CGS § 8-68f. Tenants' rights and grievance procedures. Regulations.

Each housing authority that receives financial assistance under any state housing program, and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority or its subsidiary when said authority or subsidiary is the successor owner of housing previously owned by a housing authority under part II or part VI of this chapter, shall, for housing which it owns and operates, (1) provide each of its tenants with a written lease, (2) provide each of its tenants, at the time the tenant signs an initial lease and annually thereafter, with contact information for the management of the housing authority, the local health department and the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and a copy of the guidance concerning the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants that is posted on the Internet web site of the judicial branch, (3) adopt a procedure for hearing tenant complaints and grievances, (4) adopt procedures for soliciting tenant comment on proposed changes in housing authority policies and procedures, including changes to its lease and to its admission and occupancy policies, and (5) encourage tenant participation in the housing authority's operation of state housing programs, including, where appropriate, the facilitation of tenant participation in the management of housing projects. If such housing authority or the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority or its subsidiary operates both a federal and a state-assisted housing program, it shall use the same procedure for hearing tenant grievances in both programs. The Commissioner of Housing shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish uniform minimum standards for the requirements in this section.

Short History

(P.A. 89-113, S. 2, 3; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 00-173; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 94; P.A. 13-234, S. 2; P.A. 23-207, S. 12.)

Long History

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. 00-173 required written lease and adoption of procedures for tenant complaints and for tenant participation, and required the commissioner to adopt regulations; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2 applied provisions of section to Connecticut Housing Finance Authority or subsidiary, effective July 1, 2004; 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; P.A. 23-207 added new Subdiv. (2) re housing authorities to provide management contact information to tenants, local health departments and the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and to provide tenants with a copy of guidance concerning the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants published by the Judicial Department, redesignated existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3) and Subdivs. (3) and (4) as Subdivs. (4) and (5), and made technical corrections throughout.