OAR 461-110-0210: Household Group

(1) This rule describes who is included in the household group. The household group generally consists of the individuals who live together with or without the benefit of a dwelling. (2) For individuals who are experiencing homelessness, the household group consists of the individuals who consider themselves living together. Individuals who are experiencing homelessness who do not consider themselves living together are considered separate households. (3) A separate dwelling is not recognized for the purpose of determining the members of a household group unless the living space has, separate from any other dwelling, an access to the outside that does not pass through another dwelling, a functional sleeping area, bathroom, and kitchen facility. (4) Each individual in the household group who applies for benefits is an applicant. The household group and applicants form the basis for determining who is in the remaining eligibility groups. (5) For all programs except the SNAP program, a separate household group is established for individuals who live in the same dwelling as another household group, if all the following subsections are true: (a) There is a landlord-tenant relationship between the two household groups in which the tenant is billed by the landlord at fair market value (see OAR 461-001-0000) for housing. (b) The tenant lives independently from the landlord. (c) The tenant: (A) Has and uses sleeping, bathroom, and kitchen facilities separate from the landlord; or (B) Shares bathroom or kitchen facilities with the landlord, but the facilities are in a commercial establishment that provides room or board or both for compensation at fair market value . (6) Individuals who live with more than one household group during a calendar month are members of the household group in which they spend more than half of their time, except as follows: (a) In the TANF program: (A) If a parent (see OAR 461-001-0000) sleeps at least 30 percent of the time during the calendar month in the home of the dependent child (see OAR 461-001-0000), the parent is in the same household group as the dependent child . (B) A dependent child is included in the household group with the caretaker relative (see OAR 461-001-0000), who usually has the major responsibility for care and control of the dependent child , if the dependent child lives with two household groups in the same calendar month for at least one of the following reasons: (i) Education. (ii) The usual caretaker relative is gone from the household for part of the month because of illness. (iii) A family emergency. (b) In the SNAP program: (A) The individual is a member of the household group that provides the individual more than half of the individual's 21 weekly meals. If the individual is a child , the child is a member of the household group credited with providing the child more than half of the individual's 21 weekly meals. A household group is credited with providing breakfast and lunch for each day the child departs that group's home for school, even if the child eats no breakfast or lunch at that home. (B) During the month in which a resident of a domestic violence shelter (see OAR 461-001-0000) enters the domestic violence shelter , the resident may be included both in the household group they left and in a household group in the domestic violence shelter . (7) In the OSIPM program, individuals who are being evaluated under OAR 461-135-0745 or OAR 461-135-0750, or who are residing in a 24-hour mental health residential care setting are a household group of one regardless of others living in the individual's dwelling or facility. (8) Individuals absent from the household for 30 days or more are no longer part of the household group, except for the following: (a) In all programs except the OSIPM and SNAP programs, an individual in an acute care medical facility remains in the household group unless the individual enters long-term care (see OAR 461-001-0000). (b) In the TANF program: (A) A caretaker relative who is absent for up to 90 days while in a residential alcohol or drug treatment facility is in the household group. (B) A child who is absent for 30 days or more is in the household group if the child is: (i) Absent for illness (unless the child is in a long-term care Title XIX facility), social service, or educational reasons; (ii) In foster care, but expected to return to the household within the next 30 days. (c) In the TANF program, when a filing group (see OAR 461-110-0310 and 461-110-0330) includes more than one caretaker relative , a caretaker relative in the household group who is absent: (A) Because of education, training, or employment — including absence while working or looking for work outside the area of the residence of the caretaker relative , such as long-haul truck driving, fishing, or active duty in the U.S. armed forces; or (B) For up to 60 days solely due to the regulations of a shelter for individuals who are experiencing homelessness or domestic violence shelter or other circumstances beyond the individual's control but who would otherwise be included in the household group. (d) In the REF and REFM programs, an individual in the household group who was absent: (A) For up to 90 days while in a residential alcohol or drug treatment facility; (B) To care for an emergent need of an individual related to illness, injury, or death; (C) Because of education, training, or employment — including absence while working or looking for work outside the area of the individual's residence, such as long-haul truck driving, fishing, or active duty in the U.S. armed forces; or (D) For up to 60 days solely due to the regulations of a shelter for individuals who are experiencing homelessness or domestic violence shelter or other circumstances beyond the individual's control but who would otherwise be included in the household group. (e) In the REF, REFM, and TANF programs, the Department may approve one or more 30-day extensions of this time period if the Department receives sufficient information to assure the Department that the absent individual will return within the extension period. (9) In the OSIP-EPD and OSIPM-EPD programs, the household group consists only of the individual applying for or receiving benefits.