Family And Household
The terms family and household have different meanings in the HCV program.
Family
To be eligible for assistance, an applicant must qualify as a family. A family may be a single person or a group of persons. Family as defined by HUD includes:
- A family with a child or children
- Two or more elderly or disabled persons living together
- One or more elderly or disabled persons living with one or more live-in aides
- A single person
A single person family may be a/an:
- Elderly person
- Displaced person
- Disabled person
- Other single person
The VHA has the discretion to determine if any other group of persons qualifies as a family.
A family also includes two or more individuals who are not related by blood, marriage, adoption, or other operation of law but who either can demonstrate that they have lived together previously or certify that each individual's income and other resources will be available to meet the needs of the family.
Each family must identify the individuals to be included in the family at the time of application, and must update this information if the family's composition changes.
Household
Household is a broader term that includes additional people who, with the VHA's permission, live in an assisted unit, such as live-in aides, foster children, and foster adults.