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GHVP Income Limits and Calculating Household Income

Updated

GHVP bases its income limits on HUD's federally defined Area Median Income (AMI) rates. This aligns with the standards of the Housing Choice Voucher program.

The household's income may not exceed 50% of the area median income for the county or metropolitan area in which the household chooses to live. 50% of AMI is considered "Very Low Income".

DBHDD Providers assisting GHVP applicants must confirm the household's income eligibility before submitting an application to DBHDD. Households exceeding the income limit are not considered eligible.

Find income limits for your county:

Check the county level income limits here on HUD's website: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il2020/select_Geography.odn

  1. Select Georgia as the state.
  2. Identify the county in which the person wishes to live.
  3. Review the 50% income limit category and determine the limit based on household size.

Helpful mobile version: https://m.huduser.gov/fmril/#searchpage 

Pro-tip: Bookmark this link on your desktop or phone to check it in the future.

You can also find a full PDF of 2020 income limits from DCA's website here.

If you have an Android phone, there is also a HUD application you can download and utilize called "PD&R FMR/IL Lookup": https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdr_mobile.html

 

Determining Household Income

Gross Income or Net Income?

Income limits are determined using a household's gross income, meaning earnings before any deductions.

Income Inclusions and Exclusions

Inclusions:

  1. The full amount, before any payroll deductions, of wages and salaries, overtime pay, commissions, fees, tips and bonuses, and other compensation for personal services;
  2. The net income from operation of a business or profession;
  3. Interest, dividends, and other net income of any kind from real or personal property;
  4. The full amount of periodic amounts received from social security, annuities, insurance policies, retirement funds, pensions, disability or death benefits, and other similar types of periodic receipts.
  5. Payments in lieu of earnings, such as unemployment, disability compensation, worker's compensation, and severance pay;
  6. Welfare assistance received by the family;
  7. Periodic and determinable allowances, such as alimony and child support payments, and regular contributions or gifts received from organizations or from persons not residing in the dwelling; and
  8. All regular pay, special pay, and allowances of a member of the Armed Forces, except for special pay provided to a family member serving in the Armed Forces who is exposed to hostile fire.

Exclusions:

  1. Income from employment of children (including foster children) under the age of 18 years;
  2. Payments received for the care of foster children or foster adults (usually persons with disabilities unrelated to the tenant family, who are unable to live alone);
  3. Temporary, non-recurring, or sporadic income (including gifts);
  4. Lump-sum additions to family assets, such as inheritances, insurance payments (including payments under health and accident insurance and worker’s compensation), capital gains, and settlement for personal or property losses;
  5. Amounts received by the family that are specifically for, or in reimbursement of, the cost of medical expenses for any family member;
  6. Income of a live-in aide;
  7. The full amount of student financial assistance paid directly to the student or to the educational institution;
  8. Deferred periodic amounts from supplemental security income and social security benefits that are received in a lump-sum amount or in prospective monthly amounts;
  9. Amounts paid by a state agency to a family with a member who has a developmental disability and is living at home to offset the cost of services and equipment needed to keep the developmentally disabled family member at home.

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