Individual & Family Support Program
This acronym stands for the regional system DOH uses to coordinate assessment, referral, diversion, and shelter access for households experiencing a housing crisis.
CAN = Coordinated Access Network(s)
CANs are the statewide system of providers across 8 geographic regions that handle standardized assessment and referral for people experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis.
This acronym represents the income benchmark used to determine eligibility for many housing programs, often expressed as a percentage like 30%, 50%, or 80%.
AMI = Area Median Income.
It is set annually (by HUD) and used to determine eligibility and affordability thresholds across programs like vouchers, LIHTC, and DOH-funded housing.
This acronym refers to the contract between a housing authority and a landlord that outlines the subsidy payment terms for a voucher holder.
HAP = Housing Assistance Payment (Contract).
This is the core agreement that allows the housing authority (or JDA) to pay the landlord on behalf of the tenant.
This acronym refers to the organization that administers Housing Choice Vouchers and RAP, including determining eligibility, issuing vouchers, and paying landlords.
PHA = Public Housing Authority.
In Connecticut, this can include entities like JDA or local housing authorities that administer voucher programs.
This federal housing program acronym refers to DOH grants that support housing for people living with HIV/AIDS.
HOPWA = Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS
This acronym refers to the federal accessibility law that requires new multifamily housing to meet specific design standards for people with disabilities.
FHA = Fair Housing Act.
ATS reviews plans to ensure developments comply with accessibility requirements under the FHA (e.g., accessible entrances, adaptable units).
This acronym refers to the inspection standards a unit must meet before a tenant can move in with a voucher.
HQS = Housing Quality Standards
Units must pass HQS inspection before payments begin. Often times this is a key bottleneck in lease-ups.
This acronym refers to a type of voucher that is tied to a specific unit rather than moving with the tenant, often used in affordable housing developments.
PBV = Project-Based Voucher.
Unlike tenant-based vouchers, PBVs stay with the unit and are commonly used in DOH/CHFA-funded developments.
This acronym refers to the data system that DOH and its partners use to manage homelessness-related information statewide (hint: DOH recently reissued RFPs for administration of this system.)
HMIS = Homeless Management Information System
This acronym refers to the federal law that requires projects receiving federal funds to evaluate environmental impacts before construction can begin.
NEPA = National Environmental Policy Act.
Development & ATS often coordinate or review environmental assessments tied to NEPA before projects can proceed.
This acronym refers to the HUD-established rent benchmark used to determine whether a unit’s rent is reasonable for a given area.
FMR = Fair Market Rent.
Used to set payment standards and evaluate whether a unit is affordable within the program.
This acronym refers to Connecticut’s state-funded rental assistance program that operates similarly to Section 8 but is not federally funded.
RAP = Rental Assistance Program.
This acronym refers to the regional planning body that coordinates homelessness services, applies for federal funding, and oversees system performance across providers.
CoC = Continuum of Care.
A HUD-defined system that organizes housing and services for people experiencing homelessness, including funding distribution, coordinated entry, and performance tracking.
This acronym refers to the Connecticut-specific environmental review process that must be completed for many state-funded housing projects.
CEPA = Connecticut Environmental Policy Act.
This is essentially the state-level equivalent of NEPA, and ATS ensures projects comply when applicable.
This federal program provides tax credits to developers to finance the construction and preservation of affordable housing.
LIHTC = Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
It’s the primary financing tool for affordable housing development in the U.S., where developers receive tax credits that are typically sold to investors to raise equity for a project.
This Connecticut DOH program provides eligible households with down payment assistance to transition from renting to homeownership.
TTO = Time To Own.