§ 91.5 Definitions. The terms Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, elderly person, and HUD are defined in 24 CFR part 5. *At risk of homelessness.* ( 1 ) An individual or family who: ( i ) Has an annual income below 30 percent of median family income for the area, as determined by HUD;
( ii ) Does not have sufficient resources or support networks, *e.g.,* family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the “Homeless” definition in this section; and
( iii ) Meets one of the following conditions: ( A ) Has moved because of economic reasons two or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness prevention assistance;
( B ) Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship;
( C ) Has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days after the date of application for assistance;
( D ) Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals;
( E ) Lives in a single-room occupancy or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than two persons or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than 1.5 people per room, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau;
( F ) Is exiting a publicly funded institution, or system of care (such as a health-care facility, a mental health facility, foster care or other youth facility, or correction program or institution); or
( G ) Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified in the recipient's approved consolidated plan;
( 2 ) A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under section 387(3) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)), section 637(11) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832(11)), section 41403(6) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2(6)), section 330(h)(5)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)(5)(A)), section 3(m) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(m)), or section 17(b)(15) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(15)); or
( 3 ) A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that child or youth if living with her or him.
*Certification.* A written assertion, based on supporting evidence, that must be kept available for inspection by HUD, by the Inspector General of HUD, and by the public. The assertion shall be deemed to be accurate unless HUD determines otherwise, after inspecting the evidence and providing due notice and opportunity for comment.
*Chronically homeless* means: ( 1 ) A “homeless individual with a disability,” as defined in section 401(9) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360(9)), who: ( i ) Lives in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter; and
( ii ) Has been homeless and living as described in paragraph (1)(i) of this definition continuously for at least 12 months or on at least 4 separate occasions in the last 3 years, as long as the combined occasions equal at least 12 months and each break in homelessness separating the occasions included at least 7 consecutive nights of not living as described in paragraph (1)(i). Stays in institutional care facilities for fewer than 90 days will not constitute as a break in homelessness, but rather such stays are included in the 12-month total, as long as the individual was living or residing in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or an emergency shelter immediately before entering the institutional care facility;
( 2 ) An individual who has been residing in an institutional care facility, including a jail, substance abuse or mental health treatment facility, hospital, or other similar facility, for fewer than 90 days and met all of the criteria in paragraph (1) of this definition, before entering that facility; or
( 3 ) A family with an adult head of household (or if there is no adult in the family, a minor head of household) who meets all of the criteria in paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition, including a family whose composition has fluctuated while the head of household has been homeless.
*Consolidated plan* or (“the plan”). The document that is submitted to HUD that serves as the comprehensive housing affordability strategy, community development plan, and submissions for funding under any of the Community Planning and Development formula grant programs (e.g., CDBG, ESG, HOME, and HOPWA), that is prepared in accordance with the process described in this part.
*Consortium.* An organization of geographically contiguous units of general local government that are acting as a single unit of general local government for purposes of the HOME program (see 24 CFR part 92).
*Continuum of Care.* The group composed of representatives of relevant organizations, which generally includes nonprofit homeless providers, victim service providers, faith-based organizations, governments, businesses, advocates, public housing agencies, school districts, social service providers, mental health agencies, hospitals, universities, affordable housing developers, law enforcement, organizations that serve homeless and formerly homeless veterans, and homeless and formerly homeless persons that are organized to plan for and provide, as necessary, a system of outreach, engagement, and assessment; emergency shelter; rapid re-housing; transitional housing; permanent housing; and prevention strategies to address the various needs of homeless persons and persons at risk of homelessness for a specific geographic area.
*Cost burden.* The extent to which gross housing costs, including utility costs, exceed 30 percent of gross income, based on data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.
*Emergency shelter.* Any facility, the primary purpose of which is to provide a temporary shelter for the homeless in general or for specific populations of the homeless, and which does not require occupants to sign leases or occupancy agreements.
*Extremely low-income family.* Family whose income is between 0 and 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 median for the area on the basis of HUD's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes.
*Homeless.* ( 1 ) An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: ( i ) An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground;
( ii ) An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income individuals); or
( iii ) An individual who is exiting an institution where he or she resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution;
( 2 ) An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that: ( i ) The primary nighttime residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of application for homeless assistance;
( ii ) No subsequent residence has been identified; and
( iii ) The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks needed to obtain other permanent housing;
( 3 ) Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with children and youth, who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition, but who: ( i ) Are defined as homeless under section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a), section 637 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832), section 41403 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2), section 330(h) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)), section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012), section 17(b) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)), or section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a);
( ii ) Have not had a lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing at any time during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of application for homeless assistance;
( iii ) Have experienced persistent instability as measured by two moves or more during the 60-day period immediately preceding the date of applying for homeless assistance; and
( iv ) Can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse (including neglect), the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or two or more barriers to employment, which include the lack of a high school degree or General Education Development (GED), illiteracy, low English proficiency, a history of incarceration or detention for criminal activity, and a history of unstable employment; or
( 4 ) Any individual or family who: ( i ) Is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a family member, including a child, that has either taken place within the individual's or family's primary nighttime residence or has made the individual or family afraid to return to their primary nighttime residence;
( ii ) Has no other residence; and
( iii ) Lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, to obtain other permanent housing.
*Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).* The information system designated by the Continuum of Care to comply with HUD's data collection, management, and reporting standards and used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at risk of homelessness.
*Homeless person.* A youth (17 years or younger) not accompanied by an adult (18 years or older) or an adult without children, who is homeless (not imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to an Act of Congress or a State law), including the following: ( 1 ) An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and
( 2 ) An individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is: ( i ) A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill);
( ii ) An institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
( iii ) A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
*Jurisdiction.* A State or unit of general local government.
*Large family.* Family of five or more persons.
*Lead-based paint hazards* means lead-based paint hazards as defined in part 35, subpart B of this title.
*Low-income families.* Low-income families whose incomes do 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 for the area on the basis of HUD's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes.
*Middle-income family.* Family whose income is between 80 percent and 95 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 95 percent of the median for the area on the basis of HUD's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes. (This corresponds to the term “moderate income family” under the CHAS statute, 42 U.S.C. 12705.)
*Moderate-income family.* Family whose 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 for the area on the basis of HUD's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes.
*Overcrowding.* For purposes of describing relative housing needs, a housing unit containing more than one person per room, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, for which data are made available by the Census Bureau. (See 24 CFR 791.402(b).)
*Person with a disability.* A person who is determined to: ( 1 ) Have a physical, mental or emotional impairment that: ( i ) Is expected to be of long-continued and indefinite duration;
( ii ) Substantially impedes his or her ability to live independently; and
( iii ) Is of such a nature that the ability could be improved by more suitable housing conditions; or
( 2 ) Have a developmental disability, as defined in section 102(7) of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (42 U.S.C. 6001-6007); or
( 3 ) Be the surviving member or members of any family that had been living in an assisted unit with the deceased member of the family who had a disability at the time of his or her death.
*Poverty level family.* Family with an income below the poverty line, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget and revised annually.
*Rapid re-housing assistance.* The provision of housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance as necessary to help a homeless individual or family move as quickly as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.
*Severe cost burden.* The extent to which gross housing costs, including utility costs, exceed 50 percent of gross income, based on data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.
*State.* Any State of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
*Transitional housing.* A project that is designed to provide housing and appropriate supportive services to homeless persons to facilitate movement to independent living within 24 months, or a longer period approved by HUD. For purposes of the HOME program, there is no HUD-approved time period for moving to independent living.
*Victim service provider.* A private nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to provide services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. This term includes rape crisis centers, battered women's shelters, domestic violence transitional housing programs, and other programs.
*Unit of general local government.* A city, town, township, county, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State; an urban county; and a consortium of such political subdivisions recognized by HUD in accordance with the HOME program (24 CFR part 92) or the CDBG program (24 CFR part 570).
*Urban county.* See definition in 24 CFR 570.3.
[60 FR 1896, Jan. 5, 1995; 60 FR 4861, Jan. 25, 1995, as amended at 61 FR 5205, Feb. 9, 1996; 64 FR 50223, Sept. 15, 1999; 71 FR 6961, Feb. 9, 2006; 76 FR 75966, 76013, Dec. 5, 2011; 80 FR 42360, July 16, 2015; 80 FR 75804, Dec. 4, 2015; 85 FR 47906, Aug. 7, 2020]