Raised Bill No. 5208 Summary

• Prohibits housing providers from denying rental applications based solely on criminal conviction status, except for misdemeanor convictions within 3 years or felony convictions within 7 years prior to application.

• Requires housing providers to consider four factors before denying an application: nature and severity of crime, relationship to tenancy, rehabilitation evidence, and time elapsed since conviction.

• Mandates housing providers give applicants at least 5 business days notice and opportunity to respond with mitigating information before denying an application for criminal conviction reasons.

• Prohibits housing providers from considering arrests without conviction, charges not resulting in conviction, erased convictions, or convictions for conduct when applicant was a minor.

• Establishes enforcement through Connecticut's Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities with 180-day complaint filing deadline and investigation completion within 100 days; effective October 1, 2022.