Waterford — A group of five residents gathered Wednesday in the meeting room of the Waterford Public Library for a community dialogue on diversity, racial equity and affordable housing.

At the discussion, hosted by Waterford Residents for Inclusion and Social Equity, or RISE, to get input on these issues from residents, the topic that generated the most discussion was affordable housing. There was unanimous agreement that there is not enough affordable housing in town, with some attendees believing that most people in town are opposed to having more.

Waterford RISE is a group of 35 community members between the ages of 17 and 87 who “work toward a more just, equitable, and welcoming community,” according to its mission statement.

Past dialogues included topics such as diversity among staff and students in the town's schools and in town government, changing demographics in the town, and affordable housing, and Wednesday's was held to offer people more opportunities to speak on that subject.

Laurie Wolfley, trained facilitator and member of RISE, led the discussion, asking questions based on data from two reports: Waterford's 2021 Equity Profile compiled by DataHaven in August, and the state Department of Education's report card on the town's school district.

Wolfley asked all attendees to agree to specific terms when speaking, including a two-minute limit on answers, taking turns, maintaining anonymity for participants and not engaging in debate.

She noted before the discussion that Waterford is a town of 19,571 residents, 20% of whom are people of color. She added that in the past 10 years, the town's population has increased by 0.28% and the white population has decreased by 7%.

Speaking on behalf of RISE, member Mary Childs, who is also a Democratic member of the Representative Town Meeting, said via email that Wednesday's was the last of four dialogues “for that set of data and questions.”

Each event was designed to feature similar talking points adding, “we tried to offer a variety of times and days to incorporate a more inclusive cross section of our community.”

At the close of the community dialogue, Wolfley said the grassroots organization is applying for a $7,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut for future events.

Childs added “based on our vision of community connectedness and collaboration, we proposed multiple gatherings for our community to participate in." For example, she cited coffeehouse-style get-togethers, a meet-and-greet networking event to share local businesses and community services, and coordinating guest speakers for the community to engage with.

RISE membership has doubled since February, when its ranks numbered only 18. “We are in our infancy,” Wolfley said.

Childs said, “we are still figuring out what our framework is going to be,” adding that, “all of us who have shown up recognize that diversity positively impacts our work ... and our community.”

RISE holds meetings for members biweekly on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Residents who are interested in joining the group can visit its Facebook page at bit.ly/wrisefb.