Sec. 8-384. Regional housing councils.
Sec. 8-384. Regional housing councils. (a) There shall continue to be a regional
housing council within each planning region of the state, as designated under the provisions of section 16a-4a, which shall consist of not less than seven members of the public
representing a fair cross-section of the region. The chairperson of each regional housing
council shall be appointed by the Governor and shall serve for a term coterminous with
that of the Governor. Upon the resignation of any chairperson, the Governor shall appoint
a successor to serve as chairperson. The chairperson shall organize each regional housing
council and appoint the members thereof, who shall serve at the pleasure of the chairperson. If any vacancy occurs in the council, the chairperson shall appoint a successor to
fill such vacancy. If the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development finds
that a regional housing council has not been organized within a planning region, he may
designate the regional planning agency or other entity to serve as the regional housing
council for such region.
(b) Each regional housing council shall: (1) Strive for environmentally and economically sound and socially balanced development of affordable, equal opportunity housing in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations and regional
development plans; (2) assist state and local decision makers, housing sponsors and
other participants in the development of housing in defining suitable approaches to
providing for regional housing needs and identifying regional housing resources; (3)
develop channels of communication between all levels of government and the producers
and consumers of housing in order to assist in expediting existing processes for housing
production, in cooperation with regional planning agencies; (4) formulate and recommend measures designed to improve housing policies and propose appropriate legislative changes; (5) review and evaluate state housing programs and grants; (6) provide a
forum for members of the public concerned with housing issues; (7) receive, review
and comment on the housing needs assessment transmitted to the council by the regional
planning agency within its planning region as required by section 8-35a, provided the
council shall transmit such comments to the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development not later than thirty days after receiving the housing needs assessment;
and (8) monitor housing-related activities of the regional planning agency within its
region.
(P.A. 87-550, S. 2, 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12, S. 4; P.A. 94-138, S. 2; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12 amended Subsec. (b)(7) to require each regional housing council to submit comments
on the housing needs to the commissioner of housing rather than the Blue Ribbon Commission on Housing; P.A. 94-138
amended Subsec. (a) to designate regional planning agencies or other entities to serve as regional housing councils and
amended Subsec. (b) to authorize monitoring of housing-related activities of regional planning agencies; P.A. 95-250 and
P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Housing with Commissioner and Department of Economic and
Community Development.