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PY26 WHEAP Manual
33 Revised: August 2025 the worker shall contact the HE+ Help Desk to determine if the applicant resides in an eligible dwelling.
Table 3.1: Dwelling Eligibility Eligible Dwellings Ineligible Dwellings Single family house (may include some non- standard dwelling types) Secondary home (e.g., vacation home, seasonal home) Multi-unit building with two (2) or more units (e.g., duplex, condo, apartment, townhouse, studio apartment, flat) Vehicle Mobile home Assisted living facility or nursing home Adult Family Home (as licensed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services) Group home, halfway house, most motel and hotel situations*, all YMCA/YWCA, Community- Based Residential Facility (CBRF), or foster home**
Government or institutional facility (e.g., jail, hospital, care institution)
Deer stand
Abandoned building or space
Tent
A home rented through Airbnb or similar service for short-term rentals*** *Must be primary residence and have an energy burden. Agencies must contact the HE+ Help Desk for approval for all applicants residing in a motel or hotel. **This refers to a foster group home or similar facility, not a private family household that includes foster child(ren). ***The owner of a home rented through Airbnb or similar service may be eligible if the owner lives in the home full-time and is income eligible.
3.2.2.2 Roomers A roomer is a person who rents a sleeping room and shares common living space and a common address with others in the household. While a roomer may not share in providing, or being provided for, the necessities of life with others living in the residence, they are still part of the same economic unit for the purposes of WHEAP because they share an energy burden.
3.2.2.3 Homeless A homeless applicant who has proof of a permanent address they will be moving into may be eligible for an energy assistance benefit if the following conditions are met: • Verification of a move to a permanent address. This should be verified by a lease agreement, phone call to the landlord, or information from a homeless shelter. • The applicant must have selected a vendor to provide service in their new residence unless energy service is included in the rent or paid to the landlord in a separate payment.