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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6941
January Session, 2025
AN ACT EXEMPTING THE INCOME EARNED BY A CHILD OF AN
APPLICANT FROM THE CALCULATION OF GROSS INCOME IN
CONSIDERATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE RENTAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 8-345 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) As used in this section, "housing" or "housing unit" means any 3
house or building, or portion thereof, that is occupied, designed to be 4
occupied, or rented, leased or hired out to be occupied, exclusively as a 5
home or residence of one or more persons. The Commissioner of 6
Housing shall implement and administer a program of rental assistance 7
for low-income families living in privately-owned rental housing. For 8
the purposes of this section, a low-income family is one whose income 9
does not exceed fifty per cent of the median family income for the area 10
of the state in which such family lives, as determined by the 11
commissioner. 12
(b) Housing eligible for participation in the program shall comply 13
with applicable state and local health, housing, building and safety 14
codes. 15
(c) In addition to an element in which rental assistance certificates are 16 Substitute Bill No. 6941
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made available to qualified tenants, to be used in eligible housing which 17
such tenants are able to locate, the program may include a housing 18
support element in which rental assistance for tenants is linked to 19
participation by the property owner in other municipal, state or federal 20
housing repair, rehabilitation or financing programs. The commissioner 21
shall use rental assistance under this section so as to encourage the 22
preservation of existing housing and the revitalization of 23
neighborhoods or the creation of additional rental housing. 24
(d) The commissioner may designate a portion of the rental assistance 25
available under the program for tenant-based and project-based 26
supportive housing units. To the extent practicable rental assistance for 27
supportive housing shall adhere to the requirements of the federal 28
Housing Choice Voucher Program, 42 USC 1437f(o), relative to 29
calculating the tenant's share of the rent to be paid. 30
(e) The commissioner shall administer the program under this section 31
to promote housing choice for certificate holders and encourage racial 32
and economic integration. The commissioner shall affirmatively seek to 33
expend all funds appropriated for the program on an annual basis 34
without regard to population limitation established in prior years. The 35
commissioner shall establish maximum rent levels for each municipality 36
in a manner that promotes the use of the program in all municipalities, 37
provided, if the fair market rent established for a housing unit under the 38
federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, 42 USC 1437f(o), is greater 39
than such maximum allowable rent established for such housing unit, 40
such fair market rent shall apply for such housing unit. Any certificate 41
issued pursuant to this section may be used for housing in any 42
municipality in the state. The commissioner shall inform certificate 43
holders that a certificate may be used in any municipality and, to the 44
extent practicable, the commissioner shall assist certificate holders in 45
finding housing in the municipality of their choice. 46
(f) Nothing in this section shall give any person a right to continued 47
receipt of rental assistance at any time that the program is not funded. 48 Substitute Bill No. 6941
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(g) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 49
provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this section. The 50
regulations shall establish maximum income eligibility guidelines for 51
such rental assistance and criteria for determining the amount of rental 52
assistance which shall be provided to eligible families. Such income 53
eligibility guidelines shall include an exemption for the income earned, 54
not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars annually, by any child 55
who resides with the applicant, until such child reaches the age of 56
twenty-four, from inclusion in the calculation of gross income for 57
consideration for participation in the program under this section. 58
(h) Any person aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner or the 59
commissioner's agent pursuant to the program under this section shall 60
have the right to a hearing in accordance with the provisions of section 61
8-37gg. 62
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 8-345
HSG Joint Favorable Subst.