Glossary

Adjusted income: The amount of income that is used to determine rent for federal housing programs, if the rent is income-based. The housing program figures adjusted income by first looking at the total anticipated income for a household, and then subtracting certain deductions and expenses. What is left is adjusted income, and rent will be 30% of that amount.

Annual income: The term used in federal housing programs to describe the total amount of anticipated income coming into a household. Once a federal program determines the annual income, it will subtract certain deductions and expenses and come up with an adjusted income amount.

Asset: Property (such as bank accounts, stocks, and capital investments) to which a value can be assigned. Federal rules have a specific definition of “net family assets.” See HUD rule 24 C.F.R. § 5.603.

Checkmeter: A device owned and installed by the housing authority that measures the electricity or gas consumed by a dwelling unit. Checkmeters are installed in addition to the master meter, which is owned by the utility and measures total building consumption. The housing authority is responsible for paying the bill to the utility. Tenants may have to pay the housing authority a surcharge if the checkmeter for their unit shows utility use higher than the utility allowance.

Deduction: An amount of money that is subtracted from a household’s total anticipated income before calculating rent. Deductions can be fixed amounts (for example, $480 per dependent) or fluctuating depending on particular household expenses (for example, unreimbursed medical expenses).

DHCD: Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, the state agency that oversees housing authorities and state public housing.

Discretionary: Something that is not required, but that is optional.

Earned income exclusion: A type of exclusion for state public housing residents who had previously received public benefits or were previously unemployed and then began working.

Eligible noncitizen: A person who is not a U.S. citizen but is an immigrant who belongs to a group which is allowed, under federal law, to apply to all federal housing programs. Allowable groups include permanent residents, asylees and refugees.

Exclusion: Family income which a housing authority must ignore for purposes of calculating rent. For example, the value of food stamps or a tax refund cannot be counted towards your rent.

Flat rent: The standard maximum rent amount set by a housing authority for an apartment, based on bedroom size, condition, and location, that federal public housing programs must offer to tenants as an alternative to income-based rents.

Good cause: A legally sufficient reason. For example, a housing authority must have good cause to evict someone; or, a tenant may have good cause to transfer to another apartment if a household member has a compelling and documented physical impairment.

Grievance: A grievance is a complaint filed to ask for a hearing about an injury, injustice, or wrong.

Grievance hearing: A process following filing of a complaint in which a hearing officer or other official listens to parties, considers evidence, and makes a decision or ruling. Before going to the hearing stage, the grievance process begins with an informal conference or informal hearing, which is a meeting that allows parties to try and convince the housing authority that a decision or proposed action is incorrect. Tenants have a right to have an advocate or other person with them during both an informal conference and a grievance hearing.

Gross income: The term used in state housing programs to describe the total amount of anticipated income coming into the household. Once a state program determines the gross income, it will account for certain deductions and expenses and come up with the net income amount on which rent is based.

Hardship: A difficult or adverse situation for a tenant household (for example, loss of a family member).

Hardship exemption: If a family qualifies for a hardship exemption it will not have to pay a minimum rent, but can pay less than the minimum down to $0.

Hearing: See grievance hearing.

Household: People listed on your lease and authorized by the housing authority to live in your apartment.

HUD: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Imputed welfare income: The determination by a housing authority not to lower a tenant’s rent where a tenant’s welfare grant was sanctioned and reduced for certain reasons.

Income-based rent: Rent figured as a percentage of a household’s anticipated yearly income. In public housing programs, the rent for each unit is almost always determined as a percentage of the income of the family who lives there. Therefore, rents for similar units in a development could be different, depending on who lives in each unit.

Interim reporting: In public housing programs, the rules concerning when a household must report a change in family or income between the yearly recertifications.

Lump sum: One-time payment.

Minimum rent: In public housing, the amount of rent a public housing authority is allowed to charge a household even if there is no income. The range is between $0 and $50 a month, depending on the housing authority and the program. A household can, in many circumstances, avoid the minimum rent by applying for a hardship exemption.

Net income: The amount of income that is used to determine rent for state housing programs if the rent is income-based. The housing program figures net income by first looking at the total anticipated income for a household, and then subtracting certain deductions and expenses. What is left is net income, and rent will be a percentage of that amount.

Overhoused: Where a family is living in a unit designed for a larger family.

Pro-rated rent: The rent amount determined according to specified calculations by a federal public housing program for a household with some undocumented immigrants. The undocumented immigrants can reside in the program’s housing, but the federal housing program will adjust the subsidy to cover only the citizens or eligible noncitizens. Generally, the calculation of the benefit amount is based on the proportion of eligible individuals to ineligible individuals. As a result, these “mixed” households may pay more than the standard 30% of income for rent.

RAFT or Residential Assistance for Families in Transition: A state-funded program to help low-income families avoid homelessness. RAFT helps pay for security deposits, back rent, or utility arrearages.

Reasonable Accommodation: In the context of housing, a reasonable accommodation is a change or modification that a housing authority or landlord makes in a rule, policy, practice, service, or physical space so that a person with a disability may make full use of his or her home. The change is considered reasonable if it does not create an unnecessary burden for the housing authority and when it does not require the housing authority to change its program.

Recertification: The general term used by all housing authorities to describe the yearly procedure by which a housing authority checks a household’s composition and income in order to determine whether the household’s portion of the rent needs to be recalculated.

Redetermination: The term used in state public housing to describe the recertification process.

Reexamination: The term used in federal public housing to describe the recertification process.

Retroactive: Referring to action applied to a past time. For example, a housing authority is allowed in certain circumstances to go back and charge you additional rent for months that have already passed. Retroactive rents are usually imposed only if the tenant tries to hide income or does not cooperate with the recertification process.

Sanctioned: Penalized. For example, if someone receiving welfare fails to meet work requirements or violates other parts of a state’s welfare policy, penalties are imposed.

Screening: The process of reviewing records and references to determine if someone will be a good tenant.

Self-sufficiency incentive: A type of exclusion for federal public housing residents who had received public benefits or were previously unemployed and began working.

Utility allowance: The amount of money that a housing authority will deduct from rent where a public housing tenant pays for all or some utilities (but not telephone or cable TV).

Verification: Proof. In public housing, the process where the housing authority checks the information given by the tenant about income and family composition. This includes asking the tenants to provide certain paperwork and seeking information from outside sources (such as employers). The papers themselves are referred to as verifications.

Waive: To not apply a rule because of a special circumstance.

Waiver: Permission, usually from an agency, not to follow certain rules.