(a) The Commissioner of Housing shall encourage the development of independent living opportunities for low and moderate income handicapped and developmentally disabled persons by making grants-in-aid, within available appropriations, to state-wide, private, nonprofit housing development corporations which are organized and operating for the purpose of expanding independent living opportunities for such persons. Such grants-in-aid shall be used to facilitate the development of small, noninstitutionalized living units for such persons, through programs including, but not limited to, preproject development, receipt of federal funds, site acquisition and architectural review. For the purposes of this part, “handicapped and developmentally disabled persons” means any persons who are physically or mentally handicapped, including, but not limited to, persons with autism, persons with intellectual disability or persons who are physically disabled or sensory impaired.

(b) The Commissioner of Housing may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to carry out the purposes of this section.

(P.A. 79-442, S. 1, 2, 4; P.A. 80-21, S. 2, 3, 5; 80-483, S. 141, 142, 186; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 99-279, S. 34, 45; P.A. 11-129, S. 4; P.A. 13-234, S. 28.)

History: P.A. 80-21 and P.A. 80-483 substituted commissioner of housing for commissioner of economic development; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Housing with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; (Revisor's note: In 1999 the word “part” in Subsec. (b) was changed editorially by the Revisors to “section” due to inclusion of new Sec. 8-119x in part VIII of chapter 128); P.A. 99-279 amended Subsec. (a) to require that such grants-in-aid be made “within available appropriations”, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 11-129 substituted “persons with autism, persons with intellectual disability or persons who are physically disabled or sensory impaired” for “mentally retarded, physically disabled, sensory impaired and autistic persons” in Subsec. (a); P.A. 13-234 substituted “Commissioner of Housing” for “Commissioner of Economic and Community Development” and amended Subsec. (b) to change “shall” to “may” re adoption of regulations, effective July 1, 2013.