The category awards were presented during lunch on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

Topical Category: Innovation in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 
City of Stamford
Below Market Rate Housing Program

In the last decade Stamford has welcomed nearly 13,000 new residents, growing the population primarily served through the City’s Below Market Rate (BMR) inclusionary housing program. The City has used this success as a springboard to further improve the BMR program, create one of the first Affordable Housing Trust Funds (Trust) in Connecticut, and launch a new study to ensure that future growth is inclusive.

General Entry Award: Population Category 3 (40,001 and Over)
City of Waterbury
Brass City Harvest

Brass City Harvest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, funded by the City of Waterbury, the State of Connecticut Department of Economic Community Development, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, Connecticut Department of Agriculture, as well as private funders.

Brass City Harvest now infuses more than 200,000 pounds of fresh, locally grown food into the community each year.

In achieving this kind of output, Brass City Harvest grows their own food, provides educational initiatives and employment opportunities to residents, and facilitates a growing network of Connecticut farms. 

Brass City harvest also operates "Brass City Sustainable" — a network of nutrition education and healthy cooking programs that increases accessibility to fresh food for low-income, underserved households, with a. special emphasis on the elderly. Brass City Sustainable provides over 240 healthy cooking and nutrition classes tree of charge, as well as individualized menu planning for senior citizens. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Brass City Sustainable currently offers virtual classes for continued community outreach.

In addition to combating the social issue of "food deserts", Brass City Harvest also puts forth an efficient, sustainable solution to the environmental problem of brownfields in Waterbury.