Title 7 . Health and Social Services

Chapter 44 . Hearings

Section 900. Definitions

7 AAC 44.900. Definitions

In this chapter

(1) "applicant" means an individual who has filed an application for heating assistance for the individual use with the division or on whose behalf an application has been filed with the division;

(2) repealed 10/1/99;

(3) "completed application" means an application, on a form authorized by the division, that contains the applicant's name, mailing and physical address, and signature or witnessed mark, as well as the information requested by the division to determine eligibility;

(4) "division" means the division of public assistance in the Department of Health and Social Services;

(5) repealed 10/1/99;

(6) "fee agent" means a division-paid volunteer who is authorized by the division to conduct face-to-face interviews with applicants and assist applicants in completing applications and related forms;

(7) repealed 12/22/94;

(8) "household" means an individual or a group of individuals who are living together as one economic unit and for whom residential heating is customarily purchased in common, or who make undesignated payments for heat in the form of rent;

(9) repealed 10/1/99;

(10) "vendor" means an individual, business, or private or public agency that sells home heating related energy;

(11) "verification" means documentation or third-party information that establishes the accuracy of statements on the application;

(12) "home heating costs" means an amount that the household pays for its own home heating needs either directly, or indirectly through rent;

(13) "seasonal employment" means employment with a regular work season of 11 months or less that is compensated on a salary basis;

(14) "self-employed occupations" means occupations in which an individual receives income from the production or sale of goods or services as determined under 7 AAC 45.445;

(15) "shelter costs" means the total for the household of

(A) the regular monthly rent or mortgage obligation for the shelter that the household occupies;

(B) the cost of 30 days of heating fuel or the amount of the natural gas utility bill; and

(C) the amount of the electric bill.

(16) "Alaska poverty level" means the level set out in the federal poverty guidelines for Alaska established annually by the United States Department of Health and Human Services at Fed. Reg. 13428 - 13430 (March 18, 1999), as amended from time to time, and adopted by reference;

(17) "fully subsidize" means regular monthly financial assistance provided by a government, housing authority, or non-profit entity, that covers that annual cost to within $200;

(18) "heating assistance" means financial assistance awarded under this section;

(19) "subsidized rental housing" means rental housing subsidized by a government, housing authority, or non-profit entity, in which tenants pay 30 percent or less of their adjusted monthly income for rent and home heat;

(20) "United States citizen" means a citizen of one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands; and United States nationals, including nationals from American Samoa or Swain's Island.

History: Eff. 1/24/80, Register 73; am 12/23/80, Register 77; am 5/21/81, Register 78; am 11/1/89, Register 112; am 12/12/94, Register 132; am 10/1/99, Register 151

Authority: AS 47.05.010

Editor's note: A copy of the federal poverty guidelines for Alaska that are referred to in 7 AAC 44.900 may be requested from the Heating Assistance Program Division of Public Assistance, Department of Health and Social Services, 400 Willoughby Avenue, Suite 301, Juneau, Alaska 99801-1731.