Sec. 8-2g. Special exemption from density limits for construction of affordable housing.

(b) Upon the adoption of any regulation under subsection (a) of this section, the zoning commission or municipal agency exercising the powers of a zoning commission shall notify the legislative body of the municipality of such adoption and request that the municipality establish or designate an agency to implement a program designed to establish income criteria in accordance with said subsection (a) and oversee the sale or rental of any units of affordable housing constructed pursuant to said subsection (a) to persons and families satisfying such income criteria. Any municipality may, by ordinance, establish or designate a municipal agency to implement such program. If the legislative body does not enact such ordinance within one hundred twenty days following the date of such request, the zoning commission or municipal agency exercising the powers of a zoning commission may notify the housing authority of the municipality or, in any municipality which has not by resolution authorized its housing authority to transact business in accordance with the provisions of section 8-40 , the municipal agency with responsibility for housing matters that it has adopted such regulation. Upon receiving such notice, the housing authority or municipal agency with responsibility for housing matters shall implement such program. Any such program shall provide for a method of selecting persons satisfying such income criteria to purchase or rent such units of affordable housing from among a pool of applicants which method shall not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, intellectual disability, physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness, place of residency, number of children or veterans' status.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit any powers lawfully exercised by any municipality, any zoning commission existing pursuant to this chapter or any municipal agency exercising the powers of a zoning commission pursuant to any special act. Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate any ordinance of a municipality or any regulation of a zoning commission existing pursuant to this chapter or any municipal agency exercising the powers of a zoning commission pursuant to any special act, which ordinance or regulation was adopted before June 6, 1988. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any such municipality, zoning commission or municipal agency from changing the requirements contained in any ordinance or zoning regulation or to require any such municipality, zoning commission or municipal agency to change the requirements contained in any ordinance or zoning regulation.