Definitions

As used in sections 17b-812-1 to 17b-812-14, inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies: (1) "Adjusted gross income" means the gross income of all adults residing in a dwelling unit less the allowable deductions listed in subsection (d) of section 17b-812-6 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies; (2) "Agent" means any entity designated by the department to operate the rental assistance program; (3) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Social Services; (4) "Contract rent" means the total monthly rent payable to the owner for the dwelling unit; (5) "Department" means the Department of Social Services; (6) "Dependent" means a member of a family, other than a head of household, spouse or foster child, who is under eighteen years of age or is disabled or is a full-time student eighteen years of age or older; (7) "Disabled person" means a person who has a disability as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 USC 12102; (8) "Dwelling unit" means a house, building or mobile manufactured home in a mobile manufactured home park, as such terms are defined in section 21-64 of the Connecticut General Statutes, or any portion of a house, building or mobile manufactured home in a mobile manufactured home park, that is occupied, designed to be occupied or rented, leased or hired out to be occupied as a home or residence of one or more persons; (9) "Elderly person" means a person sixty-two years of age or older; (10) "Eligible family" means a household consisting of one or more persons, with income that does not exceed fifty per cent (50%) of the median family income for the area of the state where the family lives, as determined by the commissioner. An eligible family shall include at least one citizen or eligible non-citizen; (11) "Eligible housing" means privately owned rental housing, located in any municipality in the state, that meets federal housing quality standards as cited in 24 CFR 982.401, and local and state health, housing, building and safety codes; (12) "Eligible non-citizen" means a person who meets the qualification requirements established in subsection (a) of 42 USC 1436a; (13) "Gross rent" means the sum of the contract rent and any utility allowance established by the commissioner; (14) "Income" means gross income from whatever sources derived; (15) "Maximum allowable rent" means the maximum amount of monthly rent that is payable under the rental assistance program, as determined by the commissioner; (16) "Mixed family" means a household consisting of one or more persons who are citizens or eligible non-citizens and one or more persons who are ineligible non-citizens or who elect not to state that they have eligibility status; (17) "Occupancy policy" means the standards established by the commissioner for determining the appropriate number of bedrooms for families of different sizes; (18) "Owner" means a person or entity having the legal right to lease or sublease housing; (19) "Pre-application" means the form disseminated by the department or its agent by which an applicant submits his or her name into a lottery for establishing the waiting list for the Rental Assistance Program; (20) "Project-based rental assistance" means rental assistance that is attached to a specific dwelling unit and is non-transferable; (21) "Rental agreement" means all agreements, written or oral, and valid rules and regulations adopted under section 47a-9 of the Connecticut General Statutes, embodying the terms and conditions concerning the use and occupancy of a dwelling unit and premises between the owner and the tenant; (22) "Rental assistance certificate" means the document issued by the department or its agent to the tenant that defines the terms, conditions and eligibility requirements for participation in the Rental Assistance Program; (23) "Rental assistance contract" means a written agreement between the department or its agent and the owner or the owner's designated representative that contains the terms and conditions under which the owner or the owner's designated representative will rent the dwelling unit to an eligible family, and the amount of rental assistance payments to be made by the department or its agent to the owner or the owner's designated representative on behalf of such eligible family; (24) "Rental assistance payment" means the amount paid by the department on behalf of the tenant to the owner of the dwelling unit toward the contract rent; (25) "Request for tenancy approval" means the document submitted by an eligible family to the department or its agent requesting approval of a dwelling unit for tenancy by the family; (26) "Supportive housing" means rental housing, funded by tenant-based rental assistance or project-based rental assistance, that also provides support services to individuals and families experiencing, or at significant risk of, long-term homelessness; (27) "Tenant" means an eligible family that is leasing a dwelling unit from an owner; (28) "Tenant-based rental assistance" means rental assistance payments provided to eligible families that are retained by the eligible family even if they subsequently move to another dwelling unit; (29) "Tenant contribution" means the amount of the monthly contract rent payable by the eligible family to the owner; (30) "Tenant selection plan" means a plan submitted to the department by a supportive housing provider that specifies the uniform methodology the provider shall use to select tenants for its supportive housing units including, but not limited to, specific eligibility factors, occupancy policy, and application and tenant screening procedures; and (31) "Utility allowance" means the estimated monthly cost, as determined by the commissioner, for an eligible family for heat and other utilities, excluding telephone, that are not supplied or paid for by the owner of the dwelling unit rented by the family. The utility allowance is added to the contract rent to calculate the gross rent.