Sec. 8-206. Duties of Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.
Sec. 8-206. Duties of Commissioner of Economic and Community Development. (a) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall (1) administer and direct the operations of the Department of Economic and Community Development; (2) advise and inform municipal officials, local housing authorities, the
Connecticut Housing Authority, public development agencies and other agencies and
groups about housing, redevelopment, urban renewal and community development and
shall collect and disseminate information pertaining thereto, including information
about federal, state and private assistance programs and services pertaining thereto; (3)
inquire into the utilization of state government resources, coordinate federal and state
activities for assistance in and solution of problems of housing, redevelopment, urban
renewal and community development and shall inform and advise the Governor about
and propose legislation concerning such problems; (4) conduct, encourage and maintain
research and studies relating to housing, redevelopment, urban renewal and community
development problems; (5) prepare and review model ordinances and charters relating
to these areas; (6) maintain an inventory of data and information and act as a clearing
house and referral agency for information on state and federal programs and services
relative to housing and community development; (7) conduct, encourage and maintain
research and studies and advise municipal officials concerning forms of intergovernmental cooperation and cooperation between public and private agencies designed to
advance programs of housing, redevelopment, urban renewal and community development; (8) promote and assist the formation of local housing authorities and other agencies
or organizations appropriate to the purposes of this chapter; and (9) inform the public
regarding the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants as provided in chapters
830, 831 and 832 and respond to any inquiries from the public on such matters.
(b) The commissioner may determine the qualifications of personnel or consultants
to be engaged in connection with the provision of any state assistance or administration
provided by the Department of Economic and Community Development.
(c) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may make available technical and financial assistance and advisory services to any municipality, municipal agency, local housing authority, human resource development agency, regional
planning agency, regional council of elected officials, regional council of governments,
housing sponsor, prospective housing sponsor or other appropriate agency, or the Connecticut Housing Authority, for any activity pertinent to the development, preservation,
repair or rehabilitation of housing or for urban renewal, redevelopment or community
development activities as defined in chapter 130, provided any financial assistance to
a regional planning agency, regional council of governments or a regional council of
elected officials shall have the prior approval of the Secretary of the Office of Policy
and Management, or his designee. Financial, technical or advisory assistance shall be
rendered upon such contractual arrangements as may be agreed upon by the commissioner and any such municipality, agency, authority, council or sponsor in accordance
with their respective needs.
(d) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development is authorized
to do all things necessary to apply for, qualify for and accept any federal funds made
available or allotted under any federal act for any activities which may be pertinent to
the purposes of this chapter and chapters 128, 129, 130, 135 and 136 and said commissioner shall administer any such funds allotted to the department in accordance with
federal law. The commissioner may enter into contracts with the federal government
concerning the use and repayment of such funds under any such federal act, the prosecution of the work under any such contract and the establishment of and disbursement
from a separate account in which federal and state funds estimated to be required for
plan preparation or other eligible activities under such federal act shall be kept. Said
account shall not be a part of the General Fund of the state or any subdivision of the state.
Unless otherwise required by federal law or regulation, any federal housing assistance
funding made available at the state level shall be allocated in accordance with the housing
plan prepared pursuant to the provisions of section 8-37t. Such allocation shall, to the
maximum extent possible, reflect the types and distribution of housing needs in all parts
of the state and the resources required by the department, the Connecticut Housing
Finance Authority or other appropriate agencies to meet those needs.
(e) The powers and duties enumerated in this section shall be in addition to and shall
not limit any other powers or duties of the Commissioner of Economic and Community
Development contained in any other law.
(1967, P.A. 522, S. 7; 1969, P.A. 436, S. 1; P.A. 73-679, S. 35, 43; P.A. 75-537, S. 49, 55; P.A. 77-614, S. 19, 290,
610; P.A. 78-303, S. 10, 131, 136; P.A. 79-257; 79-598, S. 5; P.A. 86-281, S. 7; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6.)
History: 1969 act amended Subsec. (b) to allow aid to housing code enforcement agencies, regional planning agencies
and regional councils of elected officials, and to require that financial aid to regional planning agency or regional council
of elected officials be approved by director of planning of office of state planning; P.A. 73-679 substituted managing
director, planning and budgeting, department of finance and control or his designee for director of planning; P.A. 75-537
substituted commissioner of planning and energy policy for managing director; P.A. 77-614 substituted secretary of the
office of policy and management for commissioner of planning and energy policy and, effective January 1, 1979, substituted
commissioner of economic development for commissioner of community affairs and eliminated redundant references to
municipal government and municipal programs and to human resource development and programs; P.A. 78-303 made
technical changes; P.A. 79-257 allowed aid to tenant councils under Subsec. (b); P.A. 79-598 substituted commissioner
of housing for commissioner of economic development, throughout section, added to duties listed the administration of
department of housing and duties re landlord/tenant rights and responsibilities and substituted "community" for "industrial
and commercial" development and programs in Subsec. (a), deleted Subdivs. (A) and (B), formerly in Subsec. (a) and
designated Subdiv. (C) as new Subsec. (b), relettering remaining Subsecs. accordingly, amended Subsec. (c), formerly
(b), to expand list of agencies to which assistance is available and to rewrite list of activities for which aid is available,
and amended Subsec. (d), formerly (c), to allow application for federal funds to fulfill purposes of chapters listed and
added provision concerning allocation of federal funds; P.A. 86-281 inserted "Connecticut housing authority" in Subsecs.
(a) and (c) and made technical changes; 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. 8-44a re social and supplementary services for housing projects, rehabilitation and energy conservation.
See Sec. 8-154f re grants-in-aid not subject to repayment by municipalities.
See Sec. 8-190 et seq. re planning and special planning grants.
See Secs. 7-606 and 47a-56j re rent receivership.