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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 302
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A HOUSING AUTHORITY RESIDENT
QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM AND A
HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER TASK FORCE AND REQUIRING THE
DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN NATURAL PERSON OWNERSHIP
INTERESTS IN REAL PROPERTY.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a grant program, administered by the
Department of Housing (DOH), to provide housing authorities with
funding for improvements to their residential buildings. It also creates
related requirements concerning the application process, funding limits,
and use of the grants.
The bill also establishes a task force to study the federal Housing
Choice Voucher (HCV) program and its implementation in the state. It
requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the
Housing Committee and the state’s congressional delegation by January
16, 2023.
Current law allows municipalities to require that landlords renting to
participants of the HCV program provide identifying information for
certain individuals that exercise control of these properties (i.e.,
controlling participants). The bill extends this provision to also cover
nonresident owners of rental property and makes it applicable only to
business entities. It also provides additional specificity as to what
individuals qualify as controlling participants (generally those that
exercise substantial control of, or own more than 25% of, these business
entities).
Finally, the bill makes minor and technical changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage, except the provisions on
municipal landlord identification requirements, which take effect 2022SB-00302-R000247-BA.DOCX
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October 1, 2022.
§ 1 — GRANT PROGRAM FOR HOUSING AUTHORIT IES
The bill establishes a new grant program to provide housing
authorities with funding for improvements to their residential
buildings, as may be recommended by their resident advisory boards
(see BACKGROUND). It requires DOH to award program grants within
available appropriations and begin accepting applications by October 1,
2022.
Under the bill, housing authorities can apply for a grant by
submitting applications to DOH in the manner the commissioner
prescribes. The department must evaluate applications and can award
up to $250,000 in total grants under the program per fiscal year. These
grants must provide an ongoing benefit to residents of the housing
authority-managed building or buildings subject to the proposed
improvements, as determined by the commissioner.
Additionally, the commissioner may adopt regulations to carry out
the program.
§ 2 — HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM TASK FORCE
The bill establishes a 12-member task force to study the federal HCV
program (see BACKGROUND ) and its implementation in the state,
including any disparate impacts the program has on the development
of at-risk children and youth or families.
Membership, Initial Appointments, and Vacancies
Task force members may be General Assembly members and must
include (1) the Housing Committee chairpersons and ranking members,
or their designees, (2) two each appointed by the minority leaders of the
House and Senate, and (3) one appointed by each of the four other
legislative leaders. The legislative leaders must make the initial task
force appointments no later than 30 days after the bill’s passage and
appointing authorities fill vacancies.
Chairpersons, Meetings, and Reporting Requirement 2022SB-00302-R000247-BA.DOCX
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The bill requires the House speaker and Senate minority leader to
each select a task force member to serve as a chairperson. The
chairpersons must schedule the task force’s first meeting for no later
than 60 days after the bill’s passage.
The bill requires the task force, by January 16, 2023, to report on its
finding and recommendations to the Housing Committee and the state’s
congressional delegation. The task force terminates when it submits this
report or January 16, 2023, whichever is later. The Housing Committee’s
administrative staff serves as the task force’s administrative staff.
§ 3 — MUNICIPAL LANDLORD IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Under existing law, generally unchanged by the bill, municipalities
can require nonresident owners and landlords renting to HCV program
participants (also known as project-based housing providers or PBHPs)
to provide (1) their current residential addresses or (2) the current
residential address of the agent in charge of the building if the owners
are a business entity that owns rental property (i.e., a corporation,
partnership, trust, or other legally recognized entity).
Current law includes an additional “controlling participant”
requirement for PBHPs. It requires that they provide identifying
information and the current residential address of each controlling
participant associated with the property, meaning an individual or
entity that exercises day-to-day financial or operational control. If a
controlling participant is a business entity, the PBHP must identify and
provide the residential address for a natural person who exercises
control over that entity.
The bill makes changes to this “controlling participant” requirement.
It only requires a PBHP to disclose the identifying information and
current residential addresses of its controlling participants if the PBHP
is a business entity. It also redefines controlling participant to mean a
natural person who (1) is not a minor and (2) directly or indirectly and
through any contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship,
exercises substantial control of, or owns more than 25% of, a business
entity that owns rental property. Finally, the bill extends this 2022SB-00302-R000247-BA.DOCX
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requirement to nonresident owners in addition to PBHPs.
BACKGROUND
Resident Advisory Boards
Federal law generally requires public housing agencies (PHAs) to
establish at least one resident advisory board to assist and make
recommendations regarding the development of a PHA’s public
housing agency plan (42 U.S.C. § 1437c-1(e)). A housing authority
located in Connecticut that does not administer any HUD programs or
receive HUD funding is not considered a PHA and thus is not subject to
this requirement.
Housing Choice Voucher Program and Project-Based Housing
Providers
The HCV program is the federal government’s main program for
helping very low-income families afford private market housing (42
U.S.C. § 1437f(o)). Eligible households that are issued a housing voucher
must find housing that meets the program’s requirements. HUD funds
the program and it is administered locally by PHAs and statewide by
DOH.
State law defines PBHPs as property owners who contract with HUD
to provide housing to tenants under the HCV program.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Housing Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 15 Nay 0 (03/15/2022)