Section 8 and Public Housing, and Other HUD Assisted Housing Serving Persons with Disabilities: Family Income and Family Payment; Occupancy Requirements for Section 8 Project-Based Assistance

24 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart F
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

24 C.F.R. § 5.601 Purpose and applicability.

This subpart states HUD requirements on the following subjects: (a) Determining annual and adjusted income of families who apply for or receive assistance in the Section 8 (tenant-based and project-based) and public housing programs; (b) Determining payments by and utility reimbursements to families assisted in these programs; (c) Additional occupancy requirements that apply to the Section 8 project-based assistance programs. These additional requirements concern: (1) Income-eligibility and income-targeting when a Section 8 owner admits families to a Section 8 project or unit; (2) Owner selection preferences; and (3) Owner reexamination of family income and composition; (d) Determining adjusted income, as provided in § 5.611(a) and (c) through (e), for families who apply for or receive assistance under the following programs: Section 202 Supportive Housing Program for the Elderly (24 CFR 891, subpart B); Section 202 Direct Loans for Housing for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (24 CFR part 891, subpart E); and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (24 CFR part 891, subpart C). Unless specified in the regulations for each of the programs listed in this paragraph (d) or in another regulatory section of this part 5, subpart F, then the regulations in part 5, subpart F, generally are not applicable to these programs; and (e) Limitations on eligibility for assistance based on assets, as provided in § 5.618, in the Section 8 (tenant-based and project-based) and public housing programs.

24 C.F.R. § 5.603 Definitions.

As used in this subpart: (a) Terms found elsewhere in part 5—(1) Subpart A. The terms 1937 Act, elderly person, public housing, public housing agency (PHA), responsible entity and Section 8 are defined in § 5.100. (2) Subpart D. The terms “disabled family”, “elderly family”, “family”, “live-in aide”, and “person with disabilities” are defined in § 5.403. (b) The following terms shall have the meanings set forth below: Adjusted income. See § 5.611. Annual income. See § 5.609. Child care expenses. Amounts anticipated to be paid by the family for the care of children under 13 years of age during the period for which annual income is computed, but only where such care is necessary to enable a family member to actively seek employment, be gainfully employed, or to further his or her education and only to the extent such amounts are not reimbursed. The amount deducted shall reflect reasonable charges for child care. In the case of child care necessary to permit employment, the amount deducted shall not exceed the amount of employment income that is included in annual income. Day laborer. An individual hired and paid one day at a time without an agreement that the individual will be hired or work again in the future. Dependent. A member of the family (which excludes foster children and foster adults) other than the family head or spouse who is under 18 years of age, or is a person with a disability, or is a full-time student. Disability assistance expenses. Reasonable expenses that are anticipated, during the period for which annual income is computed, for attendant care and auxiliary apparatus for a disabled family member and that are necessary to enable a family member (including the disabled member) to be employed, provided that the expenses are neither paid to a member of the family nor reimbursed by an outside source. Economic self-sufficiency program. Any program designed to encourage, assist, train, or facilitate the economic independence of HUD-assisted families or to provide work for such families. These programs include programs for job training, employment counseling, work placement, basic skills training, education, English proficiency, workfare, financial or household management, apprenticeship, and any program necessary to ready a participant for work (including a substance abuse or mental health treatment program), or other work activities. Extremely low-income family. A very low-income family whose annual income does not exceed the higher of: (1) The poverty guidelines established by the Department of Health and Human Services applicable to the family of the size involved (except in the case of families living in Puerto Rico or any other territory or possession of the United States); or (2) Thirty (30) percent of the median income for the area, as determined by HUD, with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that HUD may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 30 percent of the area median income for the area if HUD finds that such variations are necessary because of unusually high or low family incomes. Foster adult. A member of the household who is 18 years of age or older and meets the definition of a foster adult under State law. In general, a foster adult is a person who is 18 years of age or older, is unable to live independently due to a debilitating physical or mental condition and is placed with the family by an authorized placement agency or by judgment, decree, or other order of any court of competent jurisdiction. Foster child. A member of the household who meets the definition of a foster child under State law. In general, a foster child is placed with the family by an authorized placement agency (e.g., public child welfare agency) or by judgment, decree, or other order of any court of competent jurisdiction. Full-time student. A person who is attending school or vocational training on a full-time basis. Health and medical care expenses. Health and medical care expenses are any costs incurred in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or payments for treatments affecting any structure or function of the body. Health and medical care expenses include medical insurance premiums and long-term care premiums that are paid or anticipated during the period for which annual income is computed. Imputed welfare income. See § 5.615. Independent contractor. An individual who qualifies as an independent contractor instead of an employee in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code Federal income tax requirements and whose earnings are consequently subject to the Self-Employment Tax. In general, an individual is an independent contractor if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. Low income family. A family whose annual income does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, as determined by HUD with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that HUD may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 80 percent of the median income for the area on the basis of HUD's findings that such variations are necessary because of unusually high or low family incomes. Medical expenses. Medical expenses, including medical insurance premiums, that are anticipated during the period for which annual income is computed, and that are not covered by insurance. Minor. A member of the family, other than the head of family or spouse, who is under 18 years of age. Monthly adjusted income. One twelfth of adjusted income. Monthly income. One twelfth of annual income. Net family assets. (1) Net family assets is the net cash value of all assets owned by the family, after deducting reasonable costs that would be incurred in disposing real property, savings, stocks, bonds, and other forms of capital investment. (2) In determining net family assets, PHAs or owners, as applicable, must include the value of any business or family assets disposed of by an applicant or tenant for less than fair market value (including a disposition in trust, but not in a foreclosure or bankruptcy sale) during the two years preceding the date of application for the program or reexamination, as applicable, in excess of the consideration received therefor. In the case of a disposition as part of a separation or divorce settlement, the disposition will not be considered to be for less than fair market value if the applicant or tenant receives consideration not measurable in dollar terms. Negative equity in real property or other investments does not prohibit the owner from selling the property or other investments, so negative equity alone would not justify excluding the property or other investments from family assets. (3) Excluded from the calculation of net family assets are: (i) The value of necessary items of personal property; (ii) The combined value of all non-necessary items of personal property if the combined total value does not exceed $50,000 (which amount will be adjusted by HUD in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers); (iii) The value of any account under a retirement plan recognized as such by the Internal Revenue Service, including individual retirement arrangements (IRAs), employer retirement plans, and retirement plans for self-employed individuals; (iv) The value of real property that the family does not have the effective legal authority to sell in the jurisdiction in which the property is located; (v) Any amounts recovered in any civil action or settlement based on a claim of malpractice, negligence, or other breach of duty owed to a family member arising out of law, that resulted in a family member being a person with a disability; (vi) The value of any Coverdell education savings account under section 530 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the value of any qualified tuition program under section 529 of such Code, the value of any Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account authorized under Section 529A of such Code, and the value of any “baby bond” account created, authorized, or funded by Federal, State, or local government. (vii) Interests in Indian trust land; (viii) Equity in a manufactured home where the family receives assistance under 24 CFR part 982; (ix) Equity in property under the Homeownership Option for which a family receives assistance under 24 CFR part 982; (x) Family Self-Sufficiency Accounts; and (xi) Federal tax refunds or refundable tax credits for a period of 12 months after receipt by the family. (4) In cases where a trust fund has been established and the trust is not revocable by, or under the control of, any member of the family or household, the trust fund is not a family asset and the value of the trust is not included in the calculation of net family assets, so long as the fund continues to be held in a trust that is not revocable by, or under the control of, any member of the family or household. Owner has the meaning provided in the relevant program regulations. As used in this subpart, where appropriate, the term “owner” shall also include a “borrower” as defined in part 891 of this title. Responsible entity. For § 5.611, in addition to the definition of “responsible entity” in § 5.100, “responsible entity” means: (1) For the Section 202 Supportive Housing Program for the Elderly, the “Owner” as defined in 24 CFR 891.205; (2) For the Section 202 Direct Loans for Housing for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities, the “Borrower” as defined in 24 CFR 891.505; and (3) For the Section 811 Supportive Housing Program for Persons with Disabilities, the “Owner” as defined in 24 CFR 891.305. Seasonal worker. An individual who is hired into a short-term position and the employment begins about the same time each year (such as summer or winter). Typically, the individual is hired to address seasonal demands that arise for the particular employer or industry. Tenant rent. The amount payable monthly by the family as rent to the unit owner (Section 8 owner or PHA in public housing). (This term is not used in the Section 8 voucher program.) Total tenant payment. See § 5.628. Utility allowance. If the cost of utilities (except telephone) and other housing services for an assisted unit is not included in the tenant rent but is the responsibility of the family occupying the unit, an amount equal to the estimate made or approved by a PHA or HUD of the monthly cost of a reasonable consumption of such utilities and other services for the unit by an energy-conservative household of modest circumstances consistent with the requirements of a safe, sanitary, and healthful living environment. Utility reimbursement. The amount, if any, by which the utility allowance for a unit, if applicable, exceeds the total tenant payment for the family occupying the unit. (This definition is not used in the Section 8 voucher program, or for a public housing family that is paying a flat rent.) Very low income family. A family whose annual income does not exceed 50 percent of the median family income for the area, as determined by HUD with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that HUD may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 50 percent of the median income for the area if HUD finds that such variations are necessary because of unusually high or low family incomes. Welfare assistance. Welfare or other payments to families or individuals, based on need, that are made under programs funded, separately or jointly, by Federal, State or local governments (including assistance provided under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, as that term is defined under the implementing regulations issued by the Department of Health and Human Services at 45 CFR 260.31). Work activities. See definition at section 407(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 607(d)).

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