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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

10/24 VOLUME V, PART VI, PAGE 4

c. If a dwelling is constructed as a single-family home, separate households probably do not exist but, a dwelling constructed as a multi-family structure (e.g., a duplex, apartment building), separate households probably exist.

Examples 1) A 20-year-old woman lives in two rooms in her parents' basement. She has a bed, sofa, refrigerator, hotplate, etc., but uses the kitchen and bathroom in her parents' home. All residents must participate together since this is a single-family dwelling and common facilities are shared.

2) Individuals live together in the same house. One person lives in an apartment in the basement. The apartment contains a kitchenette and bathroom along with other living space. Since the apartment is a separate, identifiable dwelling unit, the residents are not considered as living together.

3) Individuals live in separate rooms in a hotel but must share a bathroom down the hall. Since they live in separate, identifiable units, they are not required to participate together even though they share common facilities.

These types of situations require careful case-by-case evaluation, and the BPS must take care not to impose rigid guidelines, such as requiring a separate unit to have a kitchen or requiring separate units within one dwelling to have separate entrances. Document how the decision to consider persons residing together or not was determined in these types of situations.

6. Household Membership of Those Frequently Away from Home

Use the following guidelines to determine household membership when an individual is frequently away:

a. If an individual spends at least 15 days per month in the home and otherwise meets the definition of a household member, as described in Part VI.A.1 and Part VI.A.2, consider the individual a household member.

b. If an individual spends fewer than 15 days per month in the home, the applicant may choose whether to include the individual as a household member, provided the individual otherwise meets the definition of a household member and is not certified for SNAP benefits elsewhere. If the individual, who is frequently away, is the spouse of a household member, consider the individual as a household member unless the household can present an address to document where the spouse resides the rest of the month. A required household member, who is part of more than one household, must be considered a member of the unit where most of the time is spent, if both units apply for SNAP benefits.

Example Household A receives SNAP for a child who visits on the weekends. Household B subsequently applies for SNAP and includes the child, as the child resides with

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