Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8 § 8-45a

Consideration of criminal record, alcohol abuse and status as registered sexual offender of applicant or proposed occupant.

In Force
Verified 9/24/2026 · Next check 10/1/2026
effective 9/24/2026ConnecticutRent Regulation

Operative Text

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8 § 8-45a
A housing authority, as defined in subsection (b) of section 8-39, in determining eligibility for the rental of public housing units may establish criteria and consider relevant information concerning (1) an applicant's or any proposed occupant's history of criminal activity involving: (A) Crimes of physical violence to persons or property, (B) crimes involving the illegal manufacture, sale, distribution or use of, or possession with intent to manufacture, sell, use or distribute, a controlled substance, as defined in section 21a-240, or (C) other criminal acts which would adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of other tenants, (2) an applicant's or any proposed occupant's abuse, or pattern of abuse, of alcohol when the housing authority has reasonable cause to believe that such applicant's or proposed occupant's abuse, or pattern of abuse, of alcohol may interfere with the health, safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents, and (3) an applicant or any proposed occupant who is subject to a lifetime registration requirement under section 54-252 on account of being convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of a sexually violent offense. In evaluating any such information, the housing authority shall give consideration to the time, nature and extent of the applicant's or proposed occupant's conduct and to factors which might indicate a reasonable probability of favorable future conduct such as evidence of rehabilitation and evidence of the willingness of the applicant, the applicant's family or the proposed occupant to participate in social service or other appropriate counseling programs and the availability of such programs.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-45a, Connecticut public housing authorities are permitted to consider certain background factors when evaluating applicants or proposed occupants for public housing units. These factors include histories of violent crime, drug-related offenses, other criminal acts that could threaten the health or safety of other residents, alcohol abuse patterns, and lifetime sex-offender registration status for sexually violent offenses. Importantly, the law also requires housing authorities to weigh mitigating circumstances such as the time elapsed since the conduct, its nature and extent, evidence of rehabilitation, and willingness to participate in counseling or social services.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 24, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Public housing authorities operating under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-45a may develop written eligibility criteria that address criminal history, alcohol abuse, and sex-offender registration status when screening applicants and proposed occupants. Compliant authorities document their review of each relevant factor and apply a balanced evaluation that accounts for the time, nature, and extent of past conduct alongside evidence of rehabilitation or participation in social service programs. Maintaining consistent, individualized screening procedures that reflect both the permissive screening grounds and the required mitigating-factor analysis helps demonstrate adherence to the statute.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-45a gives public housing authorities the ability to screen applicants based on certain criminal, alcohol-related, and sex-offender registration factors, but it also entitles applicants to have mitigating circumstances considered, including evidence of rehabilitation and willingness to engage in counseling. If a housing authority denies an application without appearing to weigh these mitigating factors, applicants may have grounds to challenge that decision through the authority's internal grievance or appeals process. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid providers familiar with Connecticut public housing law can help applicants understand what documentation of rehabilitation or social service participation may be relevant to their eligibility review under this provision.

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 24, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 24, 2026
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Purpose

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