”
People ages 18 to 24 were more likely to have not found mental health treatment when they needed it compared to older residents.
Compared to the 2018 survey, feelings of depression and hopelessness are more common than they were in 2018. While the number of residents experiencing depressed feelings every day stayed the same, 5% fewer residents experienced no feelings of depression.
DataHaven also included survey questions about immigration status and deportation fears following a steep increase in deportations under the Trump administration.
Statewide, 31% of residents either worried “a lot” or “some” about themselves, family or a close friend getting their immigration status revoked or being detained or deported.
“Even before new policies take effect that will dramatically increase the federal budget for immigration enforcement and deportations, many residents are already feeling an impact on their health and well-being,” Abraham said in the DataHaven press release.
Tabitha Sookdeo is the executive director for Connecticut Students with a Dream. She said that her members, ranging in ages 14 to 25, are scared.
“I feel like this entire survey reaffirmed so much of what we have been seeing on the ground and what we’ve been feeling,” Sookdeo said. “You know, I have to literally create a mental health fund for our staff and for our members and for their families.”
Latino and Puerto Rican residents worried more than white or Black residents about possible deportations or detainments — and Sookdeo said two of the organization’s members were detained by ICE over the past few months. The organization was able to get them back through a bond process, but those members and their families are “not doing well.”
When President Donald Trump took office in January, Sookdeo said, she went to the different chapters of Connecticut Students for a Dream to discuss the possible risks to members and their families.
“You could see the light kind of start to dull in their eyes … trying to process what this means,” Sookdeo said. “And that was before inauguration, so fast forward to today, it truly is a traumatic experience. These are still young people, they’re still children, their brains are still developing. And that’s happening in extraordinarily traumatic circumstances.”
Many of the organization’s members have been struggling, Sookdeo said, and she has been having sleepless nights herself.
“So many people are suffering and in such a state of despair,” Sookdeo said.
Housing and food — can people afford the necessities?
Similar trends emerged when comparing responses among economic brackets on food and housing questions; Connecticut residents making less than $100,000 were much more likely to have struggled with food and housing money in the past 12 months.
However, for families with children, there was more struggle. DataHaven found that over a quarter of families with children did not have enough money for food at some point in the past 12 months, and nearly 15% struggled to pay for housing.
Jason Jakubowski is the president and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare. He said that it is “absolutely” the case that families with children are struggling especially. However, because of the recent government shutdown and the federal changes to SNAP regulations this November, Jakubowski said these issues are exacerbated, and new faces are showing up to the pantries.
“Since this SNAP crisis began, actually, I’ve seen more senior citizens come out in these last couple of weeks,” Jakubowski said. “There’s a lot of them that rely on SNAP benefits that probably weren’t included in that data that ended in October, and now, suddenly, they’re thrust into the system.”
From 2024 to 2025, food insecurity fell for everyone except families with children. But overall, food insecurity is a larger issue now than it was pre-pandemic — 100,000 more adults are experiencing food insecurity today.
Jakubowski said the CT Foodshare pantries have experienced between a 50% and 100% increase in clients in the past couple of weeks. And as for the last couple of years, Jakubowski said, CT Foodshare has seen similar trends to what was identified in the survey.
“We’ve definitely seen food insecurity increase over the last couple of years,” Jakubowski said. “We’ve definitely seen it spike over the last couple of months, and obviously, even more so over the last couple of weeks.”
Nearly a quarter of residents surveyed who make less than $30,000 struggled to afford housing within the last 12 months. Affordable housing in Connecticut has been a heated topic of discussion after Gov. Ned Lamont vetoed House Bill 5002 during session. The bill would have pushed towns to reform their zoning laws, among other initiatives.
Housing growth is slow in the state, but the passage of House Bill 8002 during the special legislative session, among other initiatives, expands fair rent commissions and incentivizes towns to begin creating more housing.
Changes to Medicaid and SNAP programs in CT
Major eligibility changes to SNAP and Medicaid under the Trump administration will leave thousands in Connecticut uninsured or with less money for food. DataHaven found that residents in the state are worried.
The survey asked residents how worried they were about current governmental policies that could lead to residents struggling to afford food, housing and health insurance. These questions specifically referenced changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, changes to SNAP coverage and changes to subsidized housing or Section 8 programs.
When it comes to Medicaid, those in urban areas and rural towns are the most worried that more residents could lose health insurance coverage. Over half of the residents from both urban and rural areas were “very concerned” about adults and children losing health insurance coverage.
Burr is worried that a federal change not yet implemented, requiring the redetermination of eligibility every six months through a lengthly paperwork process, could also kick some people off Medicaid — especially those with cognitive impairments or mental health conditions.
“Having the wherewithal to be able to provide all the information they’re looking for to be redetermined as eligible, it’s not a trivial thing,” Burr said. “And there will definitely be people who fall off the rolls who would otherwise be eligible, but they just can’t do the paperwork.”
And in terms of food insecurity, Jakubowski said, there is “definitely” an indirect effect between Medicaid cuts and the amount of people utilizing food pantries.
“People come to one of our pantries and people go to one of our mobile trucks, because they have to make a choice … do they pay for shelter, electricity, heat, medication, health care or food?” Jakubowski said. “And they say, ‘Well, food is the thing I can go without.’”
Despite the possible correlation between Medicaid benefits and food, residents in rural towns were less worried about SNAP benefits and affordable housing. Residents in urban towns, however, were most worried about all the cuts.
But overall, an overwhelming majority of Connecticut residents are anticipating the loss of housing, food and health care benefits for many people throughout the state.
[Excerpt of front page news story by Alex Putterman, across Hearst CT newspapers, 11/10/25]
About one in four Connecticut households has used the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at some point, and most adults in the state want to see the program strengthened, not weakened, a new survey shows.
Amid coming cuts to SNAP eligibility and a federal government shutdown that has frozen the program, a detailed survey from the nonprofit DataHaven offers new insight into who uses food assistance in Connecticut and what state residents think should happen to it moving forward.
According to the survey, 26% of Connecticut adults say they or someone in their household have received SNAP benefits at some point, with about half of that group saying they received the benefits within the past 30 days.
State data shows hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents receive SNAP, including people in all 169 towns across Connecticut.
Responses in the DataHaven survey varied significantly by demographic group, with 50% of Black adults saying they or someone they live with have received SNAP, compared to 40% of Latino adults and 20% of white adults. Additionally, people who live in “urban core towns” were far more likely to have received SNAP than those in suburbs, and those with lower incomes were, unsurprisingly, far more likely than those with higher incomes.
Still, the survey data shows the breadth of SNAP across demographic groups. More than one in 10 Connecticut adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher say they or someone in their household has received SNAP, as do more than one in 10 who have incomes between $100,000 and $200,000.
Women were significantly more likely than men to report using SNAP, with 32% of female respondents saying they or someone in their household had received food assistance through the program, compared to 20% of men. Meanwhile, 36% of those with children in their home report someone in their household having received SNAP, compared to 21% of those without children.
Among people who previously received SNAP but no longer do, most said they stopped because they became ineligible, usually due to an increase in income, but another 28% said they stopped because the application process was too difficult, the benefits weren’t worth the trouble or simply because they chose to.
“These numbers help communities understand who depends on safety net programs, and how policy changes like the pause in SNAP benefits are likely to drive a huge increase in demand at food banks,” DataHaven Executive Director Mark Abraham said in a statement.
The new data comes as millions of Americans go without SNAP benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown. Though a judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to release November SNAP payments, it was unclear as of Friday afternoon whether the administration would comply or when those benefits might be available in Connecticut.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday that if the federal government does not release the benefits, the state will supply the funds to cover them.
Even once the shutdown ends, however, some Americans are likely to lose SNAP benefits due to the spending bill passed earlier this year by Trump and congressional Republicans, which reduces the share of funding the federal government will commit toward the program.
According to the DataHaven survey, 45% of Connecticut adults are “very concerned” that government policies will lead to more families struggling to afford food due to SNAP cuts, while another 22% were “somewhat concerned.”
Additionally, 51% of Connecticut adults say the government currently provides “not enough assistance” through SNAP, while 23% said it provides “the right amount of assistance” and only 12% said it provides “too much assistance.”
Food insecurity in Connecticut has increased in recent years, data shows, amid inflation and the expiration of certain pandemic-era social safety net programs.
DataHaven also asked about changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, both of which also face cuts in the Republican spending bill, and found similar results: 52% of Connecticut adults are “very concerned” more adults and children will become uninsured, and another 22% are “somewhat concerned.”
The 2025 DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey, conducted in partnership with Siena Research Institute, featured interviews in English and Spanish with 1,371 Connecticut adults between Aug. 4 and Oct. 16, followed by statistical weighting to ensure the results accurately represent the state population.
For statewide results, the maximum margin of error is 3.5%, DataHaven says.
[Excerpt from CT Public Radio news report by Abigail Brone, 11/7/25]
Connecticut’s housing crisis is raging on as residents struggle to afford housing costs.
DataHaven recently released its annual community wellbeing survey, conducted between August and October. Nearly 1,400 residents were interviewed for the survey.
The report took a particular look at how residents’ health and housing security have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Compared to 2018, there are about 150,000 more families that ran out of money to pay for their housing or shelter in the last year, according to the report.
The rate of families who have run out of money for housing is the same as it was last year and makes up about 12% of Connecticut families, compared to 6% pre-pandemic.
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving CEO Jay Williams hopes the new report can help shape the way housing policy and community advocates approach Connecticut’s housing needs.
“That’s just not like a Hartford issue. That’s just as important in Fairfield County,” Williams said. “If there can be a conversation amongst community foundations that, based on this data, say there is a need for affordable housing across the state.”
The report also found nearly 30 percent of adults who have been incarcerated two or more times have also experienced multiple evictions.
In general, people who were previously incarcerated have a higher rate of eviction compared to other residents, due in part to the difficulty in securing housing for those with a criminal record.
Last year, state lawmakers considered a law preventing landlords from discriminating against residents with recent felony convictions. For five years, housing advocates have attempted to get the bill passed.
“Having a criminal record has implications for your access to a whole lot of different sorts of supports, including access to public housing and housing subsidies,” said Kim Blankenship, an American University sociologist. “That affects your access to housing. You can be evicted from housing.”
Advocates want landlords to take into consideration circumstances surrounding the crime, including the offender’s age, sentence and behavior since prison release.
Evictions of people with criminal records affect people surrounding the formerly incarcerated as well, Blankenship said.
“That doesn’t just impact the people who are involved, who themselves had the involvement, that’s all the people surrounding them,” Blankenship said.
Hartford, Conn. — At a packed statewide event hosted yesterday by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, DataHaven unveiled the results of its latest DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey (DCWS), believed to be the largest and most comprehensive neighborhood-level wellbeing survey in the United States. The event, attended by civic leaders, health professionals, and nonprofit partners, featured presentations from DataHaven as well as remarks by Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam and Jay Williams of the Hartford Foundation. Data placemats and graphics, along with detailed crosstabs for each 2025 DCWS question, are available at https://ctdatahaven.org/wellbeingsurvey.
The DataHaven survey captures a portrait of residents’ health, economic stability, and community life through interviews with thousands of randomly-selected adults in every Connecticut ZIP Code. The New Haven-based nonprofit organization collaborates with Siena Research Institute to ensure the reliability and consistency of its research methods, which include live interviews in English and Spanish and statistical weighting to accurately represent Connecticut’s entire adult population. Since 2015, more than 53,000 representative adults have participated in these in-depth interviews. For the 2025 survey, 1,371 adults were interviewed from August 4 to October 16, 2025, and the statewide results carried a maximum margin of error of 3.5 percent.
“Connecticut continues to show great resilience and a high quality of life, with more than 83 percent of adults saying they are satisfied with the place they live,” said Mark Abraham, Executive Director of DataHaven. “But the data also reveal areas of concern that communities are working hard to address, including cuts to food assistance, health care, and housing that over a million people in our state have been relying on. The results also show rising anxiety, worries about immigration enforcement, differences in access to economic and health opportunity, and financial stress, especially for renters and families with children.”
Trust in Local Institutions Remains High
The presentation began with a focus on institutional trust, a theme that resonated among the representatives from local and statewide agencies, philanthropies, and healthcare organizations gathered at the event. “Our data show that trust in local and state government remains high, even as trust in federal government has declined,” said Abraham. “This implicit legitimacy of local partners is one of Connecticut’s greatest assets, as it allows communities to respond with credibility as challenges arise.”
Abraham noted that the survey continues to demonstrate a strong link between responsive government and higher self-reported well-being, underscoring the importance of access to trusted local information at a time when the availability of reliable data has been threatened nationally.
A Collaborative Effort
The survey is made possible through a broad coalition of partners. This year, major supporters include the University of Hartford, American University, and Yale University, Connecticut Children’s, Yale New Haven Health, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, local health departments in Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford, and regional philanthropic organizations including The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Connecticut Community Foundation, The Connecticut Project, Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, United Way Coastal Fairfield County, United Way of Greater New Haven, and the United Way of Connecticut, with many other organizations contributing as well.
“This diversity of organizations supporting the survey reflects the fact that the survey measures what matters most to quality of life, whether that is community trust, transportation, affordability, health, housing, or support from friends and family,” Abraham said at the event.
Major Changes Since Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The presentation highlighted the largest statewide changes measured by the DataHaven survey between 2018 and 2025.
• Cannabis use doubled, with about 350,000 more adults now using cannabis or marijuana (24 percent of adults using it at least once during the last 30 days, up from 12 percent in 2018).
• Optimism about local jobs increased and underemployment rates improved somewhat, with 250,000 more adults in Connecticut rating employment opportunities for residents in their area as “excellent” or “good.”
• Mental health challenges rose, with about 200,000 more adults reporting anxiety or depression.
• Chronic disease diagnoses rose, with about 150,000 more adults reporting diabetes or hypertension, potentially reflecting both an aging population and improved screening.
• The number of adults who ran out of money for housing, and the number who had to stay home in the past year because they lacked reliable transportation, both increased by roughly 150,000 adults. In 2025, 11 percent of adults statewide (about 320,000 people) said they ran out of money for housing, which is about double the rate that was measured by the DataHaven survey 10 years ago. Statewide, 7 percent of adults said they had to miss doctor’s appointments because they had no way to get there.
• Food insecurity is rising, increasing by 100,000 adults from pre-pandemic levels. The increase is particularly large for adults living with children (with 26 percent reporting that they ran out of money for food in the past year, compared to 11 percent of adults without children). Abraham noted that this increase is even more striking if compared to 2021’s record low in the food insecurity rate, when the expanded Child Tax Credit helped families and slashed child poverty nationally. In some of Connecticut’s largest city centers, up to half of adults with children report that they ran out of money for food this past year.
• Access to care remains an issue, with 100,000 more adults unable to get needed medical treatment in the last year. The rate of missed care spiked during the peak year of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since improved for higher-income adults but continued to worsen among moderate- and lower-income residents.
• About 100,000 fewer adults in the state smoke cigarettes, though this is partly because vaping has become more popular, especially among younger adults.
• About 150,000 additional residents say they have safe places to ride bicycles, likely reflecting the construction of new protected bike paths in many towns.
• Social support declined, especially for adults with below-median incomes, with 100,000 fewer adults saying they usually receive the social or emotional support they need.
Despite these shifts, Abraham emphasized that “most measures have remained stable over time, meaning that Connecticut continues to outperform national averages on many dimensions of health and well-being.”
Key Topics Shared at the Event
The presentation covered several additional findings from this year’s data:
• SNAP and the Social Safety Net: In 2025, new questions were added on public benefits. The survey found that 26 percent of Connecticut adults or their household members have received SNAP at some point, 36 percent have received Medicaid/HUSKY, 9 percent received rental housing assistance, and more than 1 in 10 used a food pantry in the past year. The survey also found that of the adults who received SNAP within the past 30 days, the majority had not used a food pantry or emergency food service at all within the past year. “These numbers help communities understand who depends on safety net programs, and how policy changes like the pause in SNAP benefits are likely to drive a huge increase in demand at food banks,” Abraham said. The survey also examined residents’ attitudes about public programs, finding that most say that there is not enough assistance for low income people, and that most residents are concerned that current national policy changes will lead to more people going hungry or unable to access health care or housing.
• Immigration Concerns: The survey included questions about the personal and community effects of immigration enforcement. In Connecticut, 31 percent of all adults worry “somewhat” or “a lot” that they or someone they know could be detained, deported, or have their legal immigration status revoked. Many residents, particularly Latino adults, reported heightened stress, lost sleep, and delayed medical care related to these concerns. “Even before new policies take effect that will dramatically increase the federal budget for immigration enforcement and deportations, many residents are already feeling an impact on their health and well-being,” Abraham noted.
• Eviction and Criminal Justice: A new survey item showed clear disparities in evictions by incarceration experience, suggesting a need for policy interventions that reduce the barriers to stable housing for people with past justice involvement.
• Mental Health: About 13 percent of all adults, including 22 percent of young adults, reported needing mental health treatment within the past year but being unable to get it, often due to cost or lack of available services.
• Social Support: Abraham noted that this single measure of how much support people feel from family and friends predicts happiness and well-being more than any other item in the survey. “The increase in loneliness is something we should take seriously, and we should consider what we can collectively do to support each other in our state,” he said.
Data Access and Next Steps
The 2025 DCWS Connecticut Crosstabs, along with graphics and “Data Placemats,” were distributed to attendees and are publicly available at ctdatahaven.org/wellbeingsurvey. Survey data are also accessible in DataHaven’s town reports and its Connecticut Town Data Viewer, which combines results since 2015 to provide neighborhood-level insights for each of the 169 towns in the state. DataHaven encourages partners and advocates to reach out for analyses or presentations that can bring the findings to life at the local level.
Media Contact
Mark Abraham, MPH, Executive Director, DataHaven, Email: info [at] ctdatahaven.org, Phone: (203) 500-7059.
[Article excerpt by Gary Larkin, April 4, 2025]
NORWALK – By closing gaps in income, home ownership, home values, and educational attainment Fairfield County could generate $15.6 billion in gross domestic product growth, according to a recently released report.
A new research report unveiled on Wednesday called The Upside—Growth, Potential, and the Future of Fairfield County co-authored by experts from Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, the Urban Institute and DataHaven paints a clear picture of what’s possible for Fairfield County if it comes together to create a more competitive, resilient, and inclusive regional economy.
Intentionally planning to expand opportunity could generate a $15.6 billion boost to the region’s GDP, the equivalent of the entire annual economic output of nations like the Bahamas, the report states.
“This research sends a powerful message: Expanding opportunity is a game-changing economic strategy,” said Mendi Blue Paca, CEO and president of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. “For the first time, we have hard data proving that an inclusive Fairfield County isn’t just possible — it’s the key to unlocking our region’s full economic potential. The time for bold action is now.”
Key outcomes from closing opportunity gaps:
- $13.3 billion in additional aggregate income for local residents
- 33,000 more homeowners and 84,000 more college graduates
- $603 million in additional local property tax revenue and $1.2 billion in state tax revenue.
- Despite being one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, Fairfield County ranks second highest in income inequality among U.S. metro areas.
“Fairfield County has long been recognized as one of the most unequal counties in America,” said Kelly Davila, principal research associate at DataHaven. “While we often rely on economic indicators and well-being surveys to demonstrate the various factors driving these disparities and their effect on quality of life, this new research goes a step further and actually demonstrates the benefits to all residents that could arise from closing opportunity gaps in Fairfield County.”
The report highlights deep economic disparities that contribute to widening income inequality such as White households earn $134,000 more on average annually than Black households and approximately $125,000 more than Latino households. It also found median home values for White households are approximately $580,000, compared to $343,000 for Black and $413,000 for Latino households.
“Fairfield County, Connecticut, has the opportunity to strengthen the local and state economy, creating new opportunities for residents and local businesses,” said Dr. Christina Plerhoples Stacy, principal research associate, at the Urban Institute. “In our research, we found that increasing opportunities for Fairfield County residents and closing socioeconomic gaps could lead to long-term economic gains. At a time of economic uncertainty, this new evidence-based research outlines ways in which the Fairfield County community can continue to grow and thrive using recommendations from local leaders across the private, public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors.”
A Call to Action
FCCF is urging business leaders, policymakers, philanthropists, and community members to act now. The study outlines key steps to drive inclusive growth, including:
- Expanding access to education: Universal preschool, stronger K-12 support, and college/trade school subsidies.
- Workforce & small business development: More apprenticeships, fair hiring practices, and expanded business financing.
- Housing solutions: Down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and reducing barriers to new housing construction.
- Wealth-building programs: Baby bonds, matched savings initiatives, and financial coaching.
[Excerpt of article from Viktoria Sundqvist, CT News Junkie, 12/4/2024]
State Republican lawmakers say a recent survey showing nearly 40% of adults in Connecticut are struggling financially should be “a wake-up call to all state Democrats.” Democrats, however, stress that now is the time to come together across party lines to respond to the needs of Connecticut families.
The well-being survey, conducted by DataHaven, also revealed a rise in food and housing insecurity, with certain populations facing disproportionately high rates of hardship, such as immigrants from Puerto Rico, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals, the organization said.
The survey used probability sampling and consisted of in-depth interviews with nearly 7,500 randomly-selected adults in every Connecticut town.
The results of this year’s survey marks the highest rate of financial insecurity since the start of statewide data collection in 2015, DataHaven said.
“The gender gap is especially notable, with women reporting higher rates of financial hardship than men across most indicators,” DataHaven Executive Director Mark Abraham said in a news release.
“The financial strain faced by so many Connecticut residents is a major concern, especially given the rising costs of housing, healthcare, and everyday essentials. These trends highlight the urgent need for policy solutions that provide long-term economic stability for our communities.”
The survey also looked at things like the quality of parks and bike lanes, trust in local and state government, access to mental health services, social support, discrimination, and life satisfaction.
The Senate Republican Caucus was quick to blame Democratic state leadership for the situation, claiming Democrats have “no sense of urgency to address the cost of living crisis” in Connecticut.
“Wherever we go, Connecticut Republicans hear this same troubling message loud and clear from working and middle class families. From groceries and electric bills to insurance and housing, Connecticut is becoming increasingly unaffordable,” the Republican caucus said in a news release. “Every issue the state legislature debates in the 2025 must focus on one word: Affordability. Because right now, as this survey clearly reveals, Connecticut is trending in the wrong direction.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, however, said Connecticut voters have made it clear they trust Democrats to respond to the pressures families across the country are facing.
“Instead of engaging in obstructionist political games and voting against overwhelmingly popular economic initiatives, we welcome Connecticut Republicans to join us in responding to the needs of Connecticut families,” Looney said.
The DataHaven report repeatedly cites the drop in federal pandemic aid – including the federal child tax credit – as the primary driver for increased costs, Looney said, and that Democrats are “focused on delivering” for low- and middle-income families, whether that be through increasing the minimum wage or passing the largest income tax cut in state history.
“We encourage the Trump administration and our Republican colleagues in the General Assembly to join us in investing the state and federal funds necessary to improve the economic security of all residents in Connecticut,” Looney said. “With or without their support, we will be forging ahead to deliver real relief for residents.”
[Excerpt from front page Hartford Courant article by Alison Cross, December 3, 2024]
As many as 40% of adults in the state are struggling to make ends meet, according to a new DataHaven survey that reveals record-high rates of food, housing and financial insecurity among Connecticut residents.
The 2024 DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey found that two out of five adults in the state say they are “just getting by” or “finding it difficult” to manage financially. Approximately 18% of residents reported that over the last year, there were times when they did not have enough money to buy food for themselves or their families, while 12% said they could not provide adequate shelter or housing.
The findings mark a noticeable increase from 2022 – and represent the highest rates of economic struggle since DataHaven started the statewide survey nearly a decade ago. The share of adults reporting housing insecurity has doubled since 2015, according to past studies. Over the same period, food and financial insecurity in the state have increased by 25% and 50% respectively.
“The financial strain faced by so many Connecticut residents is a major concern, especially given the rising costs of housing, healthcare, and everyday essentials,” DataHaven Executive Director Mark Abraham said in the 2024 report. “These trends highlight the urgent need for policy solutions that provide long-term economic stability for our communities.”
The results mirror a recently released ALICE report from the United Way of Connecticut, which determined that 39% of households in the state could not “afford the basic cost of living in their county” in 2022.
Both the ALICE and DataHaven reports highlighted how financial challenges in Connecticut have continued an upward trend after families saw fleeting improvements in 2021 as a result of federal pandemic relief programs, including a one-time expansion of the Child Tax Credit.
Abraham explained that the extra cash caused food insecurity rates to “drop,” in an interview with the Courant.
“During the year that people were receiving the expanded benefits, they were much more likely to be able to afford food and save for other things or pay for summer camps or things like that,” Abraham said. “When those benefits expired, a large number of people in Connecticut were pretty affected.”
The loss of government aid at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic hit families hard – at the same time that household expenses increased, the ALICE report found that the average “family of four with an infant and a preschooler in Connecticut” lost $15,000 in “maximum federal tax credits and stimulus payments” between 2021 and 2022.
Abraham stressed that financial challenges are not felt equally across the state.
According to the DataHaven report, more than 50% of “Black and Latino communities report feeling financially insecure.” Additionally, DataHaven said food insecurity impacts one out of every three adults in Connecticut cities.
“Food insecurity rates remain higher in cities and among Black and Latino populations. Recent immigrants from Puerto Rico, persons with disabilities, formerly incarcerated adults, and LGBTQ+ individuals report some of the highest levels of food insecurity, approaching 40 percent,” the report stated. “There is also a pronounced gender gap, with women reporting higher rates of financial and food insecurity compared to men.”
In the report, DataHaven advocated for “policy interventions and community-driven solutions to address rising rates of financial, food, and housing insecurity” as well as the “urgent need for targeted interventions in areas of concentrated poverty.”
Abraham highlighted universal free school meals and initiatives that increase access to housing and transportation as “the biggest pieces of the puzzle.”
“I think it’s important to look at the issue holistically and think about how to make the state more affordable, basically for the middle class,” Abraham said.
Abraham said that failing to address high costs for workers and families will “have a negative impact on employers and then ultimately on the state as a whole.”
In a statement that criticized Democratic policies and pushed for tax breaks, Republicans in the Connecticut State Senate said the survey “must serve as a wake-up call to all state Democrat elected officials.”
[….]
Senate Republicans called out Democrats who “refused to go into special session to take swift action on lowering energy costs” and “eliminate onerous taxes like the truck tax which increase our grocery bills.” They also criticized Democrats who “rejected the Senate Republican plan to retroactively reduce the state income tax for the middle-class” and “said no” to a Republican proposal that would establish a “$2,000 per child tax deduction” and “nearly double access to the $300 property tax credit.”
“As this survey clearly reveals, Connecticut is trending in the wrong direction,” the Republican Caucus said.
[….]
Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney challenged Republican sentiments in a statement to the Courant Monday, identifying the expiration of federal pandemic aid “as the primary driver for these increased costs.”
Looney encouraged Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration to invest “the state and federal funds necessary to improve the economic security of all residents in Connecticut,” adding that Democrats plan to “deliver real relief” for Connecticut residents, “with or without” the support of their GOP colleagues.
“From increasing the minimum wage to creating the most successful paid family and medical leave program in the country to passing the largest income tax cut in state history, Democrats are focused on delivering for low and middle-income families,” Looney said.