Legislature
Housing & Legislation Committee
Jeff Arn, Vernon HA Chairman, Neil Griffin, Glastonbury HA, Ken Schultz, Imagineers LLC, Scott Bertrand, Enfield HA, William Vasiliou, Middletown HA, Kevin Nelson, Stratford HA, Anthony Vasiliou, Milford HA, John Rowland, Hartford HA, Brenda Cowett, Middlefield HA, Andrew Daniels, MAPPLAN, Robert Counihan, John Rumberger, Middletown HA.
Legislative Agenda for 2012
Our agenda includes support of the Governor's proposed budget, which includes provisions to provide funding for the preservation of the State public housing portfolio totaling over $300 million over the next ten years. We continue to support this through the public hearing process with written and oral testimony.
We have also reacted to several raised bills that may be detrimental or beneficial to our members. These include;
House Bill 5225 AN ACT CONCERNING SECURITY DEPOSITS IN ELDERLY HOUSING: The Legislative Housing Committee objected to a portion of proposed House Bill No. 5225 which we support. The Committee chairs did not agree that housing authorities should be able to hold security deposits for more than one year. Additionally, several housing advocates groups spoke against this portion of the bill including PHRN and LARC. Subsequent discussions with the Housing Committee indicated that the bill would move forward only with a change allowable to the interest rate but with the security deposit change.
4/11/12 Passed in House, 5/2/2012 Passed Senate
Senate Bill No. 312AN ACT PROVIDING VETERANS PREFERENCES IN THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND HOUSING AUTHORITY PROJECTS, to give preference in affordable or subsidized housing admission to veterans meeting the federal veterans preference requirements. This bill would require that housing authorities give veterans a preference to get into public housing. We opposed the bill as written and suggest that the Veterans preference remain discretionary per individual Housing Authority policy.
3/19/12 House & Senate Favorable Changge of Reference to Committee on Housing
Senate Bill No. 453 AN ACT CONCERNING CERTIFICATES OF RELIEF FROM BARRIERS RESULTING FROM CONVICTION OF A CRIME to adopt the recommendations of the Connecticut Sentencing Commission regarding relief from barriers to employment, licensure and public housing for persons whose eligibility is limited due to prior conviction of a crime. This bill would prevent housing authorities from rejecting criminals based on their criminal record if they have received a Certificate from the Board of Pardons and Parole. We are opposing this bill and have released a legislative alert to our membership asking them to reach out to their representatives and to submit written testimony to the Judiciary Committee prior to the March 23rd public Hearing. A change was made which allows public housing authorities to take the certificate into consideration but no longer requires PHAs to provide housing to certificate holders.
4/24/12 Referred by Senate to Committee on Appropriations
House Bill No. 5256 AN ACT CONCERNING STATE FUNDED HOUSING RECONSTRUCTION WITHIN A FLOODPLAIN, to modify an exemption for certain reconstruction activities taking place above the one-hundred-year flood elevation. This bill will allow housing authority with properties in the 100 year flood plain to engineer out of the flood plain to reconstruct within the property. We are supporting this bill on behalf of our member agencies that this will affect.
4/11/12 Tabled for the Calendar House
Monthly Report March 2012
Updates & Reminders
The Housing Authority Small Improvement Program
The Housing Authority Small Improvement Program announced by CHFA in January is ongoing. Through an application process, funding is available to address capital improvements and a variety of activities that improve the quality of life for the residents. The program encourages private and philanthropic investment into these communities through matching funds. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis at the offices of CHFA starting February 1, 2012 through September 30, 2012 or until all funds are committed. Applicants can request up to $25,000 per property from the fund (for eligible activities/capital improvements) and are required to demonstrate 100% matching funds from private and/or philanthropic sources.
Governor's Rescission Plan
Letters have been sent to housing authorities from Commissioner Smith of the DECD stating that they will be informed of their rescission amounts shortly.
Governor's Housing Consolidation Plan
The Governor is proposing the Consolidating Housing programs from various agencies (DCF, DSS and OPM) to DECD. The proposal combines state housing functions in a new State Office of Housing within DECD to provide leadership and facilitate coordination. State-funded DSS programs and nine staff to transfer are the Rental Assistance Program, Residences for Persons with AIDS, Emergency Shelters for Homeless, Domestic Violence Shelters, Transitional Living, and Special Projects for Homeless Shelters, Housing Mediation and Rent Bank, and Security Deposit Guarantees. Also, the DCF rental assistance subsidies portion of the Supportive Housing for Families program and the Elderly Renters Program from OPM will transfer with one staff. DECD will receive two new positions.
We continue to support the concept of consolidating housing related programs and we are awaiting further details to finalize our opinion of the plan.