Sec. 8-45. Rental rates and tenant selection for low rental projects.
Sec. 8-45. Rental rates and tenant selection for low rental projects. Each housing authority shall manage and operate its housing projects in an efficient manner so as
to enable it to fix the rentals for dwelling accommodations at the lowest possible rates
consistent with providing decent, safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations, and no
housing authority shall construct or operate any such project for profit or as a source of
revenue to the municipality. To this end an authority shall fix the rentals for dwelling
in its projects at no higher rates than it finds to be necessary in order to produce revenues
which, together with all other available money, revenues, income and receipts of the
authority from whatever sources derived, will be sufficient (a) to pay, as the same become
due, the principal and interest on the bonds of the authority; (b) to meet the cost of,
and to provide for, maintaining and operating the projects, including the cost of any
insurance, and the administrative expenses of the authority; and (c) to create, during not
less than six years immediately succeeding its issuance of any bonds, a reserve sufficient
to meet the largest principal and interest payments which will be due on such bonds in
any one year thereafter and to maintain such reserve. In the operation or management
of housing projects an authority shall, at all times, rent or lease the dwelling accommodations therein at rentals within the financial reach of families of low income. The authority,
subject to approval by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development,
shall fix maximum income limits for the admission and for the continued occupancy of
families in such housing, provided such maximum income limits and all revisions
thereof for housing projects operated pursuant to any contract with any agency of the
federal government shall be subject to the prior approval of such federal agency. The
Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall define the income of
a family to provide the basis for determining eligibility for the admission and for the
continued occupancy of families under the maximum income limits fixed and approved.
The definition of family income, by the Commissioner of Economic and Community
Development, may provide for the exclusion of all or part of the income of family
members which, in the judgment of said commissioner, is not generally available to
meet the cost of basic living needs of the family. No housing authority shall refuse to
rent any dwelling accommodation to an otherwise qualified applicant on the ground
that one or more of the proposed occupants are children born out of wedlock. Each
housing authority shall provide a receipt to each applicant for admission to its housing
projects stating the time and date of application and shall maintain a list of such applications which shall be a public record as defined in section 1-200. The Commissioner of
Economic and Community Development shall, by regulation, provide for the manner
in which such list shall be created, maintained and revised. No provision of this chapter
shall be construed as limiting the right of the authority to vest in an obligee the right,
in the event of a default by such authority, to take possession of a housing project or
cause the appointment of a receiver thereof or acquire title thereto through foreclosure
proceedings, free from all the restrictions imposed by this chapter with respect to rental
rates and tenant selection.
(1949 Rev., S. 930, 952; 1949, 1953, S. 441d; 1957, P.A. 667, S. 1; September, 1957, P.A. 24, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 522,
S. 8; 556, S. 1; 800; P.A. 77-614, S. 284, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 81, 136; P.A. 79-598, S. 3, 4, 10; P.A. 82-130, S. 1; P.A.
84-143, S. 1; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6.)
History: 1967 acts gave public works commissioner power to define family income to provide basis for eligibility
determination, prohibited refusal to rent if occupant is child born out of wedlock and substituted commissioner of community affairs for public works commissioner; P.A. 77-614 substituted department of economic development for commissioner
of community affairs, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-303 substituted commissioner of economic development for
department of economic development; P.A. 79-598 substituted commissioner of housing for commissioner of economic
development; P.A. 82-130 provided for the issuance of a receipt and the maintenance of a list of applicants; P.A. 84-143
required the commissioner of housing to provide, by regulation, for the manner of creation, maintenance and revision of
waiting lists; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Housing with Commissioner and
Department of Economic and Community Development.
See Sec. 8-45a re criteria and consideration of applicant's or proposed occupant's history of criminal activity.
See Sec. 8-72 re rentals and tenant eligibility in moderate income housing.
Duties of commissioners. 164 C. 247. Cited. 213 C. 354.