Cristin McCarthy Vahey

A reminder to please join me and State Rep. Marcus Brown for our legislative coffee hour tomorrow, Feb. 21 from 10am-noon at Nick Diner (2200 Madison Ave., Bridgeport).

This event will be a relaxed, informal conversation to discuss what is happening in the legislature, our top priorities this session, and the issues that matter most to you. We hope to see you there!

A reminder to please join me and State Reps. Jennifer Leeper and Sarah Keitt for a Fairfield Town Hall tonight from 6:30-8pm at the Egan School of Nursing (Second Floor, Fairfield University, 1073 N. Benson Rd., Fairfield).

We will discuss the legislative session and hear what issues matter most to you. You can use this link to RSVP. I look forward to seeing you there!

Last week, Reps. Keitt, Leeper and I had the privilege of hosting a forum to discuss housing and the new Housing Bill, An Act Concerning Housing Growth. We were joined by our Fairfield Town Plan and Zoning Chair, our Fairfield Planning Director, the Executive Director of MetroCOG, our regional council of Government, and a representative of our state Office of Responsible Growth. We spent time talking about the contents of the new bill and how they would impact and be implemented in Fairfield. It was an informative discussion, and I hope you can take the opportunity to watch it.

Due to the impending winter storm, Rep. Marcus Brown and I have decided to postpone our upcoming legislative coffee hour, which was scheduled for this Sunday. We will follow up as soon as we have rescheduled!

I hope you are all staying safe and warm in the midst of this cold spell. I am thinking a lot about the 3,500-4,000 people who are homeless and battling the elements this week. There are many ways to combat homelessness and one is assuring adequate housing supply. Below you can find information on this week’s housing forum as well as some of the other events and issues I have been working on as we prepare for the legislative session, which begins February 4th.

The Fairfield House delegation is pleased to convene a panelists of local, regional, and state planning experts to discuss the recently passed HB 8002 - An Act Concerning Housing Growth. The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 22 from 7-8:30pm at the BOE Conference Room (501 Kings Hwy E., Fairfield). You can join us either in person or online. I hope to see you there!

As we approach the Martin Luther King Day weekend, I am reminded of an MLK quote on a poster hanging in my office, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

In these days following the death of Renee Good in Minnesota, and the protests happening here at home, in Hartford, and throughout the country, I am struck by how these words challenge us to draw upon our better angels.

Light and love can be hard to choose in the face of violence, aggression, and uncertainty, and when we strongly disagree with one another's perspective. The truth remains that we are all neighbors living together with one another. May we choose light and love as we stand strong for the values we believe in.

As we end 2025 and begin the New Year, I wish health, safety, and joy for you and your families. The end of the year is a time for reflection on our personal and communal triumphs and tragedies, a time for assessment, and a time for resolutions.