Sec.17b-811a-3. Eligibility requirements

(a) A family shall be eligible for transitionary rental assistance if an adult member is employed at the time the family leaves the TFA program and either: (1) has income which exceeds the TFA payment standard or (2) is employed for a minimum of twelve hours per week. A family whose income does not exceed fifty percent of the median family income for the area of the state in which such family lives shall be eligible as determined by the commissioner. A family that has left the TFA program may submit an application for transitionary rental assistance not more than six months after leaving TFA. Transitionary rental assistance benefits shall not be provided before the first day of the month following the month during which the family's TFA benefits end.

(b) To maintain eligibility for transitionary rental assistance, a family shall:

(1) supply information that is accurate and complete to the department or its agent;

(2) comply with the provisions of the transitionary rental assistance certificate;

(3) supply information that the department or its agent requests to determine the household composition and the income of any household member;

(4) provide social security numbers of household members and provide social security cards for verification;

(5) sign and submit consent forms that allow the department or its agent to obtain relevant information about household members;

(6) supply any information that the department or its agent requests concerning whether the family is living in the dwelling unit or information related to a family's absence from the unit;

(7) promptly notify the department or its agent in writing when the family is away from the dwelling unit for four or more continuous weeks;

(8) allow the department or its agent to inspect the dwelling unit at reasonable times and after reasonable notice;

(9) notify the department or its agent and the owner in writing before moving out of the dwelling unit or terminating or amending a lease;

(10) pay utility bills and supply appliances that the owner is not required to pay for or supply under the terms of the lease;

(11) give the department or its agent a copy of any eviction notice it receives; and

(12) use the dwelling unit as its sole residence.

(c) To maintain eligibility for transitionary rental assistance, a family (including each household member) shall not:

(1) own or have any interest in the dwelling unit; however, a family shall not be ineligible for assistance if it has an ownership interest in a cooperative, or if it owns a manufactured home for which it leases a manufactured home space;

(2) commit any serious or repeated violation of the lease;

(3) commit fraud, bribery or any other corrupt or criminal act in connection with the transitionary rental assistance program;

(4) participate in any illegal drug or violent criminal activity in the dwelling unit or on the premises on which the dwelling unit is located;

(5) sublease or rent the dwelling unit to another party, assign or transfer the lease of the dwelling unit to another party;

(6) receive transitionary rental assistance while receiving another housing subsidy for the same dwelling unit or a different dwelling unit under any other state, federal or local housing assistance program;

(7) willfully damage the dwelling unit or premises or cause serious or repeated damage to the dwelling unit or premises through negligence or permit any guest to willfully damage the dwelling unit or premises or permit any guest to cause serious or repeated damage to the dwelling unit or premises through negligence; or

(8) receive TFA.

(d) If the department or its agent determines that a family or household member receiving transitionary rental assistance has violated any subdivision of subsections (b) or (c) of this section, it may terminate the family's participation in the transitionary rental assistance program.

(Adopted effective March 9, 2006)