102 Boarders

Boarders are individuals or groups of individuals residing with others and paying reasonable compensation to the others for lodging and meals. This section does not apply to: 1. Residents of commercial boarding houses. (See the Glossary manual for the definition of commercial boarding house.) Residents of commercial boarding houses are ineligible to participate in the Food Assistance Program under any circumstances. 2. Individuals residing in exempt institutions, i.e., drug/alcohol treatment programs, group living arrangements, shelters for battered women and children and homeless shelters. These individuals are not considered boarders. To determine if reasonable compensation is being paid for meals and lodging in making a determination of boarder status, only the amount paid for meals shall be used; provided that the amount paid for meals is distinguishable from the amount paid for lodging. A reasonable monthly payment shall be either of the following:  Boarders whose board arrangement is for more than two meals a day shall pay an amount which equals or exceeds the Thrifty Food Plan for the appropriate size of the boarder household.  Boarders whose board arrangement is for two meals or less per day shall pay an amount which equals or exceeds two-thirds of the Thrifty Food Plan for the appropriate size of the boarder household. Individuals determined to be boarders are ineligible to participate in the Food Assistance Program independently of the household providing the board. Boarders may participate as members of the household providing the boarder services at such household’s request. In no event can boarder status be granted to those individuals required to be in the same food assistance household as described in Section 100 B, Special Definition. The exception is that foster children or adults placed in a home by a Federal, State or local governmental foster care program are considered boarders. This is true even though foster children are under parental control. If the host household requests that foster children or adults be considered household members, they shall be included in the household budget. In this instance the entire foster care payment(s), including both the service payment and the maintenance payment, would then count as unearned income to the household. None of the income or resources of individuals determined to be boarders and who are not members of the household providing the boarder services shall be considered available to the household. However the amount of the payment that a boarder gives to a household shall be treated as self-employment income to the household. The procedures for handling self- employment income from boarders are set forth in Section 1101. Individuals furnished both meals and lodging by a household but paying compensation of less than a reasonable amount to the household for such services shall be considered a member of the household providing the services.