FYI: Exclusion of Subsidized Mortgage Payments

Clients who are participating in a Section 8 Homeownership Program use their Section 8 vouchers each month to help pay their mortgage. The amount of the voucher is excluded from the client's countable income for SNAP purposes. This amount is also excluded from the shelter costs in the SNAP benefit calculation. For TAFDC and EAEDC, the amount of the voucher is not counted for asset and income purposes.

For example, if a client's total mortgage (including principal, interest, taxes and homeowner's insurance) is $1500 per month, and the client receives a voucher for $1000 per month, the $1000 is excluded from the client's countable income. For SNAP, the $1000 is also excluded from the client's shelter costs. The resulting amount of shelter costs for the SNAP benefit calculation is $500 rather than the full mortgage amount of $1500.