All In Leaders Tour Tiny Home Human Rights Zone

April 13, 2024 - NEW HAVEN - In an effort to explore innovative solutions to the housing crisis, All In Alliance leaders gathered at Amistad House of Hospitality, home of activists Mark and Luz Colville, to tour Rosette Village.When the COVID-19 Pandemic accelerated the housing crisis and forced untold numbers of individuals and families out of their homes, many found refuge in encampments. In 2022, the City of New Haven began clearing these tent cities, leaving their inhabitants without a place to live.

In response to this glaring need, the Colvilles created a Human Rights Zone in their backyard which began with tents and homemade shelters and has since evolved to include a total of six tiny home shelters. All In leaders learned the history of Rosette Village, the logistics of turning a private home into a community space, and toured the site including one of the tiny home shelters.

The visit raised questions about what is possible in terms of response to the housing crisis, especially in light of recent legislation HB 5174 which if passed would require CT towns to adopt zoning to allow religious institutions to build temporary shelters on their properties. This tour was the latest in a series that began with a visit to the Brookside Cooperative in Waterbury CT last month. The most important takeaway for many of the leaders present was the utmost importance of community and treating all our neighbors- housed or unhoused- with dignity and respect.

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