(a) The Commissioner of Housing, acting on behalf of the state, may, in his discretion, enter into a contract with any person who is sixty-two years of age or older and whose income does not exceed the maximum qualifying income for eligibility for benefits under the program of tax relief for certain elderly homeowners under section 12-170aa, to provide, based on the financial needs of such person, a grant-in-aid, loan or deferred loan to enable such person to finance emergency repairs to or rehabilitation of a dwelling containing up to two residential units, provided such person shall be the owner of such dwelling and shall reside in at least one of such units. In the case of a deferred loan, the contract shall require that payments on interest are due immediately but that payments on principal may be made at a later time.

(b) Such grant-in-aid, loan or deferred loan shall not exceed the principal amount of ten thousand dollars, including such appraisals, inspections, closing costs and other fees, and, in the case of grants-in-aid, loans or deferred loans financed from the proceeds of the state's general obligation bonds issued pursuant to any authorization, allocation, or approval of the State Bond Commission made prior to July 1, 1990, initial service charges as the commissioner may by regulation approve. Any grant-in-aid, loan or deferred loan contracted for pursuant to sections 8-219a to 8-219c, inclusive, shall only be used for repairs or rehabilitation necessary to permit the continued use of such dwelling for residential purposes.

(c) Any loan or deferred loan contracted for pursuant to sections 8-219a to 8-219c, inclusive, shall be secured by a mortgage on the dwelling for which such loan or deferred loan was made pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. If the recipient of such loan or deferred loan assigns, transfers or otherwise conveys his or her interest in such dwelling, ceases to occupy such dwelling or uses all or any part of the proceeds of such loan or deferred loan for any purpose other than the emergency repair or rehabilitation of such dwelling, the unpaid principal balance of such mortgage, together with interest thereon, shall, at the option of the commissioner, become due and payable. If the recipient of any loan or deferred loan is unable to repay the loan or deferred loan, the commissioner, at the commissioner's discretion, may adjust the interest rate, terms and conditions of the loan or deferred loan to facilitate repayments.

(d) Repayment of any loan or deferred loan provided in accordance with sections 8-219a to 8-219c, inclusive, shall be subject to such interest rate, terms and conditions as the commissioner may establish. In no case shall the interest rate exceed one per cent above the rate of interest borne by the bonds of the state last issued prior to the date of issue of such loan or deferred loan. In no case shall the term of such loan or deferred loan exceed thirty years. Payments by recipients of any such loan or deferred loan shall be paid to the State Treasurer and deposited in the General Fund of the state.

(e) In the case of any grant-in-aid, loan or deferred loan made pursuant to sections 8-219a to 8-219c, inclusive, the contract for such grant-in-aid, loan or deferred loan shall provide that if the dwelling for which such grant-in-aid, loan or deferred loan was made pursuant to subsection (a) of this section ceases, within ten years of the date of such grant, loan or deferred loan, to be used as a dwelling for the person to whom such grant, loan or deferred loan was made, or if such person assigns, transfers or otherwise conveys such person's interest in such dwelling, an amount equal to the amount of such grant, loan or deferred loan, minus ten per cent for each full year which has elapsed since the date of such grant, loan or deferred loan, shall be repaid to the state and that a lien shall be placed on such dwelling in favor of the state to ensure that such amount will be repaid in the event of such change in occupancy.

(P.A. 87-494, S. 2, 3, 5; P.A. 90-238, S. 21, 32; P.A. 92-166, S. 17, 31; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 07-217, S. 35; P.A. 13-234, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 90-238 revised provisions re initial service charges; P.A. 92-166 amended Subsec. (a) to make deferred loans a form of financial assistance available under the section and further provided that payments on interest are due immediately but that payments on principal may be made at a later time and amended Subsecs. (b) to (e), inclusive, to make technical changes consistent with the changes in Subsec. (a); P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Housing with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 07-217 made technical changes in Subsecs. (c) and (e), effective July 12, 2007; pursuant to P.A. 13-234, reference to Commissioner of Economic and Community Development was changed editorially by the Revisors to reference to Commissioner of Housing in Subsec. (a), effective June 19, 2013.