(a) The Commissioner of Housing shall, within available appropriations, establish a demonstration housing assistance and counseling program to offer advice on matters concerning landlord and tenant relations and the financing of owner-occupied and rental housing purchases, improvements and renovations. The program shall provide: (1) Educational services designed to inform landlords and tenants of their respective rights and responsibilities; (2) dispute mediation services for landlords and tenants; (3) information on securing housing-related financing, including mortgage loans, home improvement loans, energy assistance and weatherization assistance; and (4) such other housing-related counseling and assistance as the commissioner shall provide by regulations.

(b) The Commissioner of Housing may, within available appropriations, enter into a contract or contracts to provide financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid to nonprofit corporations, as defined in section 8-39, to carry out the purposes of subsection (a) of this section.

(c) The Commissioner of Housing shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of subsections (a) and (b) of this section.

(d) The Commissioner of Housing shall establish a demonstration program in up to four United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Section 202 or Section 236 elderly housing developments to provide assisted living services.

(e) The Commissioner of Housing shall establish criteria for making disbursements under the provisions of subsection (d) of this section which shall include, but are not limited to: (1) Size of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Section 202 and Section 236 elderly housing developments; (2) geographic locations in which the developments are located; (3) anticipated social and health value to the resident population; (4) each Section 202 and Section 236 housing development's designation as a managed residential community, as defined in section 19a-693; and (5) the potential community development benefit to the relevant municipality. Such criteria may specify who may apply for grants, the geographic locations determined to be eligible for grants, and the eligible costs for which a grant may be made. For the purposes of the demonstration program, multiple properties with overlapping board membership or ownership may be considered a single applicant.

(f) The Commissioner of Housing may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of subsections (d) and (e) of this section.

(P.A. 87-406, S. 1, 5; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 99-279, S. 33, 45; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 00-2, S. 9, 53; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 36, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2, S. 39; P.A. 13-234, S. 2.)

History: 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. 99-279 amended Subsec. (a) to require the establishment of the program “within available appropriations” and amended Subsec. (b) to authorize the entering into of contracts to provide financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid to nonprofit corporations “within available appropriations”, effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 00-2 amended Subsec. (c) to add reference to subsections (a) and (b) of this section, eliminated obsolete provisions in former Subsec. (d) requiring submission of report re evaluation of operation and effectiveness of demonstration program, substituted provisions in Subsec. (d) requiring establishment of an assisted living demonstration program in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Section 202 and Section 236, elderly housing developments, added Subsec. (e) requiring commissioner to establish criteria for making disbursements under the provisions of Subsec. (d), and added Subsec. (f) authorizing commissioner to adopt regulations to implement provisions of Subsecs. (d) and (e); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended Subsec. (d) to require commissioner to establish assisted living demonstration programs in up to four, in lieu of two, Section 202 or Section 236 elderly housing developments, deleting phrase “for persons who are residents of the state”, and amended Subsec. (e) to make a technical change and to provide for purposes of the demonstration program, multiple properties with overlapping board membership or ownership may be considered a single applicant, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2 amended Subsec. (e)(4) by replacing “section 19-13-D105 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies” with “section 19a-693”; pursuant to P.A. 13-234, references to Commissioner of Economic and Community Development were changed editorially by the Revisors to references to Commissioner of Housing, effective June 19, 2013.

See title 47a re landlord-tenant relationship.