Knowing whose income to count is as important as knowing which income to count. The HOME Program regulations require that the income of all family members be included in the determination of "annual income."

In practice, this means that the PJ or nonprofit staff member determining income must first determine the number of persons comprising the family, then calculate the income of all persons in the family.

Determining Household Size

Some households may include persons who are not counted as family members for the purposes of HOME Program Income Limits and whose income, if any, is not considered when calculating annual (gross) income.

Therefore, do not count the following household members when determining household size for the purpose of comparing "annual income" to HOME Program Income Limits:

• foster children,
• live-in aides,
• children of live-in aides,
• unborn children, and
• children being pursued for legal custody or adoption who are not currently living with the household.

Note that a child who is subject to a shared-custody agreement in which the child resides with the household at least 50 percent of the time can be counted.

The Part 5 definition of annual income provides further guidance on whose income to count when using that definition of income.

Additional details on whose income to count under the Part 5 definition can be found in the "Three Definitions of Income" topic of this module.