Expanded Housing Authority Jurisdiction - Proposed Amended Language
Sec. 8-39. Definitions. The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this chapter, shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
(a) “Area of operation” includes the municipality in which a housing authority is created under the provisions of this chapter and high or very high opportunity census tracts, as defined in General Statutes s 8-348, within 30 miles of its municipal border. Such area of operation may also include a any other census tracts in a neighboring another municipality, provided the governing body of such neighboring municipality agrees by proper resolution to the extension of the area of operation to include such neighboring municipality other census tracts.
Sec. 8-44b. Housing authority police force. (a) Any housing authority created by section 8-40 shall have the power to establish a housing authority police force within its municipal borders, the members of which shall be employees of such housing authority and shall be known as housing authority police officers. Housing authority police officers shall be appointed by the local board, agency or person empowered to appoint municipal police officers, subject to approval of the housing authority. The requirements for appointment as a police officer in the municipality in which the housing authority is located, except for age and physical qualifications, shall be mandatory for housing authority police officers in such municipality. No person shall be appointed to such housing authority police force unless he has been awarded a certificate attesting to his successful completion of an approved municipal police basic training program, as provided in section 7-294e. The initial appointment shall be for a probationary term upon completion of which the appointing authority may promote such probationary officers to permanent status; provided such promotion shall be in accordance with procedures applicable to municipal police officers in the municipality and shall be made subject to the approval of the housing authority. Housing authority police officers shall have and exercise the powers and authority conferred upon municipal police officers and shall be subject to the ultimate supervision and control of the chief of police of the municipality in which the housing authority operates.
Sec. 8-50. Eminent domain. Solely within its municipal borders, Aan authority shall have the right to acquire by the exercise of the power of eminent domain any real property which it deems necessary for its purposes under this chapter after the adoption by it of a resolution declaring that the acquisition of such real property described therein is necessary for such purposes. An authority, in its own name and at its own expense and cost, may prefer a petition and exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided in section 48-12 and acts supplementary thereto. Property already devoted to a public use may be acquired, provided no real property belonging to the municipality, the state or any political subdivision thereof may be acquired without its consent.
NEW. State Support. (a) No later than six months from the enactment of this statute, the Department of Housing will provide technical assistance and training to housing authorities on serving their expanded areas of jurisdiction. This shall include, but not be limited to, facilitating discussions among housing authorities about cooperating on implementation, ensuring clear housing authority program communications with clients served, and, where appropriate, exploring shared costs for items such as inspections, rent reasonableness assessments, and administration (b) Unless otherwise supported, during the first year of implementation, the Department of Housing shall offset any additional reasonable expenditures on the part of municipal housing authorities necessary to provide appropriate rent levels throughout their areas of operation, (c) for each housing authority shall apply housing voucher rent levels set in a manner that promotes the use of the program in all municipalities and shall be no lower than the level of the Small Area Fair Market Rents designated by the U.S. Department of Housing pursuant to 24 CFR Parts 888, 982, 983, and 985. Unless otherwise supported, during the first year of implementation, the Department of Housing shall offset any additional expenditures on the part of municipal housing authorities necessary to provide municipality appropriate rent levels.
Sec. 8-348. Residence mobility counseling program. (a) The Department of Housing shall, within existing resources of the department, establish a residence mobility counseling program to assist individuals or families in relocating their residences to higher opportunity areas through education and support services. This program shall be funded at a level commensurate with successful programs elsewhere in the country and serve at least 2.5% of households participating in state and federally funded government housing voucher programs operated by the Department of Housing and municipal housing authorities annually. The commissioner may contract with one or more nonprofit corporations to provide such residence mobility counseling. Individuals and families eligible for the residence mobility counseling program shall currently have a certificate or voucher from either: (1) The federal Housing and Urban Development Section 8 program, or (2) the state rental assistance program. For purposes of this subsection, "opportunity areas" means those areas designated as such using opportunity mapping analysis that includes census tract level assessment of educational, economic and neighborhood characteristics, including education data and crime rates. The Department of Housing shall make such opportunity mapping analysis available on the Internet web site of the Department of Housing.
(d) For this program, maximum housing voucher rent levels for each municipality shall be set in a manner that promotes the use of the program in all municipalities and shall be no lower than the level of the Small Area Fair Market Rents designated by the U.S. Department of Housing pursuant to 24 CFR Parts 888, 982, 983, and 985. Unless otherwise supported, during the first year of implementation, the Department of Housing shall offset any additional expenditures on the part of municipal housing authorities necessary to provide municipality appropriate rent levels.
(e) The Department of Housing shall provide technical assistance and training to municipal housing authorities to ensure the successful implementation of this program.