Room and Board Situations

Room and Board is defined as a living arrangement in which an individual pays for, and receives BOTH shelter and meals where he/she resides. Applicants/recipients in a room and board situation, will have their grants determined by using the shared housing rate, for the appropriate number of persons with whom they share. The personal needs amount is $28 per person and is paid directly to the client OR is paid as part of the vendor payment. See examples below:

ExampleExampleMr. Jones lives with his sister, Mrs. Smith, who provides him with a room AND meals. Mrs. Smith charges him $300 per month. Since Mr. Jones lives with another person, the Maximum Grant is $287. A maximum of $287 is vendor paid to the sister Mrs. Smith, disallowing personal needs. The living situation MUST be verified to determine how he is meeting his needs.

ExampleExampleMr. Medina lives with a friend Mr. Gonzales, who provides him with a room AND meals. Mr. Gonzales charges him $200 per month. Since Mr. Medina lives with another person and pays only $200 per month for room AND meals, his total grant is $228 ($200 is vendor paid to Mr. Gonzales, and the $28 personal needs allowance is paid to Mr. Medina).

Shared vs. Unshared Situation

The majority of Room and Board situations are considered to be “shared living situations.” In rare instances, a Room and Board situation may be an “unshared living situation.”

Example:Example:An elderly mother is receiving room and board from her son. Her son owns the home that his mother resides in, but he resides elsewhere. The son provides her meals on a daily basis, but as no one lives with her, she is in an “unshared living situation.”

[Refer to "Needs Standards" in the Chart Book].

Room and Board Situations

Shared vs. Unshared Situation

Related Topics