A few months ago, in chatting with a post office worker, I learned about the hobby of raising homing pigeons. This led me to a vibrant community of people in Connecticut who race pigeons. Reporting this was a lot of fun. ctmirror.org/2025/09/21/c...

The text messages, obtained by The Connecticut Mirror through an open records request, show how affordable housing has become a political quagmire for the state’s Democrats. ctmirror.org/2025/09/19/c...

For this New Britain man, late summer is pigeon racing season ctmirror.org/2025/09/21/c...

“I think what this reflects is when investments are made, they work,” our Chief Initiative Officer Jessica Kubicki tells @ginnymonk.bsky.social for the @ctmirror.org. “The challenge is, these investments have to be made to scale to actually what the inflow is.” ctmirror.org/2025/09/11/c...

NEW: Connecticut DMV Committee Expands Study of Towing Law to Help Low-Income Residents Get Their Cars Back The DMV committee was created as part of a towing reform law passed in response to a @propublica.org and @ctmirror.org investigation into towing practices in the state.

Desegregate CT, which is hosting the national YIMBYtown conference, said Gov. Ned Lamont isn't invited after vetoing an omnibus housing bill.

“We often hear a city or a town doesn’t want Hartford making decisions for them...it sounds like we had a handful of towns making decisions for the entire state. That’s not fair or acceptable either." - @repkavrosdegraw.bsky.social 🎯 @ginnymonk.bsky.social @ctmirror.org ctmirror.org/2025/08/18/c...

“Here’s an example of the anti housing literature, which is catching fire in Fairfield County. I’m trying to figure out how best to respond to these gross misrepresentations before it is too late.” I FOI'd Lamont's emails to see what happened before his HB 5002 veto. ctmirror.org/2025/08/18/c...

CT journalism students! Applications are open for a fall audience engagement internship @ctmirror.org Come work with me and @gabbydeben.bsky.social ! ctmirror.org/internships/

"Once seated on a land-use board, the job — which is unpaid — can be a significant commitment...That can make it harder for people who have kids, more than one job, or those who attend night school to join the boards." - @ginnymonk.bsky.social @ctmirror.org ctmirror.org/2025/07/08/l...

Our latest on towing with @propublica.org was an exercise in community-engaged reporting. The sources for this story came to us mostly through a call-out that's been included in our stories. Contact info for me and Dave is included in this one. ctmirror.org/2025/06/30/c...

Children went missing from DCF care about 3,700 times from fiscal years 2021 to 2023, and the number of incidents increased by 42%. ctmirror.org/2025/06/26/c...

Good thread on today's press conference during which CT's governor announced he'd veto a housing bill he previously supported, the most significant piece of housing legislation to cross his desk during his time in office.

My first story with an editor's content warning at the top came out of the Connecticut House of Representatives. Reporting w/ Laura Tillman and Angela Eichhorst: ctmirror.org/2025/06/03/c...

Ask children’s issues and housing reporter @ginnymonk.bsky.social any questions you have about housing bill HB 5002, her reporting, or what to expect on the last day of this year’s legislative session! She will be answering them starting at 4 P.M. tomorrow on Reddit! www.reddit.com/r/Connecticu...

The reforms, which were proposed in response to an investigation by @ctmirror.org‬ and ProPublica, make it harder to tow vehicles from private property and easier for drivers to retrieve them after a tow. By @ginnymonk.bsky.social & Dave Altimari

ICYMI, investigative journalism prompts good news: Connecticut Legislature Approves Towing Law Reforms

This soon-to-be-law is due to the hard work of @ctmirror.org journalists, primarily Dave Altimari, @ginnymonk.bsky.social, @shahrzadrasekh.bsky.social and editor Beth Hamilton. It's good when journalism makes a real difference. ctmirror.org/2025/05/30/c...

Tremendous impact. 🎉🎉 Prompted by @ctmirror.org @propublica.org Investigation, Connecticut Legislature Approves Towing Law Reforms, by @ginnymonk.bsky.social and Dave Altimari

“In recent months, as more people, particularly seniors, have lost their housing, health workers are finding that the cases they handle are more complicated.” Via: @ctmirror.org's @ginnymonk.bsky.social ctmirror.org/2025/05... #housing+ #urbanism #urbanism+

I spent a few hours with health care workers visiting homeless encampments last week. They say the medical needs of the unhoused population are growing more complicated, that they’re starting to have end-of-life care conversations with people. ctmirror.org/2025/05/25/c...

CT's House of Representatives passed a bill this evening that would overhaul Connecticut's towing statutes. ctmirror.org/2025/05/22/c...

“The bill would have banned no-fault evictions, which typically occur at the end of a lease, in buildings with five or more units, after the tenant had been there for at least a year.” By @ctmirror.org's @ginnymonk.bsky.social ctmirror.org/2025/05... #housing+ #urbanism #urbanism+

Wesley Lowery rose to prominence as a reporter and media thinker. Women in journalism say he engaged in sexual harassment and assault. www.cjr.org/feature-2/we...

Connecticut is one of the nation's richest states, yet has seen homelessness surge in recent years. That includes Fairfield County, where one packed shelter sits only a couple miles from the state's wealthiest zip codes. Part 2 of our series on inequality in CT. www.ctinsider.com/news/article...

“No matter how many people you talk to, you lose things, and it’s nobody’s fault, nobody cares.” The latest in our series on towing in CT, on what happens when a car is towed with possessions inside. Reporting w/ Dave Altimari for @ctmirror.org + @propublica.org: ctmirror.org/2025/05/15/c...

New @ginnymonk.bsky.social just dropped! “We want vibrancy,” said Mayor Pete Hess, on a recent walking tour of the site. “We want people walking, eating, drinking, shopping using the train.” “[projects are expensive, then] out of nowhere, an angel came from above, and it was CMDA.”

Converting PURA to a quasi-public agency solely to give Sen. John Fonfara a promised seat is off the table for the 2025 legislative session.

I have wondered this for forever, so naturally @ginnymonk.bsky.social found out and wrote it. Essential reading, as always. 20% of legislators are landlords—OF COURSE that impacts policy like just cause. Next up: how many legislators are home owners versus renters? ctmirror.org/2025/04/27/c...

This year, the head of Connecticut’s DMV made a startling public admission, telling lawmakers that the agency, which regulates the towing industry, has never enforced a century-old law meant to protect drivers whose cars are towed. By Dave Altimari & @ginnymonk.bsky.social, @ctmirror.org

The latest addition to the walls of the CT Capitol press room via @ctmirror.org intern Kat Struhar:

Our latest on towing in Connecticut:

A century-old law says that CT drivers whose cars are towed and sold are entitled to claim the profits from the process. But the DMV has never set up a system for this to happen. ctmirror.org/2025/04/07/c...

Time for a classical music break, it has been a long day.

A bill that would overhaul Connecticut's towing laws had a public hearing Monday. The bill addresses nearly every issue raised in my reporting with Dave Altimari via @ctmirror.org and @propublica.org ctmirror.org/2025/03/10/c...

NEW: The proposed legislation addresses nearly all of the issues raised in an investigation by @ctmirror.org and ProPublica. “This is awesome. It’s great news,” one resident said. “I wouldn’t have lost my car, and now maybe others won’t either.” By @ginnymonk.bsky.social and Dave Altimari

NEW: For years, a Connecticut towing company got to cut the line at the DMV in exchange for selling towed cars at deep discounts, according to a DMV report, allowing one DMV employee to resell them for steep profits. With @ctmirror.org

The latest in our towing project, via me and Dave Altimari, reporting for @ctmirror.org and @propublica.org ctmirror.org/2025/03/07/c...

personally would not describe the myth of a man cursed to roll a rock uphill FRUITLESSLY FOR ALL ETERNITY as “a reminder that you can overcome anything” but you do you, meta ad

NEW: DOGE can now access a HUD system that includes addresses domestic violence survivors have relocated to for safety, medical records in disability cases and credit reports in lending discrimination cases. Few of the records are redacted or anonymized. By @jessecoburn.bsky.social

Entire government agencies are being reshaped, career experts are leaving and power is shifting — often behind closed doors. ProPublica is investigating. 🧵⬇️ (1/6)

The Housing Committee was busy yesterday, hearing testimony on a slew of bills that would alter the landlord-tenant relationship and a significant proposal that would have towns plan and zone for a set number of units. ctmirror.org/2025/02/18/c...

2/ want to learn more about why evictions are so devastating? This December 2022 piece by @ginnymonk.bsky.social is still (unfortunately) relevant ctmirror.org/2022/12/11/c....

Gov. Lamont is proposing a multi-year process that will result in a form of universal pre-school across Connecticut, his budget chief says. “We would like for it to be a universal preschool system for all of our citizens.”

CT Dems yesterday addressed what they called a misinformation campaign that has for years swirled around zoning reform proposals, particularly one that would increase housing near train and bus stations. ctmirror.org/2025/02/03/c...

A couple of big news moments for housing in CT yesterday. Growing Together CT launched their legislative agenda, which includes a proposal to ask towns to plan and zone for a set number of units. They'd put goals in their affordable housing plans, due every 5 years. ctmirror.org/2025/02/03/c...

“State housing experts have tied the lack of housing in Connecticut to restrictive local zoning laws that make it hard to build multifamily housing.” ctmirror.org/2025/02/03/c... By @ctmirror.org's @ginnymonk.bsky.social #housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism

if anyone is wondering how this week is starting off, this morning i forgot one (1) of my shoes, and also misspelled the word potato

“How do we keep these agencies afloat?” Here's a look into what happened for CT nonprofits yesterday, following the Trump administration's announcement that federal grants would be frozen. ctmirror.org/2025/01/28/f...

“We refuse to live lives of mass displacement for the rich man’s bottom line,” said Hannah Srajer, president of the Connecticut Tenants Union. “That’s over. And I want to be really clear right now, the tenant movement in this state is here to stay.” ctmirror.org/2025/01/23/c...