Glossary

This glossary provides definitions of affordable housing terms including the Housing and Program Types you can use to filter your search. Housing and program types determine the eligibility requirements that renters must meet to apply for certain apartments/units. Housing type determines the eligibility requirements that people need to meet to qualify for housing. Program type determines the source of funding used to make apartments/units affordable. Eligibility for program types comes through a physical voucher that renters secure through an application or lottery process or a voucher that is applied to specific units within a building.

Affordable Housing: In general, housing for which the occupant(s) is/are paying no more than 30 percent of his or her income for gross housing costs, including utilities.; Please note that some jurisdictions may define affordable housing based on other, locally determined criteria, and that this definition is intended solely as an approximate guideline or general rule of thumb.

Affordable Housing Trust Fund, KHC Small Rental Program: These are two housing programs funded by KHC to finance affordable rental housing for low income families.; Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.

Assisted Living: Housing for elderly or disabled people that provides nursing care, housekeeping, and prepared meals as needed.; Assisted living provides older adults with a broader base of support than independent living, but offers less support than a nursing home or memory care facility.

Family/Household: May be eligible for assistance it its gross income is within income limit guidelines. Households must meet the definition of family as established by the administering agency and the individual property.

Elderly: Head, spouse or sole member is at least 62 years of age, handicapped or disabled.

Disabled: Someone in the household must have a disability as defined by Section 223 of the Social Security Act or Section 102(b)(5) of the Developmental Disabilities services and Facilities Construction Amendments of 1970.; Section 223 relates to physical or mental impairments which make it impossible to engage in gainful activity.; Section 102 relates to neurological conditions which constitute a substantial handicap and are expected to continue indefinitely.

Disabled: Someone in the household must have a disability as defined by Section 223 of the Social Security Act or Section 102(b)(5) of the Developmental Disabilities services and Facilities Construction Amendments of 1970.; Section 223 relates to physical or mental impairments which make it impossible to engage in gainful activity.; Section 102 relates to neurological conditions which constitute a substantial handicap and are expected to continue indefinitely.

Dependent: Includes persons aged 17 and younger or handicapped/disabled persons of any age, other than head, spouse or foster children, and full-time students aged 18 and older.; Foster children are considered for number of bedrooms only.

Fair Housing Act: 1968 act (amended in 1974 and 1988) providing the HUD Secretary with fair housing enforcement and investigation responsibilities.; A law that prohibits discrimination in all facets of the homebuying process on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.

Fair Market Rent - Primarily used to: determine payment standard amounts for the Housing Choice Voucher program; determine initial renewal rents for some expiring project-based Section 8 contracts; determine initial rents for housing assistance payment contracts in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program; serve as a rent ceiling in the HOME rental assistance program.

Fair Market Value: The amount of money that would probably be paid for a property in a sale between a willing seller, who does not have to sell, and a willing buyer, who does not have to buy.

Group Homes (GH): Group Homes may be subsidized under the Section 8 Program.
The homes are designed for occupancy by individuals who are physically or developmentally disabled or chronically ill.
Group homes administered by KHC are designed only for individuals who are developmentally disabled or chronically mentally ill.; Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.

Homeless: An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
as well an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations, an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized;
or a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

Housing Credit: The Housing Credit (HC) program provides tax incentives for the development of multifamily housing for families whose incomes are less than 60 percent of area median income.; Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.

HUD Section 202: Supportive Housing for the Elderly; Occupancy in Section 202 housing is open to any very low-income household comprised of at least one person who is at least 62 years old at the time of initial occupancy. Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.

HUD Section 220 - Rental Housing for Urban Renewal and Concentrated Development Areas: All families are eligible to occupy a dwelling in a structure where the mortgage is insured under the program, subject to normal tenant selection. Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.; Section 220 insures loans for multifamily housing projects in urban renewal areas, code enforcement areas, and other areas where local governments have undertaken designated revitalization activities.

HUD Section 221 (d) - Rental and Cooperative Housing: All families are eligible to occupy dwellings in a structure whose mortgage is insured under this program, subject to normal tenant selection.
There are no income limits. Projects may be designed specifically for the elderly or handicapped. Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.; Section 221(d)(3) and 221(d)(4) insures mortgage loans to facilitate the new construction or substantial rehabilitation of multifamily rental or cooperative housing for moderate-income families, elderly, and the handicapped.
Single Room Occupancy (SRO) projects may also be insured under this section.

HUD Section 231 - Rental Housing for the Elderly: All elderly (62 or older) or persons with disabilities are eligible to occupy apartments in a project whose mortgage is insured under the program. Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.; The Section 231 insures mortgage loans to facilitate the construction and substantial rehabilitation of multifamily rental housing for elderly persons (62 or older) and/or persons with disabilities.

The HUD Section 236: The HUD Section 236 Program serves lower-income families who contribute no more than 30 percent of their adjusted income or a base amount toward rent, whichever is higher.; Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.

HUD Section 811 - Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities: In order to live in Section 811 housing, a household which may consist of a single qualified person must be very low-income (within 50 percent of the median income for the area) and at least one member must be 18 years old or older and have a disability, such as a physical or developmental disability or chronic mental illness. Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.; HUD provides funding to nonprofit organizations to develop rental housing with the availability of supportive services for very low-income adults with disabilities, and provides rent subsidies for the projects to help make them affordable.

HUD Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME): The HOME Program provides funds for tenant-based rental assistance, construction of new rental units or rehabilitation of existing rental units. Requirements for tenancy vary according to activity and each project's tenant selection plan may be different.; Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.

Project-Based Section 8: The Section 8 program helps low and very low income families pay their rent. Eligible tenants must pay the higher of either 30 percent of their adjusted income or 10 percent of their gross income. Many Section 8 apartments are reserved for the elderly. A small portion of the units are specially designed for the mobility impaired.; Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.

Public Housing: Public Housing programs serve low and very low income families with rents based on the same formula used for Project--Based Section 8 assistance.; Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.

Rural Development: The Rural Development Program serves low and moderate income families in rural areas. Low income senior citizens or families paying rent of more than 30 percent of their adjusted annual incomes can qualify for rental assistance. In properties not offering rental assistance, tenants pay the greater of 30 percent of adjusted income or the base rent. Low-interest rate loans are made to owners to reduce the rents (including utilities) paid by low income tenants.; Contact the property to determine availability and eligibility.