(a) The HOME program has income targeting requirements for the HOME program and for HOME projects. Therefore, the participating jurisdiction must determine each family is income eligible by determining the family's annual income.

(1) For families who are tenants in HOME-assisted housing and not receiving HOME tenant-based rental assistance, the participating jurisdiction must initially determine annual income using the method in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section. For subsequent income determinations during the period of affordability, the participating jurisdiction may use any one of the following methods in accordance with §92.252(h):

(i) Examine at least 2 months of source documents evidencing annual income (e.g., wage statement, interest statement, unemployment compensation statement) for the family.

(ii) Obtain from the family a written statement of the amount of the family's annual income and family size, along with a certification that the information is complete and accurate. The certification must state that the family will provide source documents upon request.

(iii) Obtain a written statement from the administrator of a government program under which the family receives benefits and which examines each year the annual income of the family. The statement must indicate the tenant's family size and state the amount of the family's annual income; or alternatively, the statement must indicate the current dollar limit for very low- or low-income families for the family size of the tenant and state that the tenant's annual income does not exceed this limit.

(2) For all other families (i.e., homeowners receiving rehabilitation assistance, homebuyers, and recipients of HOME tenant-based rental assistance), the participating jurisdiction must determine annual income by examining at least 2 months of source documents evidencing annual income (e.g., wage statement, interest statement, unemployment compensation statement) for the family.

(b) When determining whether a family is income eligible, the participating jurisdiction must use one of the following two definitions of “annual income”:

(1) Annual income as defined at 24 CFR 5.609 (except when determining the income of a homeowner for an owner-occupied rehabilitation project, the value of the homeowner's principal residence may be excluded from the calculation of Net Family Assets, as defined in 24 CFR 5.603); or

(2) Adjusted gross income as defined for purposes of reporting under Internal Revenue Service Form 1040 series for individual Federal annual income tax purposes.

(c) Although the participating jurisdiction may use either of the definitions of “annual income” permitted in paragraph (b) of this section to calculate adjusted income, it must apply exclusions from income established at 24 CFR 5.611. The HOME rents for very low-income families established under §92.252(b)(2) are based on adjusted income. In addition, the participating jurisdiction may base the amount of tenant-based rental assistance on the adjusted income of the family. The participating jurisdiction may use only one definition for each HOME-assisted program (e.g., downpayment assistance program) that it administers and for each rental housing project.

(d)

(1) The participating jurisdiction must calculate the annual income of the family by projecting the prevailing rate of income of the family at the time the participating jurisdiction determines that the family is income eligible. Annual income shall include income from all persons in the household. Income or asset enhancement derived from the HOME-assisted project shall not be considered in calculating annual income.

(2) The participating jurisdiction is not required to re-examine the family's income at the time the HOME assistance is provided, unless more than six months has elapsed since the participating jurisdiction determined that the family qualified as income eligible.

(3) The participating jurisdiction must follow the requirements in §5.617 when making subsequent income determinations of persons with disabilities who are tenants in HOME-assisted rental housing or who receive tenant-based rental assistance.

[61 FR 48750, Sept. 16, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 28928, May 28, 1997; 66 FR 6224, Jan. 19, 2001; 78 FR 44666, July 24, 2013]