Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8 § 8-345
(Formerly Sec. 17b-812). Rental assistance for low-income families living in privately-owned rental housing. Regulations. Hearing.
Operative Text
(a) As used in this section, “housing” or “housing unit” means any house or building, or portion thereof, that is occupied, designed to be occupied, or rented, leased or hired out to be occupied, exclusively as a home or residence of one or more persons. The Commissioner of Housing shall implement and administer a program of rental assistance for low-income families living in privately-owned rental housing. For the purposes of this section, a low-income family is one whose income does not exceed fifty per cent of the median family income for the area of the state in which such family lives, as determined by the commissioner. (b) Housing eligible for participation in the program shall comply with applicable state and local health, housing, building and safety codes. (c) In addition to an element in which rental assistance certificates are made available to qualified tenants, to be used in eligible housing which such tenants are able to locate, the program may include a housing support element in which rental assistance for tenants is linked to participation by the property owner in other municipal, state or federal housing repair, rehabilitation or financing programs. The commissioner shall use rental assistance under this section so as to encourage the preservation of existing housing and the revitalization of neighborhoods or the creation of additional rental housing. (d) The commissioner may designate a portion of the rental assistance available under the program for tenant-based and project-based supportive housing units. To the extent practicable rental assistance for supportive housing shall adhere to the requirements of the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, 42 USC 1437f(o), relative to calculating the tenant's share of the rent to be paid. (e) The commissioner shall administer the program under this section to promote housing choice for certificate holders and encourage racial and economic integration. The commissioner shall affirmatively seek to expend all funds appropriated for the program on an annual basis without regard to population limitation established in prior years. The commissioner shall establish maximum rent levels for each municipality in a manner that promotes the use of the program in all municipalities, provided, if the fair market rent established for a housing unit under the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, 42 USC 1437f(o), is greater than such maximum allowable rent established for such housing unit, such fair market rent shall apply for such housing unit. Any certificate issued pursuant to this section may be used for housing in any municipality in the state. The commissioner shall inform certificate holders that a certificate may be used in any municipality and, to the extent practicable, the commissioner shall assist certificate holders in finding housing in the municipality of their choice. (f) Nothing in this section shall give any person a right to continued receipt of rental assistance at any time that the program is not funded. (g) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this section. The regulations shall establish maximum income eligibility guidelines for such rental assistance and criteria for determining the amount of rental assistance which shall be provided to eligible families. (h) Any person aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner or the commissioner's agent pursuant to the program under this section shall have the right to a hearing in accordance with the provisions of section 8-37gg.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-345 establishes a state-run rental assistance program for low-income families—defined as those earning no more than 50% of the area median family income—who live in privately-owned rental housing. The Connecticut Commissioner of Housing administers the program, which issues certificates that qualifying tenants can use to help pay rent in eligible housing units that meet applicable health, building, and safety codes. The program is designed to promote housing choice, racial and economic integration, and neighborhood revitalization, and it may also include supportive housing components tied to federal Housing Choice Voucher standards.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-345, property owners whose units participate in this rental assistance program are generally expected to ensure their housing meets applicable state and local health, housing, building, and safety codes as a condition of eligibility. Compliant operators typically maintain their properties in code-conforming condition and may also engage with municipal, state, or federal repair or rehabilitation programs that can be linked to rental assistance through the program's housing support element. Owners should be aware that the Commissioner sets maximum allowable rent levels by municipality, though federal Housing Choice Voucher fair market rents may apply when they exceed those local caps.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-345 gives low-income families—those whose household income does not exceed 50% of the area median—a potential pathway to rental assistance certificates that can be used in eligible privately-owned housing anywhere in the state. Certificate holders have the right to be informed by the Commissioner that their certificate is portable across municipalities, and the Commissioner is directed to assist in locating housing in the municipality of the tenant's choice to the extent practicable. Anyone who believes a program decision was made in error has the right to a formal hearing under § 8-37gg, and tenant-rights organizations can be a resource for understanding how to pursue that process.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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