(a) For purposes of this section, “visitable housing” means one-to-four family residential construction that includes three basic architectural features to allow persons with disabilities to easily visit: (1) Interior doorways that provide a minimum thirty-two inch wide unobstructed opening, (2) an accessible means of egress, as defined in Appendix A to 28 CFR Part 36, and (3) a full or half bathroom on the first floor that is compliant with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, 42 USC 12101.
(b) The Department of Housing, in consultation with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, may establish a program to encourage the development of visitable housing in the state. The program shall (1) provide a single point of contact for any person seeking financial or technical assistance from the state to construct visitable housing, (2) identify financial incentives for developers who construct visitable housing, and (3) include public education about such housing. The department shall submit a report on the status of the program, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to housing not later than October 1, 2012.
(c) The Department of Housing shall establish, within available appropriations, an informational web page in a conspicuous place on such department's Internet web site with a list of links to available visitable housing resources.
(P.A. 10-56, S. 2; P.A. 13-234, S. 2.)
History: Pursuant to P.A. 13-234, references to Department of Economic and Community Development were changed editorially by the Revisors to references to Department of Housing, effective June 19, 2013.