As an elected land use commissioner in South Windsor, Connecticut, I’m not surprised by recent findings on land use boards in my state. Research from the Housing Collective, a nonprofit based here in Connecticut, shows that in Fairfield and New London Counties, more than 90% of land use board members are white. Most are men, the median age falls between 60 and 65, and the vast majority are homeowners. Missing from these boards are renters, younger residents, and families of color, the very groups most affected by our housing shortage. Their voices are absent from the decision-making table, and that absence matters.

These numbers paint a troubling picture. The people making land use decisions here and in neighborhoods across the country often look very different from the communities they are supposedly representing – an imbalance is shaping the national housing shortage in ways that leave many residents behind.

This is not just a numbers problem. It’s a power problem. When land-use boards are dominated by people with similar backgrounds and life experiences, their decisions are shaped by a narrow set of interests, often to preserve the norm, block new housing and keep neighborhoods the way they have always been. Exclusive, with no door open.

How is the generation of tomorrow supposed to find a home when today’s leaders control what is and is not available?

Let’s face it. There are structural reasons why wealthy, white men are overrepresented on local planning and zoning boards. These positions tend to attract those with the time, resources and incentives to preserve the status quo. Working parents and full-time college students may not have the flexibility to attend lengthy meetings or run for local office. In communities where zoning board seats require an election, the time and effort needed to campaign can further discourage participation.

When policies are shared for the few, they do not reflect the needs of the many. In my hometown, I’ve heard more than one person claim that “only homeowners should serve on zoning.” But renters live in our communities, too. So do students. So do seniors on fixed incomes, and families just trying to get by. Everyone who calls a place home deserves a voice in shaping it.

We need more people at the table who understand what it’s like to struggle to find a home, not just those focused on protecting what they already have and shutting the door behind them.

When I decided to run for my local Planning and Zoning Commission at 19 years old, there was no roadmap. I learned the process as I went. I had to knock out two incumbents who were well-known in town through a caucus. After the caucus and securing enough votes, I had to head to the general election, needing enough votes amongst other candidates to get elected. I knocked on thousands of doors and made enough phone calls to secure the second-most votes, amid six candidates, getting elected in the process.

I stepped forward because I believed someone had to. And the truth is, anyone can. Local boards aren’t reserved for local insiders. Ideally, they should be open to people who care enough to show up or those who want to, but can’t. For too long, local power around the issues of housing, transportation and equitable communities are decided among those who hold an exclusionary wand, wanting to keep people out.

If we want communities that reflect us, then we need to be at the table when the decisions are made. That requires us to be creative. Make those opportunities happen and pull a chair to the decision table.

Broadening participation ensures that local decisions reflect the full range of community needs, notably when those decisions influence where people can live, raise a family, or settle down for the foreseeable future.

Local zoning boards have historically played a key role in blocking new development, especially multi-family housing, a practice often referred to as “Not In My Backyard,” or NIMBYism. Our local economies hurt when new development is halted arbitrarily, thinning our local tax base.

Zoning boards with elected members, perhaps counterintuitively, are often more dominated by individuals primarily focused on protecting their own property values and neighborhoods. Appointed commissioners, however, are selected by town councils or political parties, usually bringing a broader perspective shaped by policy priorities or community-wide goals.

It is up to us – to you – to break that mold and change the status quo. And there’s a real opportunity to act.

Across Connecticut and other states, countless land-use board seats are vacant or expired, many quietly falling through the cracks in our communities. By actively recruiting from the full diversity of our communities, we help ensure these boards better reflect the people they serve. You, too, can challenge the political establishment and run for your local land use board, if your community allows it.

So here’s your homework. If we want a community that is reflective of us all, it starts with who is serving at the table. Consider getting involved with your local land-use board or local town committee, or encouraging someone you trust to do so – because if you’re not at the table, someone else will be speaking on your behalf.

This post was originally published on Next City.