(a) There shall be a Department of Housing, which shall be within the Department of Economic and Community Development for administrative purposes only, which shall be the lead agency for all matters relating to housing. The department head shall be the Commissioner of Housing, who shall be appointed by the Governor in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-5 to 4-8, inclusive, with the powers and duties therein prescribed. Said commissioner shall be responsible at the state level for all aspects of policy, development, redevelopment, preservation, maintenance and improvement of housing and neighborhoods. Said commissioner shall be responsible for developing strategies to encourage the provision of housing in the state, including housing for very low, low and moderate income families.

(b) The Department of Housing shall constitute a successor to the functions, powers and duties of the Department of Economic Development relating to housing, community development, redevelopment and urban renewal as set forth in chapters 128, 129, 130, 135 and 136 in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d, 4-38e and 4-39. The Department of Housing is designated a public housing agency for the purpose of administering the Section 8 existing certificate program and the housing voucher program pursuant to the Housing Act of 1937.

(c) The commissioner shall, in consultation with the interagency council on affordable housing established pursuant to section 8-37nnn, review the organization and delivery of state housing programs and submit a report with recommendations, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, not later than January 15, 2013, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to housing and appropriations.

(d) Any order or regulation of the Department of Housing or Department of Economic and Community Development that is in force on January 1, 2013, shall continue in force and effect as an order or regulation until amended, repealed or superseded pursuant to law.

(e) On and after July 1, 2017, the Department of Housing shall constitute a successor department, in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d, 4-38e and 4-39, to the Department of Children and Families with respect to the homeless youth program as set forth in section 17a-62a.

(P.A. 79-598, S. 3, 27; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 112; P.A. 13-234, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 419.)

History: P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Housing with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1 amended Subsec. (a) by creating Department of Housing within Department of Economic and Community Development for administrative purposes only, making department head the Commissioner of Housing and making commissioner responsible for developing strategies re housing in the state, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Said department” with “The Department of Housing” and added Subsec. (c) re required report and Subsec. (d) re continuation of force and effect of order or regulation, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 13-234 amended Subsec. (b) by designating Department of Housing a public housing agency for purposes of Section 8 and housing voucher programs, effective July 1, 2013; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 added Subsec. (e) re successor department to the Department of Children and Families with respect to the homeless youth program, effective July 1, 2017.

See Sec. 4-38f for definition of “administrative purposes only”.