(a) The Commissioner of Housing 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 Housing 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 Housing 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 Housing to work directly with the local housing partnership, (2) obtaining assistance from other state agencies, regional councils of governments and regional housing councils 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 Housing 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 Housing 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 Housing under the general statutes; (B) the Commissioner of Energy and 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 Energy and 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 Housing 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 Housing, 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 Housing 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 Housing 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; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 13-234, S. 2, 58; 13-247, S. 312; 13-299, S. 43.)
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; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-234 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by deleting reference to Housing Advisory Committee, effective July 1, 2013; pursuant to P.A. 13-234, references to Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and Department of Economic and Community Development were changed editorially by the Revisors to references to Commissioner of Housing and Department of Housing, respectively, effective June 19, 2013; pursuant to P.A. 13-247, “regional planning agencies” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “regional councils of governments” in Subsec. (c), effective January 1, 2015; P.A. 13-299 made identical changes as P.A. 13-234, S. 58, effective July 1, 2013.