(a) The Commissioner of Housing shall implement and administer a program of rental assistance for elderly persons who reside in state-assisted rental housing for the elderly.

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(b) Housing eligible for use in the program shall comply with applicable state and local health, housing, building and safety codes.

(c) In addition to rental assistance certificates made available to qualified tenants, to be used in eligible housing which such tenants are able to locate, the program may include housing support 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 to encourage the preservation of existing housing and the revitalization of neighborhoods or the creation of additional rental housing.

(d) The commissioner shall administer the program under this section to promote housing choice for certificate holders and encourage diversity of residents. The commissioner shall establish maximum rent levels for each municipality in a manner that promotes the use of the program in all municipalities. 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.

(e) 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.

(f) Whenever an individual who qualifies for rental assistance pursuant to this section moves into congregate housing, as defined in section 8-119e, the Commissioner of Housing shall calculate the rental assistance for such individual to include the entire period of his occupancy in the congregate housing facility, regardless of the rental-assistance status of any former congregate housing occupant.

(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 elderly persons, provided the amount of assistance for elderly persons who are certificate holders shall be the difference between thirty per cent of their adjusted gross income, less a utility allowance, and the base rent.