Sec. 8-37z. Duties of commissioners re involuntary displacement of residents of single-family or multifamily dwellings. Regulations.

(a) The Commissioner of Housing shall ensure that the involuntary displacement of persons and families residing in any single-family or multifamily dwelling, which displacement occurs in connection with any housing or community development project receiving state financial assistance under any program administered by the commissioner under the general statutes, is reduced to the minimum level consistent with achieving the objectives of such program. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall ensure that the involuntary displacement of persons and families residing in any single-family or multifamily dwelling, which displacement occurs in connection with any economic development project receiving state financial assistance under any program administered by the commissioner under the general statutes, is reduced to the minimum level consistent with achieving the objectives of such program. The commissioners shall require, as a condition of any contract for state financial assistance under the provisions of any such program, that the project for which such financial assistance is provided (1) will not cause the temporary or permanent displacement of persons and families residing in any single-family or multifamily dwelling or (2) will cause only the minimum level of such displacement which cannot be avoided due to the nature of the project. The commissioners shall ensure that all steps necessary to provide any relocation assistance available under chapter 135 to persons and families unavoidably displaced as a result of any state-assisted housing or community development project or economic development project have been taken before granting final approval of any financial assistance for such project.

(b) The Commissioner of Housing, in consultation with the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the purposes of this section.

(P.A. 89-125, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-279, S. 1; P.A. 95-250, S. 16, 42; 95-309, S. 11, 12; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 13-234, S. 17.)

History: P.A. 91-279 amended Subsec. (a) to apply provisions to economic development projects and amended Subsec. (b) to make technical change; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 amended section by replacing Commissioners of Housing and Economic Development with the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 95-309 changed effective date of P.A. 95-250 but did not affect this section; P.A. 13-234 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting “Commissioner of Housing” for “Commissioner of Economic and Community Development”, requiring Commissioner of Housing to ensure reduction of displacements of persons in projects receiving state financial assistance under any program administered by said commissioner to minimum level consistent with objectives of program, requiring Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to ensure such reductions occurring in projects administered by said commissioner and making technical changes, and amended Subsec. (b) by authorizing Commissioner of Housing, in consultation with Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, to adopt regulations, effective July 1, 2013.