Housing Voucher Programs - Policy and Procedures Manual

Chapter IV Sections

1. Income Verification Requirements
2. Income Includes
3. Income Excludes
4. Assets
5. Allowances
6. Expenses
7. Definitions and Forms List
   1. Definitions
   2. Applicable Forms List

Chapter IV: Income – Allowances, Assets, Expenses, Verifications and Calculations

Section G: Definitions and Terms

1. Definitions

• AI – Annual Income refers to all gross amounts, monetary or not, and is determined by calculating a household’s anticipated total or gross income minus allowable deductions.
• DHS – Michigan Department of Human Services (formerly known as Family Independence Agency).
• DT – Departmental Technician
• Dependent - A member of the family (except foster children/adults) other than the family head or spouse/co-head, who is under 18 years of age, is a person with a disability, or is a full-time student. Co-heads under the age of 18 are also dependents.
• Disregard (Disallow) – exclusion from annual income.
• 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 (including the disabled family member) to be employed, provided that the expenses are neither paid to a member of the family nor reimbursed by an outside source (24 CRF 5.603).
• Disabled person – A person who has a disability, as defined in (A) 42 U.S.C. 423 and is determined to have a physical, mental, or emotional impairment that is expected to (1) be of long-continued and indefinite duration, (2) substantially impede his or her ability to live independently, and (3) be of such a nature that the ability to live independently could be improved by more suitable housing conditions, or (B) has a developmental disability as defined in 42 U.S.C. 6001. This definition includes persons who have the disease of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or any conditions arising from the etiologic agent for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. For purposes of qualifying for low-income housing, it does not include a person whose disability is based solely on any drug or alcohol dependence; and means “individual with handicaps,” for purposes of reasonable accommodation and program accessibility for persons with disabilities.
• 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, and 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 (24 CFR 5.603).
• Elite – MSHDA Office of Existing Housing Programs software program for tracking applicant, participant, and unit information.
• HCP – Health Care Professional
• HA – Housing Agent
• HS – Housing Specialist
• Irregular Income – Sporadically received or income where the amount received is not consistent.
• Job-training program – See economic self-sufficiency program. Some examples would be training through Michigan Works, vocational training.
• Low-employed - defines a person who, in the previous 12 months, earned no more than would have been earned at the established minimum wage (currently $5.15) for ten hours per week for 50 weeks, or a maximum of $2,575.
• 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 (24 CFR 5.603).
• Person with a disability – A family member who receives SSI or SSDI or who has verified their disability with a Verification of Disability and/or Special Medical Needs (MSHDA 16).
• PPM – Policy and Procedure Manual
• RM – Regional Manager
• RSDI – Retirement, Survivors, Disability Income - A form of Social Security benefits for disabled individuals administered by the DHS.
• SEMAP – Section Eight Management Assessment Program – A system used by HUD to measure PHA performance in key Section 8 program areas.
• SDA – State Disability Assistance – Cash assistance paid to disabled adults to help them pay for living expenses such as rent, heat, utilities, clothing, food and personal care items if they receive certain other disability related benefits, or reside in a special facility (i.e., AFC home) and is certified by Michigan DHS medical consultants as unable to work due to a mental or physical disability for at least 90 days. Administered by Michigan DHS.
• SSA - Social Security Administration
• SSI – Supplemental Security Income – benefit provided by the Social Security Administration which is funded by general federal tax revenues and paid to adults or children who are disabled or blind who meet eligibility criteria. The monthly benefit varies up to the maximum federal benefit rate which is standardized in all states but not everyone gets the same amount because it may be supplemented by the State or decreased by other countable income and resources.
• SSDI – Social Security Disability Income – disability benefit provided by the Social Security Administration to disabled workers, disabled widow(er)’s or adults disabled since childhood based on the Social Security earnings record of the insured worker on whose Social Security number the disability claim is filed.
• TANF - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families - also known as a welfare, ADC, or FIP grant, received through the State of Michigan’s Department of Human Services (DHS).
• TTP – Total Tenant Payment
• TPV - Third Party Verifications
• Unearned income – Any income not earned; i.e. Social Security, SSI.
• Unemployed - defines a person who, in the 12 months previous to employment, had no earned income.

2. Applicable Forms List