Shelter - Room and Board

5-3 Shelter - Room and Board


PURPOSE

1. To provide for reasonable shelter costs where applicants are residing in the household of other persons.

PRINCIPLE

2. Parents are not expected to profit financially when providing accommodation to applicant sons or daughters.

3. Relatives should be given a reasonable financial incentive to care for applicants at less than commercial rates.

4. Compensation for extra personal or supervisory care shall be based on real needs and actual service. Persons eligible for the Disability Support Program are not eligible for extra personal or supervisory care under this policy. (i.e., the $594 supervisory rate would not apply)

POLICY

5. Living with Parents (Regulation 17(2))

(a) An applicant living with his/her parents shall not receive assistance for shelter unless undue hardship would result..

(b) Dependants of such applicants also shall not receive assistance for shelter. These dependants are living with their parents, even though it may be in the home of the grandparent.

(c) “Parents” includes step-parents and common-law parents.

(d) Refer to Instruction 5-3-1 for applicable board rates.

6. Living with Relatives (Regulation 17(1)(c))

(a) A shelter expense not exceeding $119 may be granted to applicants living with relatives.

(b) “Relatives” are defined as grandparents, brothers, sisters or children over the age of majority.

(c) Unless living apart from their parents, dependant children are considered to be living with their parents even though the family unit may be living in the home of a relative (see 5(a)).

(d) Refer to Instruction 5-3-1 for applicable room and board rates.

7. Living in Commercial Room and Board (Regulations 17(1)(f) and 17(1)(g))

(a) “Commercial” accommodation refers to anyone who takes in one or more roomers and boarders, but is neither a parent nor a relative of the applicant, and includes boarding homes. It does not include licensed community care facilities.

(b) Commercial room and board to non-disabled persons shall not exceed $501 per month. A lower maximum rate may be established in areas where more reasonable rates can be obtained.

(c) Commercial rates to persons with a disability, who do not qualify for the Disability Support Program, shall not exceed $594 per month. This rate recognizes the special features or care required in accommodation by some persons with a disability.

(d) Room and board ceilings for persons with a disability, who do not qualify for the Disability Support Program, may also be used for persons of very low employability. Availability of jobs and accommodation for these persons is poor as they are often refused both (e.g. chronic alcoholic).


(e) Young single parents, while not disabled, require accommodation that will accept their child and provide some measure of supervision or monitoring. In such situations, the ceiling for persons with a disability may be used where necessary to obtain suitable accommodation. If additional supervision is required, the independent living assessment (see policy 2-5(8)) required for young single parents should be used to determine level of care and dollar amount for supervisory care. The options for this would be :

Level 1 $100.00
Level 2 $200.00
Level 3 $300.00

FCHP may be added for dependants living with their parents in a room and board situation.

8. Licensed Community Care Facilities (C.C.F.) (Regulation 17(1)(d) and 17(1)(e))

(a) Licensed facilities provide “care services” which, in addition to meals and housekeeping, include some supervisory and personal services.

(b) Persons requiring such care services shall be allowed not more than $63.65 per day which includes room and board in a licensed C.C.F.

(c) Persons requiring room and board only shall be allowed not more than $594 per month.

(d) Personal care allowances (Instruction 6-5) should be determined on the basis of real need. It may be that some individuals have very few personal expense needs, depending on the seriousness of their condition.

9. In situations where an applicant is admitted to a hospital, a treatment facility, or to a residential institution, his/her room and board payment may be paid for 30 days. After 30 days, payment of any costs directly related to the applicant’s care and board must be suspended until his/her return. The balance may be paid to hold the applicant’s room during his/her absence. Specific deductions from the room and board payment include the current food rate and applicable special care allowances. Payments to hold a room and board placement shall not exceed 90 days, except for difficult-to-place applicants. Such exceptions require authorization of the designated authority.