Sec. 8-336f. Connecticut housing partnership program. Local housing partnerships. Initial designation. Development designation. Town-aid grant. Regulations. Report.
Sec. 8-336f. Connecticut housing partnership program. Local housing partnerships. Initial designation. Development designation. Town-aid grant. Regulations. Report. (a) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall
establish and administer a Connecticut housing partnership program for the purpose
of encouraging the formation of local housing partnerships which will work with the
community, the Department of Economic and Community Development and other state
agencies to solve housing problems faced by the community and develop ways to increase the supply and availability of affordable housing in the community.
(b) Any municipality may, by ordinance, or by resolution of the board of selectmen
in any town in which the legislative body is a town meeting, authorize the formation of
a local housing partnership. Any local housing partnership shall include, but shall not
be limited to, the chief elected official of the municipality and the following members
to be appointed by the chief elected official: (1) Representatives of the planning commission, zoning commission, inland wetlands commission, housing authority and any local
community development agency, (2) representatives of the local business community,
such as local bankers, realtors and developers, (3) representatives of public interest
groups, such as housing advocates, members of the clergy, members of local civic groups
and representatives of local nonprofit corporations and (4) local urban planning, land
use and housing professionals.
(c) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may provide a
local housing partnership with an initial designation under the Connecticut housing
partnership program upon receipt of evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that
the local housing partnership has been formed in accordance with the provisions of
subsection (b) of this section and that sufficient local resources have been committed
to the local housing partnership. Upon such initial designation, the commissioner shall
provide technical assistance to the local housing partnership which assistance shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following: (1) The assignment of a primary contact
person in the Department of Economic and Community Development to work directly
with the local housing partnership, (2) obtaining assistance from other state agencies,
regional planning agencies, regional housing councils and the Housing Advisory Committee, provided for under section 8-385, on behalf of the local housing partnership
when necessary, (3) assisting the local housing partnership in developing a comprehensive local housing strategy, (4) assisting the local housing partnership in identifying
available local resources, (5) discussing possible ways to create affordable housing
through the use of conventional and alternative financing and through public and private
land use controls, (6) explaining the requirements of and the types of assistance available
under state housing programs and (7) providing information and advice concerning
available federal and private financial assistance for all aspects of housing development.
(d) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may provide a
local housing partnership which has received an initial designation under subsection (c)
of this section with a development designation under the Connecticut housing partnership program upon receipt of evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the local
housing partnership has: (1) Examined and identified housing needs and opportunities
in the community, (2) explored the availability of any state, municipal or other land that
is suitable for the development of affordable housing, (3) reviewed applicable zoning
regulations to determine whether such regulations restrict the development of affordable
housing in the community and to identify any necessary changes to such regulations,
(4) established priorities and developed a long-range plan to meet identified housing
needs in the community consistent with regional housing needs, (5) established procedures for the development of a written proposal to achieve such priorities in accordance
with said plan and (6) started an activity, development or project designed to create
additional affordable housing in the community. Upon such development designation:
(A) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall give priority
to any activity, project or development initiated or sponsored by the local housing partnership in providing any financial assistance pursuant to any program administered by
the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development under the general statutes; (B) the Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall consider formation of a
local housing partnership in a municipality as a primary factor in awarding any grant-in-aid for open space land under sections 7-131d to 7-131k, inclusive; (C) the Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall consider formation of a local housing partnership in a municipality as a primary factor in making any grants and loans for water
quality projects under sections 22a-475 to 22a-483, inclusive. If the Commissioner of
Economic and Community Development determines that a municipality has developed
and is maintaining a balanced inventory of affordable housing, the municipality shall
receive the same priority as a local housing partnership which has received a development designation under this subsection or the municipality in which such local housing
partnership is formed.
(e) Upon the completion of the first activity, development or project initiated or
sponsored by a local housing partnership under this section, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of such
completion, shall provide a town-aid grant to the municipality in which the local housing
partnership is formed in an amount equal to twenty-five per cent of the amount of the
distribution to the municipality calculated under the provisions of part IIa of chapter
240 for the fiscal year in which the activity, development or project is completed. Such
town-aid grant shall be paid to the municipality from the General Fund (1) in the fiscal
year following the fiscal year in which the activity, development or project is completed
and (2) in each of the three fiscal years following the fiscal year in which such initial
town-aid grant is paid, provided the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development determines in each of such years that the local housing partnership and the
municipality in which the local housing partnership is formed are actively engaged in
the development of affordable housing within the municipality. Such town-aid grant
shall not be included in the estimates compiled by the Secretary of the Office of Policy
and Management pursuant to sections 4-71a and 4-71b.
(f) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the purposes of
subsections (a) to (d), inclusive, of this section.
(P.A. 88-305, S. 1, 4; P.A. 89-324, S. 1, 4; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-15, S. 3, 20; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-68, S. 3; 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 99-94, S. 5.)
History: P.A. 89-324 amended Subsec. (e) to require secretary of the office of policy and management, rather than
commissioner of transportation, to provide grant, to delete provision that purpose of grant is for roads, and to delay payment
date of initial grant and three subsequent grants by one fiscal year; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-15 amended Subsec. (e) to
transfer responsibility for payment of grant from secretary of the office of policy and management to commissioner of
housing; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Housing with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 96-68 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing Central Housing Committee
with Housing Advisory Committee; (Revisor's note: In 1999 a reference in Subsec. (d) to Sec. 7-131c was changed
editorially by the Revisors to Sec. 7-131d, since Sec. 7-131c was repealed by P.A. 98-157); P.A. 99-94 deleted former
Subsec. (g) which required submission of an annual report.