Connecticut 2023 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00909 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	LCO No. 3175 1 of 6
4	4
5	5	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 909
6	6	January Session, 2023
7	7	LCO No. 3175
8	8
9	9
10	10	Referred to Committee on HOUSING
11	11
12	12
13	13	Introduced by:
14	14	(HSG)
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19	19	AN ACT ESTABLISHING A RIGHT TO HOUSING.
20	20	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
21	21	Assembly convened:
22	22
23	23	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) It shall be the goal of this 1
24	24	state to implement policies that respect, protect and fulfill a right to 2
25	25	affordable, decent, safe and stable housing for every resident of this 3
26	26	state. 4
27	27	(b) Each state agency, as defined in section 1-79 of the general 5
28	28	statutes, and each political subdivision of the state, in implementing the 6
29	29	provisions of this section, shall: 7
30	30	(1) Consider the right to housing under subsection (a) of this section 8
31	31	and the components of such right set forth in subsection (c) of this 9
32	32	section when adopting or revising policies, regulations or grant criteria 10
33	33	that implicate, impact or affect such right; 11
34	34	(2) When implementing such policies, regulations or grant criteria, 12
35	35	give priority to assisting families of low and moderate income, as 13
36	36	defined in section 8-39 of the general statutes; and 14 Raised Bill No. 909
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38	38
39	39
40	40	LCO No. 3175 2 of 6
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42	42	(3) To the extent practicable, attempt to serve households currently 15
43	43	experiencing homelessness or at risk of housing loss and those in the 16
44	44	lower range of the income group to which the agency's or political 17
45	45	subdivision's programs are directed. 18
46	46	(c) The right to housing includes, but is not limited to, the following 19
47	47	components: 20
48	48	(1) The right to protection from housing loss: This right implicates 21
49	49	governmental programs that ensure the legal security of persons and 22
50	50	households at risk of losing housing or experiencing homelessness, 23
51	51	including eviction prevention programs, legal assistance in evictions, 24
52	52	financial assistance, support services and problem-solving counseling; 25
53	53	(2) The right to safe housing that meets all basic needs: This right 26
54	54	implicates the internal habitability of the home as well as the necessary 27
55	55	services and infrastructure to support a healthy and dignified standard 28
56	56	of living; 29
57	57	(3) The right to housing and affordability: This right implicates 30
58	58	governmental programs that provide rental assistance, encourage the 31
59	59	maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of existing housing and enlarge 32
60	60	the stock of new low-cost housing, all of which ensure the ability to 33
61	61	secure and maintain housing without risking access to other essential 34
62	62	needs; 35
63	63	(4) The right to rehousing assistance for persons and households that 36
64	64	have become homeless: This right implicates governmental programs 37
65	65	that support the transition of persons experiencing homelessness to 38
66	66	long-term permanent housing that is affordable; and 39
67	67	(5) The right to recognition of special circumstances: This right 40
68	68	implicates the adaptation of governmental programs to ensure 41
69	69	accessibility to households facing particular obstacles to finding 42
70	70	affordable, decent, safe and stable housing, whether because of race, 43
71	71	religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, 44
72	72	unemployment, criminal record, eviction history, family status, source 45 Raised Bill No. 909
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76	76	LCO No. 3175 3 of 6
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78	78	of income, immigration status, cultural traditions, having been victims 46
79	79	of fraud and financial manipulation or other obstacles. 47
80	80	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a right to 48
81	81	housing committee to review existing and proposed housing policies 49
82	82	and advise on (1) the state's implementation of a right to housing; and 50
83	83	(2) gaps and needs of vulnerable populations with regard to access to 51
84	84	permanent housing, including, but not limited to, (A) individuals 52
85	85	experiencing homelessness, including homeless youth, individuals with 53
86	86	disabilities, including physical disabilities and disabilities related to 54
87	87	mental health, substance abuse and developmental conditions; (B) 55
88	88	individuals with past or current criminal justice system involvement; 56
89	89	(C) individuals from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups; 57
90	90	(D) individuals from historically marginalized groups based on sexual 58
91	91	orientation, gender identity or gender expression; (E) survivors of 59
92	92	sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual 60
93	93	trafficking; (F) refugees and immigrants; and (G) veterans. 61
94	94	(b) The committee shall consist of the following members: 62
95	95	(1) Three appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 63
96	96	one with expertise in homelessness policies and programs, one with 64
97	97	expertise in low-income housing policies and programs and one with 65
98	98	expertise in matters relating to evictions and housing court; 66
99	99	(2) Three appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one 67
100	100	with expertise in fair housing protections, one with expertise in the 68
101	101	development of low-income housing and one with expertise in, or 69
102	102	personal experience with, disability and housing insecurity; 70
103	103	(3) Three appointed by the majority leader of the House of 71
104	104	Representatives, one with expertise in, or personal experience with, the 72
105	105	criminal justice impact on housing insecurity, one with expertise in, or 73
106	106	personal experience with, the impact of race or ethnicity on housing 74
107	107	insecurity and one with expertise in, or personal experience with, the 75
108	108	impact of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression on 76
109	109	housing insecurity; 77 Raised Bill No. 909
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112	112
113	113	LCO No. 3175 4 of 6
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115	115	(4) Three appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one with 78
116	116	expertise in, or personal experience with, the impact of sexual violence, 79
117	117	domestic violence, dating violence or stalking on housing insecurity, 80
118	118	one with experience in, or personal experience with, the impact of sex 81
119	119	trafficking and housing insecurity and one with expertise in, or personal 82
120	120	experience with, the impact of refugee or immigrant status on housing 83
121	121	insecurity; 84
122	122	(5) Two appointed by the minority leader of the House of 85
123	123	Representatives, one with expertise in, or personal experience with, the 86
124	124	impact on veteran status on housing insecurity and one of whom is a 87
125	125	current or recent recipient of homeless assistance, low-income housing 88
126	126	assistance or assistance in an eviction or housing summary process 89
127	127	matter; 90
128	128	(6) Two appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, both of whom 91
129	129	are current or recent recipients of homeless assistance, low-income 92
130	130	housing assistance or assistance in an eviction or housing summary 93
131	131	process matter; and 94
132	132	(7) The Commissioner of Housing, or the commissioner's designee. 95
133	133	(c) Any member of the committee appointed under subdivision (1), 96
134	134	(2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 97
135	135	of the General Assembly. 98
136	136	(d) All initial appointments to the committee shall be made not later 99
137	137	than sixty days after the effective date of this section. Appointed 100
138	138	members of the committee shall serve for three-year terms which shall 101
139	139	commence on the date of appointment and may serve until a successor 102
140	140	is appointed. Any vacancy shall be filled by the respective appointing 103
141	141	authority pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 104
142	142	(e) The chairperson of the committee shall be jointly appointed by the 105
143	143	speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore 106
144	144	of the Senate. Upon appointment of such chairperson, the work of the 107
145	145	committee may begin even if all other appointments have not yet been 108 Raised Bill No. 909
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149	149	LCO No. 3175 5 of 6
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151	151	made. The chairperson shall schedule the first meeting of the committee, 109
152	152	which shall be held not later than ninety days after the effective date of 110
153	153	this section. If appointments under subsection (b) of this section are not 111
154	154	made within the sixty-day period required under subsection (d) of this 112
155	155	section, the chairperson may designate individuals with the required 113
156	156	expertise to serve on the committee until appointments are made 114
157	157	pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 115
158	158	(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 116
159	159	General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to housing 117
160	160	shall serve as the administrative staff of the committee. 118
161	161	(g) The committee shall meet not less than twice per fiscal year. 119
162	162	(h) The Department of Housing shall provide presentations and data 120
163	163	regarding its implementation of the right to housing at the request of 121
164	164	the committee. 122
165	165	(i) Not later than July 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the committee 123
166	166	shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the joint 124
167	167	standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 125
168	168	matters relating to housing, in accordance with the provisions of section 126
169	169	11-4a of the general statutes. 127
170	170	(j) During any regular or special session of the General Assembly, the 128
171	171	committee shall identify and review any proposed legislation impacting 129
172	172	the right to housing and may provide testimony on any such proposals 130
173	173	given a public hearing before any relevant committees of the General 131
174	174	Assembly, providing analysis on the potential impact of the legislation 132
175	175	on the right to housing and the vulnerable populations described in 133
176	176	subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section to preserve such right. 134
177	177	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
178	178	sections:
179	179
180	180	Section 1 from passage New section
181	181	Sec. 2 from passage New section
182	182	Raised Bill No. 909
183	183
184	184
185	185
186	186	LCO No. 3175 6 of 6
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188	188	Statement of Purpose:
189	189	To establish a right to housing for all residents of the state and a right to
190	190	housing committee.
191	191	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
192	192	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
193	193	underlined.]
194	194