1115.035.25 Excess Shelter Cost

Food Stamp EUs, including the homeless, incurring shelter expenses may receive an excess shelter deduction. The excess shelter deduction:

• is the monthly shelter costs that exceed 50 percent of the EU's income after all other deductions  have been allowed.
• cannot exceed $552 for EUs without any elderly or disabled members.
• has no maximum for EUs containing a member who meets the elderly/disabled definition.

Shelter costs are entered on the Shelter Expense (SHELEXP/FMXK) screen. FAMIS uses the expenses entered on (SHELEXP/FMXK) screen to calculate the EU's excess shelter deduction. EUs entitled to the Standard Utility Allowance must have a primary heating or cooling expense entered on the Shelter Expense (SHELEXP/FMXK) screen and "Y" entered in the Primary H/C field.

Always review the Budget Summary screen (FSBUDSUM/FM4A) prior to authorizing a case action. From the Budget Summary Screen press FI5=EXPSUM to review the Expense Summary screen to ensure expenses you expect to be budgeted are included in the budget. If the expense is incorrect, return to the Shelter Expense (SHELEXP/FMXK) screen and correct the expenses.

1115.035.25.05 Allowable Shelter Costs

Shelter costs are as incurred or as billed rather than as paid. Shelter costs do not include penalty fees (late payment charges on rent, mortgages, property insurance, and/or property taxes). Money paid to the EU by individuals outside the EU for shelter costs are considered income to the EU and are allowable shelter deductions.

If more than one food stamp EU, including individuals in DMH apartment placements, lives in one apartment and more than one EU pays the rent, each food stamp EU is entitled to a prorated share of the rent.

Shelter costs consist of the costs of the following. The expense type is listed in parenthesis.

• Rent (RT) and house payments (HP) are allowable costs. Include in shelter costs the continuing expense of the dwelling (including mobile home and lot rent) occupied by the EU. Such costs are rent, mortgage, or other charges leading to the ownership of the dwelling, including interest on such shelter costs
• For condominium owners allow the entire amount of the condominium fee (CF) as a shelter expense.
• Include property taxes (TX), state and local assessments. Allow personal property tax on a mobile home as a shelter expense.
• Insurance on the structure (IN) itself is an allowable shelter expense.
• Utilities for heating and cooking fuel (GA, KE, OL), electricity (EL), water (WA) and sewer (SE), trash collection (TR), and telephone (PH) are a deductible shelter cost. (Refer to the Mandatory Utility Standards section.)
• Repairs to a home damaged or destroyed due to a natural disaster and corresponding shelter expenses are allowable expenses, under certain circumstances. Shelter expenses include charges for the repair of a home substantially damaged or destroyed due to a natural disaster such as a fire or flood. Enter expenses for repairs of a home damaged or destroyed due to a natural disaster on the Shelter Expense (FMXK) screen. The expense type codes are for vacated home - including actual utilities (VA), vacated home - no utilities (VH), and vacated home - including the non-heating/cooling standard (VS).
• Initial installation fees charged by the utility provider (UI) are allowable expenses. One time deposits (which are separate from installation fees and are generally refundable) are not considered a utility cost.
• The costs of wood (WD) if the EU purchases wood for heating or cooking are allowable costs. The costs of cutting wood (such as cutting permits, gas for chain saw, and equipment such as a chain saw) are not allowable shelter costs.
• For homeless EUs, the cost for shelter all or part of the month is a shelter expense. Use the appropriate type code for the type of expense a homeless EU incurs.

Shelter costs do not consist of:

• Amounts carried forward from past billing periods even if included with the most recent billing and actually paid by the EU.
• Separate costs for insuring furniture or personal belongings.
• Charges for repairs to the home that have been or will be reimbursed by private or public relief agencies, insurance companies, or any other source.
• Shelter costs paid directly to the provider by vendors or others outside the EU. Vendor payments are not considered incurred by the EU and are not deductible.
• Personal property tax is not an allowable shelter cost unless paid on a mobile home occupied by the EU.

1115.035.25.06 Vacated Home

The shelter costs for a vacated home temporarily not occupied by the EU because of employment or training away from home, illness, or abandonment caused by a natural disaster or casualty loss may be allowed as a shelter expense. The EU must intend to return to the home for the shelter costs of the unoccupied home to be allowed as a deduction. The home must not be leased or rented during the absence of the EU. The current occupants of the home, if any, must not be claiming shelter costs for food stamp purposes. Charges for repair of the home damaged or destroyed due to a natural disaster may be allowed unless the EU is reimbursed by public or private agencies, insurance, or some other source.

Enter shelter costs for a vacated home on the Shelter Expense (FMXK) screen. There are three valid types of shelter expenses for vacated homes. They are:

• VA--vacated home exp -- including actual utilities,
• VH--vacated home -- no utilities and
• VS--vacated home -- non-heating/cooling standard or lower utility allowance.

Type or prompt for the appropriate code. (See Section 1115.035.25.35) Enter the rent or house payment including the appropriate utility standard or actual expense in the Amount field. If the EU claims utility costs for both an occupied and unoccupied home and incurs a telephone expense for either home, enter the telephone expense as a phone expense on the Shelter Expense (FMXK) screen. Enter a comment regarding the actual amount being paid by the EU and the reason for entering the telephone standard.