Researcher: SM Page 1 3/24/21
OLR Bill Analysis
SB 877
AN ACT CONCERNING TRANSPARENCY OF RENTAL RATES
FOR TENANTS RECEIVING RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
SUMMARY
This bill requires any housing authority that administers a tenant-
based rental assistance program (i.e., a housing voucher program) to
take actions related to posting them within 30 days after setting or
updating the payment standard or similar maximum monthly
payment.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
regulations define “payment standard” as the maximum monthly
assistance payment for a family assisted in the voucher program before
deducting the total tenant payment by the family (24 C.F.R. 982.4).
Under the bill, the housing authorities must:
1. post the payment standard in a prominent and publi cly
available location on its website or the website of the
municipality in which it is located and
2. submit the payment standard to the United Way of
Connecticut’s 2-1-1 Infoline Program so that it may be posted on
the organization's website.
Under the bill, the posting must include a disclaimer that the
maximum payment standard may not be applied in full to the actual
rental rate the applicant paid in certain circumstances.
Additionally, the bill makes technical and related conforming
changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2021 2021SB-00877-R000128-BA.DOCX
Researcher: SM Page 2 3/24/21
BACKGROUND
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance & Payment Standards
HUD generally defines tenant-based rental assistance as a rental
subsidy to help households afford housing costs. HUD's federal
Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV, 42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)) and the
state's Rental Assistance Program (RAP, CGS § 8-345) are two
examples of programs that offer this type of assistance. According to a
2020 update to the payment standards chapter of HUD's HCV
Program Guidebook, HUD permits public ho using agencies or
authorities (also known as PHAs) to submit payment standard
information to HUD for inclusion in a mobile application that provides
information to voucher families searching for a unit.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Housing Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 15 Nay 0 (03/09/2021)