"Fighting for Home" Documentary & Panel Discussion

Stafford Rotary, in partnership with the Center for Housing Opportunity of Eastern CT, will be screening "Fighting for Home", a film that explores exclusionary zoning and redlining in Connecticut, which created barriers to housing opportunity that have persisted over time. The film follows several Connecticut residents as they tell their stories and talk about current housing situations, from a woman buying her first home to a family navigating living in a shelter. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring local community members to better understand what they are seeing in their day to day work, share ideas, and open a conversation around housing in Stafford.

Our panel speakers will be:

Judy Gardner
Judy Gardner is the Executive Director of Stafford Family Services, an outpatient mental health clinic and department of the Town of Stafford. She has served in this role for ten years and previously worked in housing and employment programs funded by state and federal agencies.

Ann Marie Perrone
Ann Marie Perrone has been the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the Town of Stafford since 2011 and brings more than 35 years of experience in affordable housing.

Jennifer Strong
Jennifer Strong serves as the Town of Stafford’s Social Services Liaison, a role she has held for nearly eight years. With a background in community programs and mental and behavioral health, she is dedicated to meeting residents’ basic needs through collaboration, advocacy, and compassionate support.