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Iowa LIHEAP Policy and Procedures Manual 20.00 Definitions

Effective 09/01/2023

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PROXY A proxy is someone who has the authority to act on behalf of the head of household.

RECORD RETENTION Except as otherwise provided, records must be retained for three years from the grant period starting date, and if any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the records has been started before the expiration of the 3-year period, the records must be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the regular 3-year period, whichever is later. Record Retention dates are noted in the Members Only page of the LIHEAP website https://humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa.

RENT-TO-OWN In a rent-to-own agreement, the buyer commits to renting a property for a specific period of time with the option of buying the home before the lease runs out. This is different than buying a home on contract, which requires the person to purchase the home. See https://homeguides.sfgate.com/rent-own-vs-buy- 58370.html for more information.

RENTER A person who pays rent to the owner (or his/her/they designee) of the dwelling unit in which the person resides, and is not part of the owner’s household or economic unit.

RESIDENCE The dwelling unit in which the LIHEAP customer is living on the application date.

SUBSIDIZED HOUSING ● If assistance is provided by a government agency or a non-profit program, it is considered subsidized housing. Examples include: Income-based housing; Section 8 (includes owners of manufactured homes where Section 8 pays part of the lot rent); Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) where rent assistance is paid on an on-going basis; CIRHA; Section 202; Public Housing Assistance; Housing First (pays the applicants’ rent and has heat included in the rent); and SIRHA. ● A home loan through the USDA that takes into account a person’s income level is NOT considered subsidized housing. ● Refugee resettlement funding given to a family from Catholic Charities or other organizations to pay for a multitude of things such as housing, groceries, and transportation, is NOT considered subsidized housing. ● Veteran housing paid for by Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing. ● If HUD sets the rent amount, which is below market rate, and utilities are included in rent, it is considered subsidized housing. ● An “income restricted apartment” is considered subsidized housing, based upon the definition below. o In order to be eligible for an income restricted apartment, a household’s earning must be at least 60% less than the area’s median income. For income restricted housing, an apartment home’s monthly rent is based on a percentage of the area’s income as well as the size of the apartment. Rents are not allowed to exceed market values, but they can fluctuate. The rental amount that is determined is what the tenant pays. The government typically subsidizes the rest of the market value rent.

UNRELATED INDIVIDUAL An unrelated individual is a person (other than an inmate of an institution) who is not living with any relatives. An unrelated individual may be the only person living in a house or apartment, or may be living in a house or apartment (or in group quarters such as a rooming house) in which one or more persons also live who are not related to the individual in question by birth, marriage, or adoption. Examples of unrelated individuals residing with others include a lodger, a foster child, a ward, or an employee.