The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this part, shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

(a) “Authority” or “housing authority” means any of the public corporations created by section 8-40.

(b) “Municipality” means any city, borough or town. “The municipality” means the particular municipality for which a particular housing authority is created.

(c) “Governing body” means, for towns having a town council, the council; for other towns, the selectmen; for cities, the common council or other similar body of officials; and for boroughs, the warden and burgesses.

(d) “Mayor” means, for cities, the mayor, and, for boroughs, the warden. “Clerk” means the clerk of the particular city, borough or town for which a particular housing authority is created.

(e) “Area of operation” shall include the municipality in which a housing authority is created under the provisions of this chapter, and may include a neighboring municipality, provided the governing body of such neighboring municipality shall agree by proper resolution to the extension of the area of operation to include such neighboring municipality.

(f) “Housing project” means any work or undertaking (1) to demolish, clear or remove buildings from any slum area, which work or undertaking may embrace the adaptation of such area to public purposes, including parks or other recreational or community purposes; (2) to provide decent, safe and sanitary urban or rural dwellings, apartments or other living accommodations for elderly persons, which work or undertaking may include buildings, land, equipment, facilities and other real or personal property for necessary, convenient or desirable appurtenances, streets, sewers, water service, parks, site preparation, gardening, administrative, community, recreational or welfare purposes; (3) to provide a continuum of housing comprising independent living accommodations, residential care, intermediate housing facilities and skilled nursing care and facilities with ready access to medical and hospital services; or (4) to accomplish a combination of the foregoing. The term “housing project” also may be applied to the planning of the buildings and improvements, the acquisition of property, the demolition of existing structures, the construction, reconstruction, alteration and repair of the improvements and all other work in connection therewith.

(g) “Bonds” means any bonds, notes, interim certificates, certificates of indebtedness, debentures or other obligations issued by the authority pursuant to this chapter.

(h) “Real property” shall include all lands, including improvements and fixtures thereon, and property of any nature appurtenant thereto, or used in connection therewith, and every estate, interest and right, legal or equitable, therein, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise and the indebtedness secured by such liens.

(i) “Obligee of the authority” or “obligee” shall include any bondholder, trustee or trustees for any bondholders, or lessor demising to the authority property used in connection with a housing project, or any assignee or assignees of such lessor's interest or any part thereof, and the state government when it is a party to any contract with the authority.

(j) “State public body” means any city, borough, town, municipal corporation, district or other subdivision of the state.

(k) “Rent” means the entire amount paid to a local authority, nonprofit corporation or housing partnership for any dwelling unit.

(l) “Shelter rent” means “rent” as defined herein, less any charges made by a local authority, nonprofit corporation or housing partnership for water, heat, gas, electricity and sewer use charges.

(m) “Elderly persons” means persons sixty-two years of age and over who lack the amount of income which is necessary, as determined by the authority or nonprofit corporation, subject to approval by the Commissioner of Housing, to enable them to live in decent, safe and sanitary dwellings without financial assistance as provided under this part, or persons who have been certified by the Social Security Board as being totally disabled under the federal Social Security Act or certified by any other federal board or agency as being totally disabled.

(n) “Housing partnership” means any partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, trust or association consisting of (1) a housing authority, a nonprofit corporation or both and (2) (A) a business corporation incorporated pursuant to chapter 601 or any predecessor statutes thereto, having as one of its purposes the construction, rehabilitation, ownership or operation of housing, and having articles of incorporation approved by the commissioner in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to section 8-79a or 8-84, (B) a for-profit partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company or association having as one of its purposes the construction, rehabilitation, ownership or operation of housing, and having basic documents of organization approved by the commissioner in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to section 8-79a or 8-84 or (C) any combination of the entities included under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subdivision.

(1959, P.A. 600, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 110; 1963, P.A. 430; 1967, P.A. 522, S. 8; P.A. 73-529, S. 1; P.A. 77-614, S. 284, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 81, 136; P.A. 79-598, S. 3, 4, 10; P.A. 83-574, S. 3, 20; P.A. 85-238, S. 1; 85-444, S. 2; P.A. 91-149, S. 2, 3; P.A. 95-79, S. 13, 189; 95-197, S. 1, 3; 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-180, S. 7, 166; 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; 96-271, S. 151, 254; P.A. 98-114, S. 2; P.A. 13-234, S. 2.)

History: 1961 act amended Subsec. (m) to add persons certified as disabled; 1963 act amended Subsec. (m) to delete requirement men be sixty-five; 1967 act substituted commissioner of community affairs for public works commissioner; P.A. 73-529 inserted new Subdiv. (3) in Subsec. (f) concerning provision of housing with ready access to medical and hospital services and renumbered former Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (4); P.A. 77-614 substituted department of economic development for commissioner of community affairs, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-303 substituted commissioner for department; P.A. 79-598 substituted commissioner of housing for commissioner of economic development; P.A. 83-574 added Subsec. (n) defining “nonprofit corporation” and amended definitions of “rent”, “shelter rent” and “elderly persons” to include reference to nonprofit corporations; P.A. 85-238 added references to housing partnership in definitions of “rent” and “shelter rent” and added definition of “housing partnership”; P.A. 85-444 repealed Subsec. (n) defining “nonprofit corporation”; P.A. 91-149 redefined “elderly person” by adding provision re certification of disability by federal boards of agencies other than the Social Security Board; P.A. 95-79 amended Subdiv. (n)(2)(B) to include a limited liability company in definition of “housing partnership”, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 95-197 amended Subsec. (m) by adding Subdivs. (1) to (3), inclusive, excepting persons from the definition of “elderly persons”, effective June 28, 1995; 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. 96-180 made a technical change in definition of “housing project”, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 96-271 amended Subsec. (n) to replace reference to “chapter 599” with “chapter 601 or any predecessor statutes thereto”, effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 98-114 redefined “elderly persons” to delete references to persons with drug, alcohol or behavioral problems; pursuant to P.A. 13-234, reference to Commissioner of Economic and Community Development was changed editorially by the Revisors to reference to Commissioner of Housing, effective June 19, 2013.