Connecticut 2022 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00168 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7	6		General Assembly Raised Bill No. 168
8	7		February Session, 2022
9	8		LCO No. 1614
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12	11		Referred to Committee on HOUSING
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15	14		Introduced by:
16	15		(HSG)
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20	20		AN ACT ESTABLISHING A RIGHT TO HOUSING.
21	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	22		Assembly convened:
23	23
24	24		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2022) (a) It shall be the goal of 1
25	25		this state to implement policies that will respect, protect and fulfill a 2
26	26		right to affordable, decent, safe and stable housing for every resident of 3
27	27		this state. 4
28	28		(b) Each state agency, as defined in section 1-79 of the general 5
29	29		statutes, and each political subdivision of the state, in implementing the 6
30	30		provisions of this section, shall: 7
31	31		(1) Consider the right to housing under subsection (a) of this section 8
32	32		and the components of such right set forth in subsection (c) of this 9
33	33		section when adopting or revising policies, regulations or grant criteria 10
34	34		that implicate, impact or affect such right; 11
35	35		(2) When implementing such policies, regulations or grant criteria, 12
36	36		give priority to assisting families of low and moderate income, as 13
37	37		defined in section 8-39 of the general statutes, in the state; and 14 Raised Bill No. 168
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44	43		(3) To the extent practicable, attempt to serve households currently 15
45	44		experiencing homelessness or at risk of housing loss and those in the 16
46	45		lower range of the income group to which the agency's or political 17
47	46		subdivision's programs are directed. 18
48	47		(c) The right to housing includes, but is not limited to, the following 19
49	48		components: 20
50	49		(1) The right to protection from housing loss: This right implicates 21
51	50		governmental programs that ensure the legal security of persons and 22
52	51		households at risk of losing housing or experiencing homelessness, 23
53	52		including eviction prevention programs, legal assistance in evictions, 24
54	53		financial assistance, support services and problem-solving counseling; 25
55	54		(2) The right to safe housing that meets all basic needs: This right 26
56	55		implicates the internal habitability of the home as well as the necessary 27
57	56		services and infrastructure to support a healthy and dignified standard 28
58	57		of living; 29
59	58		(3) The right to housing and affordability: This right implicates 30
60	59		governmental programs that provide rental assistance, encourage the 31
61	60		maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of existing housing and enlarge 32
62	61		the stock of new low-cost housing, all of which ensure the ability to 33
63	62		secure and maintain housing without risking access to other essential 34
64	63		needs; 35
65	64		(4) The right to rehousing assistance for persons and households that 36
66	65		have become homeless: This right implicates governmental programs 37
67	66		that support the transition of persons experiencing homelessness to 38
68	67		long-term permanent housing that is affordable; and 39
69	68		(5) The right to recognition of special circumstances: This right 40
70	69		implicates the adaptation of governmental programs to ensure 41
71	70		accessibility to households facing particular obstacles to finding 42
72	71		affordable, decent, safe and stable housing, whether because of race, 43
73	72		religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, 44
74	73		unemployment, criminal record, eviction history, family status, source 45 Raised Bill No. 168
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81	79		of income, immigration status, cultural traditions, having been victims 46
82	80		of fraud and financial manipulation or other obstacles. 47
83	81		Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a right to 48
84	82		housing committee to review existing and proposed housing policies 49
85	83		and advise on (1) the state's implementation of a right to housing; and 50
86	84		(2) gaps and needs of vulnerable populations with regard to access to 51
87	85		permanent housing, including, but not limited to, (A) individuals 52
88	86		experiencing homelessness, including homeless youth, individuals with 53
89	87		disabilities, including physical disabilities and disabilities related to 54
90	88		mental health, substance abuse and developmental conditions; (B) 55
91	89		individuals with past or current criminal justice system involvement; 56
92	90		(C) individuals from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups; 57
93	91		(D) individuals from historically marginalized groups based on sexual 58
94	92		orientation, gender identity or gender expression; (E) survivors of 59
95	93		sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual 60
96	94		trafficking; (F) refugees and immigrants; and (G) veterans. 61
97	95		(b) The committee shall consist of the following members: 62
98	96		(1) Three appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 63
99	97		one with expertise in homelessness policies and programs, one with 64
100	98		expertise in low-income housing policies and programs and one with 65
101	99		expertise in matters relating to evictions and housing court; 66
102	100		(2) Three appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one 67
103	101		with expertise in fair housing protections, one with expertise in the 68
104	102		development of low-income housing and one with expertise in, or 69
105	103		personal experience with, disability and housing insecurity; 70
106	104		(3) Three appointed by the majority leader of the House of 71
107	105		Representatives, one with expertise in, or personal experience with, the 72
108	106		criminal justice impact on housing insecurity, one with expertise in, or 73
109	107		personal experience with, the impact of race or ethnicity on housing 74
110	108		insecurity and one with expertise in, or personal experience with, the 75
111		-	impact of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression on 76 Raised Bill No. 168
	109	+	impact of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression on 76
	110	+	housing insecurity; 77 Raised Bill No. 168
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119	116		(4) Three appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one with 78
120	117		expertise in, or personal experience with, the impact of sexual violence, 79
121	118		domestic violence, dating violence or stalking on housing insecurity, 80
122	119		one with experience in, or personal experience with, the impact of sex 81
123	120		trafficking and housing insecurity and one with expertise in, or personal 82
124	121		experience with, the impact of refugee or immigrant status on housing 83
125	122		insecurity; 84
126	123		(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House of 85
127	124		Representatives, one with expertise in, or personal experience with, the 86
128	125		impact on veteran status on housing insecurity and one of whom is a 87
129	126		current or recent recipient of homeless assistance, low-income housing 88
130	127		assistance or assistance in an eviction or housing summary process 89
131	128		matter; 90
132	129		(6) Two appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, both of whom 91
133	130		are current or recent recipients of homeless assistance, low-income 92
134	131		housing assistance or assistance in an eviction or housing summary 93
135	132		process matter; and 94
136	133		(7) The Commissioner of Housing, or the commissioner's designee. 95
137	134		(c) Any member of the committee appointed under subdivision (1), 96
138	135		(2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 97
139	136		of the General Assembly. 98
140	137		(d) All initial appointments to the committee shall be made not later 99
141	138		than sixty days after the effective date of this section. Appointed 100
142	139		members of the committee shall serve for three-year terms which shall 101
143	140		commence on the date of appointment and may serve until a successor 102
144	141		is appointed. Any vacancy shall be filled by the respective appointing 103
145	142		authority pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 104
146	143		(e) The chairperson of the committee shall be jointly appointed by the 105
147		-	speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore 106 Raised Bill No. 168
	144	+	speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore 106
	145	+	of the Senate. Upon appointment of such chairperson, the work of the 107
	146	+	committee may begin even if all other appointments have not yet been 108 Raised Bill No. 168
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154		-	~~of the Senate~~. ~~Upon appointment~~ of ~~such chairperson, the work of the 107~~
155		-	~~committee may begin even if all other appointments have not yet been 108~~
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156	152		made. The chairperson shall schedule the first meeting of the committee, 109
157	153		which shall be held not later than ninety days after the effective date of 110
158	154		this section. If appointments under subsection (b) of this section are not 111
159	155		made within the sixty-day period required under subsection (d) of this 112
160	156		section, the chairperson may designate individuals with the required 113
161	157		expertise to serve on the committee until appointments are made 114
162	158		pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 115
163	159		(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 116
164	160		General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to housing 117
165	161		shall serve as the administrative staff of the committee. 118
166	162		(g) The committee shall meet not less than twice per fiscal year. 119
167	163		(h) The Department of Housing shall provide presentations and data 120
168	164		regarding its implementation of the right to housing at the request of 121
169	165		the committee. 122
170	166		(i) Not later than July 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, the committee 123
171	167		shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the joint 124
172	168		standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 125
173	169		matters relating to housing, in accordance with the provisions of section 126
174	170		11-4a of the general statutes. 127
175	171		(j) During any regular or special session of the General Assembly, the 128
176	172		committee shall identify and review any proposed legislation impacting 129
177	173		the right to housing and may provide testimony on any such proposals 130
178	174		given a public hearing before any relevant committees of the General 131
179	175		Assembly, providing analysis on the potential impact of the legislation 132
180	176		on the right to housing and the vulnerable populations described in 133
181	177		subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section to preserve such right. 134
182	178		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
183	179		sections:
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	181	+	Section 1 October 1, 2022 New section
	182	+	Sec. 2 from passage New section
184	183		Raised Bill No. 168
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191		-	Section 1 October 1, 2022 New section
192		-	Sec. 2 from passage New section
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194		-	HSG Joint Favorable
	189	+	Statement of Purpose:
	190	+	To establish a right to housing for all residents of the state and a right to
	191	+	housing committee.
	192	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	193	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	194	+	underlined.]
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