Our state has long been one of the wealthiest states in the country. New Haven hosts one of the wealthiest universities in the world. Recently, $2.5 billion dollars in public and private money has been invested in New Haven’s biotech and luxury housing sectors.
But do most of us benefit from all of this wealth?
New Haven is closing schools, enlarging class sizes, and cutting student-facing positions. Residents are struggling to stay in their homes. We're stringing together two, three, and even four jobs just to make ends meet.
Since 2020, Yale’s endowment has grown by $10.33 billion. Wealthy New Haven developers run anti-union campaigns against low-wage workers while expanding their real estate empires with the support of public money. Multinational food service companies complain that struggling workers make too much.
But there is another way.
We can insist that wealthy institutions provide good middle-class jobs and pay their fair share to our city. We can insist that anyone who puts in 40 hours per week has dignity, economic security, and opportunity for their children. We can build a city where everyone has a safe and affordable place to live. We can have a city where all our youth, once again, are filled with hope instead of despair. We can build this city by simply insisting that the wealthy don’t take so much and insisting that our elected leaders join the fight.
We must fight back by building a hopeful vision where even the wealthiest do their part. But we cannot with this fight without you. Together we are struggling, and together we must fight.