Code of Maine Rules › 99 - INDEPENDENT AGENCIES › 346 - MAINE STATE HOUSING AUTHORITY › Chapter 25 - WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RULE › Section 346-25-1 - Definitions

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
As used in this rule, the following terms shall have the
				  identified meaning, unless the context otherwise requires:
A. "Administration" means the management and
				planning activities respecting WAP that are reimbursable under Section
				2 of this Rule;
B. "Act" means the Maine Housing Authorities
				Act,
				30-A M.R.S.A. §4701
et seq
., as it may be amended from time to time;
C. "APA" means the Maine Administrative
				Procedures Act, Title 5, chapter 375 of the Maine Revised Statutes;
D. "Appellant" means an individual or entity
				requesting a Fair Hearing under this Rule;
E. "Catchment Area" means the geographic area
				within which the Subgrantee administers and operates WAP;
F. "CHIP" means the Central Heating
				Improvement Program component of HEAP;
G. "Completion Date" means the day that the
				Subgrantee allocates a source of WAP funds to pay for Weatherization Materials
				and services respecting a Dwelling Unit and deems the unit complete for billing
				purposes;
H. "DOE" means the United
				States Department of Energy;
I.
				"Dwelling Unit" shall have the same meaning asset forth in
				10
				C.F.R. §
										440.3, as may be amended from
				time to time;
J. "ECIP" means the
				Energy Crisis Intervention Program component of HEAP;
K. "Elderly" shall have the same meaning
				asset forth in
				42 U.S.C. §
										6962(3) and 10 C.F.R. §
				440.3, both as may be amended from time to time;
L. "Eligible Household" means a house hold
				which qualifies for services pursuant to this rule;
M. "Emergency" means an unexpected
				circumstance which poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of one or
				more members of an Eligible Household;
N. "Extenuating Circumstances" means
				substantial hardship respecting the Subgrantee's compliance with this rule or
				other significant program requirements;
O. "Fair Hearing" means a hearing and
				opportunity to be heard called for by the Weatherization Act;
P. "Fair Hearing Officer" means a hearing
				officer contracted for by Maine Housing to conduct Fair Hearings under this
				Rule;
Q. "HEAP" means the Home
				Energy Assistance Program as administered and operated by Maine
				Housing;
R. "Household Income"
				means gross income of a household earned and/or received before taxes during
				applicable tax year(s) for purposes of determining whether the household is an
				Eligible Household and includes the following:
1. Money, wages and salaries before any
				deductions;
2. Net receipts from
				non-farm or farm self-employment (receipts from a person's own business or from
				an owned or rented farm after deductions for business or farm
				expenses);
3. Regular payments from
				social security, rail road retirement, unemployment compensation, strike
				benefits from union funds, worker's compensation, veteran's payments, training
				stipends, alimony, and military family allotments;
4. Private pensions, government employee
				pensions (including military retirement pay), and regular insurance or annuity
				payments;
5. Dividends and/or
				interest;
6. Net rental income and
				net royalties;
7. Periodic receipts
				from estates or trusts; and
8. Net
				gambling or lottery winnings.
Household Income does not include the following:
1. Capital gains;
2. Any assets drawn down as with drawals from
				a bank;
3. Money received from the
				sale of a property, house, or car;
4. One-time payments from a welfare agency to
				a family or person who is intemporary financial difficulty;
5. Tax refunds;
6. Gifts, loans, or lump-sum in
				heritances;
7. College
				scholarships;
8. One-time insurance
				payments, or compensation for injury;
9. Non-cash benefits, such as the
				employer-paid or union-paid portion of health insurance;
10. Employee fringe benefits, food or housing
				received in lieu of wages;
11. The
				value of food and fuel produced and consumed on farms;
12. The imputed value of rent from
				owner-occupied non-farm or farm housing;
13. Depreciation for farm or business
				assets;
14. Federal non-cash
				benefit programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, school lunches, and
				housing assistance;
15. Combat zone
				pay to the military;
16. Child
				support;
17. Reverse mortgages; and
18. Payments for care of foster
				children;