§ 206.111 Definitions. *Adequate, alternate housing* means housing that accommodates the needs of the occupants; is within the normal commuting patterns of the area or is within reasonable commuting distance of work, school, or agricultural activities that provide over 50 percent of the household income; and is within the financial ability of the occupant.
*Alternative housing resources* means any housing that is available or can quickly be made available in lieu of permanent housing construction and is cost-effective when compared to permanent construction costs. Some examples are rental resources, manufactured housing units, and travel trailers.
*Applicant* means an individual or household who has applied for assistance under this subpart.
*Assistance from other* means includes monetary or in-kind contributions from voluntary or charitable organizations, insurance, other governmental programs, or from any sources other than those of the applicant.
*Dependent* means someone who is normally claimed as such on the Federal tax return of another, according to the Internal Revenue Code. It may also mean the minor children of a couple not living together, where the children live in the affected residence with the parent or guardian who does not claim them on the tax return.
*Destroyed* means the primary residence is a total loss or damaged to such an extent that repairs are infeasible.
*Displaced applicant* means one whose disaster-damaged primary residence is uninhabitable, inaccessible, or made unavailable by the landlord.
*Effective date of assistance* means the date that the applicant was determined eligible for assistance.
*Eligible hazard mitigation measures* are home improvements that an applicant can accomplish in order to reduce or prevent future disaster damage to the primary residence, utilities, or infrastructure.
*Essential tools* means tools and equipment required for employment and items required for education.
*Fair market rent* means estimates of rent plus the cost of utilities, except telephone, identified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as being adequate for existing rental housing in a particular geographic area.
*Financial ability* means the applicant's capability to pay 30 percent of gross post-disaster household income for housing. When computing financial ability, extreme or unusual financial circumstances may be considered by FEMA.
*Financial assistance* means cash that may be provided to eligible individuals and households, usually in the form of a check or electronic funds transfer.
*Functioning* means an item or home capable of being used for its intended purpose.
*Household* means all persons (adults and children) who lived in the pre-disaster residence who request assistance under this subpart, as well as any persons, such as infants, spouse, or part-time residents who were not present at the time of the disaster, but who are expected to return during the assistance period.
*Housing costs* means rent and mortgage payments, including principal, interest, real estate taxes, real property insurance, homeowners or condominium association fees, and utility costs.
*Inaccessible* means as a result of the incident, the applicant cannot reasonably be expected to gain entry to his or her pre-disaster residence due to the disruption, or destruction, of access routes or other impediments to access, or restrictions placed on movement by a responsible official due to continued health, safety or security problems.
*In-kind contributions* mean something other than monetary assistance, such as goods, commodities or services.
*Lodging expenses* means expenses for reasonable short-term accommodations that individuals or households incur in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Lodging expenses may include but are not limited to the cost of brief hotel stays.
*Manufactured housing sites* means those sites used for the placement of travel trailers and other manufactured housing units, including: ( 1 ) *Commercial site,* a site customarily leased for a fee, which is fully equipped to accommodate a housing unit;
( 2 ) *Private site,* a site that the applicant provides or obtains at no cost to the Federal Government, complete with utilities; and
( 3 ) *Group site,* a site provided by the State or local government or FEMA, if determined that such site would be more economical or accessible than one that the State or local government provides, that accommodates two or more units and is complete with utilities.
*Necessary expense* means the cost associated with acquiring an item or items, obtaining a service, or paying for any other activity that meets a serious need.
*Occupant* means a resident of a housing unit.
*Owner-occupied* means that the residence is occupied by: ( 1 ) The legal owner with verifiable documentation; or
( 2 ) A person who does not hold formal title to the residence and pays no rent, but can produce verifiable documentation demonstrative of legal responsibility including tax payment receipts; receipts for major repairs, maintenance, or improvements of the residence; court documents, a letter from a public official, or, for mobile home or travel trailer owners residing in a commercial park, a letter from the mobile home park owner or manager; or
( 3 ) A person who has verifiable documentation of lifetime occupancy rights with formal title vested in another.
*Permanent housing plan* means a realistic plan that, within a reasonable timeframe, puts the displaced applicant back into permanent housing that is similar to their pre-disaster housing situation. A reasonable timeframe includes sufficient time within the period of assistance for securing funds and services to repair the home, completing repairs or locating a permanent dwelling, and moving into the dwelling.
*Primary residence* means the dwelling where the applicant normally lives, during the major portion of the calendar year; or the dwelling that is required because of proximity to employment, including agricultural activities, that provide 50 percent of the household's income.
*Reasonable commuting distance* means a distance that does not place undue hardship on an applicant. It also takes into consideration the traveling time involved due to road conditions, *e.g.,* mountainous regions or road closures and the normal commuting patterns of the area.
*Recertification* means the process that FEMA uses to evaluate an applicant's eligibility for continued temporary housing assistance under § 206.114.
*Repairs* means repairs of a quality necessary for a safe and sanitary living or functioning condition.
*Safe* means secure from hazards or threats to occupants.
*Sanitary* means free of health hazards.
*Serious need* means the requirement for an item, or service, that is necessary to an applicant's ability to prevent, mitigate, or overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition.
*Significantly delayed* means the process has taken more than 30 days.
*State* means, for the purposes of this subpart and where consistent with the requirements of the Stafford Act, any State as defined in § 206.2(a)(22) or Indian tribal government as defined in the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(6)).
*Uninhabitable* means the dwelling is not safe or sanitary.
*We, our,* and *us* mean FEMA.
[67 FR 61452, Sept. 30, 2002; 67 FR 62896, Oct. 9, 2002, as amended at 89 FR 4119, Jan. 22, 2024]