Housing and Mobility and Opportunity: An Interview with Cesar Aleman

CHFA presents the second installment of our interview series exploring the vital role housing plays across different facets of our communities. This series delves into how housing intersects with and influences sectors such as health, education, economic opportunity, and more. Each conversation features insights from thought leaders in their respective fields, highlighting the fundamental impact of housing on broader societal outcomes.

In this interview, we talk with Cesar Aleman, Director of CT Urban Opportunity Collaborative, a joint venture led by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Under Cesar’s leadership, the Collaborative is piloting a new initiative called the Changemaker Fund.

Cesar began his career as a property manager for a private real estate company in the Midwest. Since relocating to Connecticut, he has worked for various nonprofits that focus on areas such as fair housing, race and equity in education, and community organizing.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Marcus Smith: Reflecting on your personal and professional journey, what experiences or insights first drew you to work on mobility and opportunity, and how have those shaped your approach today?

Cesar Aleman: I think so much of my commitment to civil and human rights really has been rooted in my own experiences growing up. As an immigrant, my family's first “opportunity move” was bringing us to this country. And thinking about what that looks like for us to move out of a country that doesn't offer the type of educational opportunities that are necessary for children to break cycles of poverty. Growing up in California and having that personal experience of a completely unaffordable, unattainable housing environment was what I think catapulted my family into their own social economic mobility journey.