Section 32-7x - Grant program for eligible projects within high poverty-low opportunity census tracts(a) As used in this section, "concentrated poverty census tract" means a United States census tract in which thirty per cent or more of the households within such census tract have incomes below the federal poverty level, according to the most recent five-year United States Census Bureau American Community Survey.(b) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall compile a list of concentrated poverty census tracts in the state and the municipalities in which such census tracts are located and shall, not later than July 31, 2023, submit such list to the General Assembly in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. The secretary shall post such list to the Internet web site of the Office of Policy and Management and shall review and update such list as necessary. Whenever the secretary updates such list, the secretary shall submit such updated list to the General Assembly in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.(c)(1) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall establish a grant program to fund eligible projects within concentrated poverty census tracts. An eligible project shall seek to reduce concentrated poverty within such tracts and the effects of such poverty, including, but not limited to, the lower lifetime income of residents within such tracts, the lower lifetime income expectations of future generations within such tracts, increased crime and risk of incarceration for residents within such tracts and educational deficiencies within such tracts. An eligible project includes:(A) Construction, renovation or rehabilitation of mixed-income rental housing and owner-occupied housing, in order to retain individuals and families of different income levels and to increase the percentage of owner-occupied housing within such census tract or tracts;(B) The establishment or improvement of workforce development programs, including, but not limited to, programs that partner with organizations to identify unemployed or underemployed individuals and at-risk youth residing in such census tracts, identify workforce training opportunities and other resources for such individuals and link such individuals with the appropriate training and resources that will increase the skills and earning potential of such individuals; and(C) Construction, renovation or rehabilitation of public infrastructure, in order to support and improve the private investment opportunities, quality of life and public safety within such census tract or tracts.(2) Beginning on January 1, 2024, and not later than January 1, 2030, each municipality in which a concentrated poverty census tract is located may apply to the commissioner, in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, to receive a grant for an eligible project or any combination of eligible projects. An application may target one concentrated poverty census tract or more than one such census tract if such census tracts are geographically contiguous or within reasonable proximity of each other. An applicant shall not be prohibited from filing more than one application for different concentrated poverty census tracts or groups of such census tracts.(d)(1) Not later than January 1, 2024, the commissioner shall establish criteria for the awarding of grants as described in subdivision (2) of this subsection, requirements for documents and information as described in subdivision (4) of this subsection and deadlines for submitting applications and revised and modified applications under subsection (e) of this section. The commissioner shall post such criteria, requirements and deadlines on the Internet web site of the Department of Economic and Community Development, notify each municipality in which a concentrated poverty census tract is located of such posting and promote the availability of the grant program established by this section in each such census tract.(2) Criteria for the awarding of grants pursuant to this section shall include, but need not be limited to:(A) The likelihood that a proposal will reduce adult or child poverty within a concentrated poverty census tract;(B) The likelihood that a proposal will reduce the likelihood that children currently residing within a concentrated poverty census tract will live in poverty after reaching adulthood;(C) The likelihood that a proposal will produce persistent and meaningful improvements in residents' wealth, financial security, employability or quality of life beyond the duration of the proposal;(D) The feasibility of the initiatives in a proposal and the demonstrated or perceived capacity to execute upon the scope of work in a proposal, including, but not limited to, adequate staffing levels of entities involved with the proposal; and(E) The interconnectivity and mutual reinforcement among all proposed initiatives in the same concentrated poverty census tract area or areas, such as providing workforce training programs to parents of children enrolled in a supported early childhood program.(3) On and after the date the ten-year plan developed under section 118 of this act is submitted to the General Assembly, priority shall be given to projects included in such plan.(4) Requirements for documents and information to be submitted by municipalities to evaluate applications shall include, but need not be limited to:(A) A description of how the proposal intends to address each type of eligible project described in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, and whether there are existing projects or programs to address such eligible projects;(B) A description of each initiative within the proposal, which may include multiple simultaneous initiatives, and how each initiative will meet one of the criteria established pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection;(C) A description of sufficient efforts, as determined by the commissioner, to engage residents of the concentrated poverty census tract in formulating a proposal;(D) For an initiative that is an eligible project described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, a description of the municipality's consultations with the regional workforce development board that serves the municipality regarding the development of such project and efforts to coordinate such project with the board's activities;(E) A description of each organization that will participate in an eligible project described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, and information on each organization's commitment to provide continuous, sustained engagement with residents of such tract throughout the project;(F) A description of the entity or organization responsible for coordinating the implementation of each component of the application and overseeing the various projects and programs outlined in such application;(G) A description of plans for ongoing engagement with residents of such census tracts and solicitation of feedback on the progress of a proposal during its implementation; and(H) A description of plans to provide residents of such census tract with opportunities to become involved in implementation of a proposal.(e)(1) The department shall review and evaluate each application submitted and shall work with the applicant municipality to revise the application if the department believes such revisions will improve or strengthen the application. The department shall assist an applicant in identifying and applying for funding under other programs in order to maximize the amount of funding available for an applicant, including seeking funding under section 4-66c. For a proposal for an eligible project described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, the commissioner shall evaluate such project in consultation with the Commissioner of Housing and the Commissioner of Housing shall assist the applicant with obtaining funding for such project through programs operated by the Department of Housing.(2) The commissioner shall submit to the Governor all applications that are deemed to satisfy the requirements of subsection (d) of this section. The Governor shall review such applications and may approve or disapprove an application or return an application to the commissioner for modifications. If an application is returned to the commissioner, the commissioner shall work with the applicant to modify the application and shall resubmit such application with modifications to the Governor. If the Governor approves an application, the Governor shall make a grant award from bond proceeds under section 32-7y, provided the Governor may use funds from other bond proceeds authorized for the general purposes described in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section for such grants. Grants awarded under this section shall be for a period of three years, and in an amount sufficient to carry out the objectives of the application, but not less than five hundred thousand dollars. Each application that the Governor approves shall be considered at a State Bond Commission meeting not later than two months after the date the application was approved by the Governor.(f) At the conclusion of the initial grant period, the commissioner shall evaluate the municipality's progress toward reducing the number of households within the applicable concentrated poverty census tract who have incomes below the federal poverty level to less than thirty per cent of the households of such census tract. Such evaluation shall consider, among other factors, any change in the percentage of households within such census tract who have incomes below the federal poverty level, and whether the actions taken pursuant to such grant during the initial grant period: (1) May reasonably result in a future reduction in the percentage of households within such census tract who have incomes below the federal poverty level, (2) have resulted in a reduction in child poverty within such census tract, (3) may reasonably result in a future reduction in child poverty within such census tract, or (4) may reasonably decrease the likelihood that children who are currently living within such census tract will have incomes below the federal poverty level after they reach adulthood. Upon a determination by the commissioner that reasonable progress has been made, the municipality shall be eligible for subsequent grants under this section, provided, at the conclusion of each subsequent grant period of three years, each applicant municipality shall be subject to an evaluation and determination under this subsection prior to being eligible to apply for a subsequent grant. An application for a subsequent grant and the awarding of a subsequent grant shall be in accordance with the provisions of subsections (c) to (e), inclusive, of this section.(g) Not later than August 1, 2024, and annually thereafter until and including August 1, 2029, the commissioner shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the General Assembly, that includes the municipalities that submitted applications and that were awarded grants under this section in the prior fiscal year, a description of each purpose and eligible project a municipality awarded a grant under this section is seeking to accomplish or undertaking, a progress report, if applicable, for each such purpose or eligible project and any other information the commissioner deems relevant.Amended by P.A. 24-0151,S. 121 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 6/6/2024.Added by P.A. 23-0205, S. 101 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2023 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2023.