18.8 Excess Shelter Deduction.

A. A deduction will be allowed for monthly shelter expenses in excess of 50 percent of the household’s income after all other above referenced deductions have been applied. B. Note: The deduction cannot exceed the maximum shelter deduction provided by FNS unless the household contains a disabled or elderly individual. C. Shelter expenses only include the following: 1. Reoccurring charges for the shelter occupied by the household such as rent, mortgage or continuing charges leading to the ownership of the shelter (i.e., loan payments for the purchase of a mobile home); 2. Property taxes and insurance on the dwelling itself; 3. Cost of fuel for heating and cooling; 4. Electricity and fuel used for costs other than heating and cooling; 5. Water and sewage costs (including well or septic tank installation and maintenance); 6. Garbage and trash collection; 7. All services and costs to provide one telephone; 8. Shelter costs for the home if unoccupied due to being temporarily away for employment or training, illness or abandonment caused by a natural disaster; 9. Repair charges for a home that was substantially destroyed by a natural disaster such as a fire or a flood; 10. Note: Shelter costs do not include repair charges that will be reimbursed by a public or private relief agency or an insurance company. Source: 7 CFR §273.9(d)(6)(ii) Revised: March 2022