Planning and Development Committee
Housing Committee
Appropriations Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING THE STATE'S CONSOLIDATED PLAN FOR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
SUMMARY: This act repeals the requirements that the (1) Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) prepare a long-range state housing plan every five years and submit it to the General Assembly and (2) DECD commissioner annually supplement each five-year plan with an action plan that assesses whether DECD and CHFA are meeting their goals. The act replaces the long-range plan with the Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development DECD currently prepares every five years in consultation with CHFA for the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to qualify for federal housing program funding.
Information required in the two plans is similar and, in some cases, duplicative. Under the act, the consolidated plan that replaces the long-range state housing plan is used in connection with:
1. municipal zoning regulations and plans of conservation and development;
2. CHFA's operating plan to coordinate housing policy and activities;
3. the allocation of federal housing assistance grants;
4. state department, institution, and agency evaluations of environmental impacts;
5. river commission management plans; and
6. DECD's economic strategic plan.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2011
LONG-RANGE STATE HOUSING PLAN
The act eliminates the long-range (five-year) housing plan which, under prior law, had to conform to the State Plan of Conservation and Development. The long-range plan:
1. assessed the housing needs of households with incomes below the area median income;
2. described affirmative fair housing marketing plans;
3. examined the racial composition of occupants of, and the waiting list for, each assisted housing project;
4. stated quantifiable goals to meet housing needs and outline strategies for achieving these goals;
5. considered the demographics of households served by state housing programs, including the number of households, total assistance, and racial diversity; and
6. identified public and private sector resources for affordable housing programs.
The act also eliminates the annual action plan that DECD and CHFA prepare in conjunction with the long-range plan. Prior law required DECD to (1) consult with people who participate in state housing programs while preparing any of these plans and (2) hold public hearings for all long-range and action plans before submitting them to the General Assembly.
BACKGROUND
Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development
Every five years, DECD prepares the HUD-required consolidated housing plan that includes a housing and homeless needs assessment, housing market analysis, a strategic plan and an action plan, and certification and monitoring assurances. The HUD-required plan covers the following formula grant programs: (1) the Community Development Block Grant program, (2) the Emergency Shelter Grants, (3) the HOME Investment Partnership program, and (4) the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program. HUD requires states to develop their plans in consultation with the public and with citizen participation (24 CFR §§ 91. 300-91. 330).
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