When used in sections 17b-885 to 17b-895, inclusive:

(a) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Social Services;

(b) “Community action agency” means a public or private nonprofit agency which has previously been designated by and authorized to accept funds from the federal Community Services Administration for community action agencies under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 or a successor agency established pursuant to § 17b-892;

(c) “Community action program” means a community based and operated program which: (1) Includes or is designated to include a sufficient number of projects or components to provide a range of services and activities having a measurable and potentially major impact on causes of poverty in the community or those areas of the community where poverty is a particularly acute problem; (2) organizes and combines its component projects and activities in a manner appropriate to carry out the provisions of sections 17b-885 to 17b-895, inclusive; and (3) conforms to any other criteria the commissioner may prescribe consistent with the provisions of said sections;

(d) “Community” means a municipality or a county, or any combination thereof, or a neighborhood or other area, irrespective of boundaries or political subdivisions, which provides a suitable organizational base and possesses the commonality of interest and need for a community action program.