Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Authority" means the Virginia Housing Development Authority.

"Board" means the Board of Commissioners of the authority.

"Disability" means (i) a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual and includes any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or any mental or psychological disorder such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness and specific learning disabilities (the term "physical or mental impairment" includes, but is not limited to, such diseases and conditions as orthopedic, visual, speech and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, mental retardation, emotional illness, drug addiction (other than addiction caused by current, illegal use of a controlled substance, and alcoholism) or (ii) a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment which includes a history of or being misclassified as having a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or a physical or mental impairment that does not substantially limit one or more major life activities but that is treated by another person as constituting such a limitation; or a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities only as a result of the attitudes of others toward such impairment; or none of the impairments defined above but the individual is treated by another person as having such an impairment; provided, however, that any physical or mental impairment described in (i) or (ii) shall be expected to result in death or shall have lasted continuously during the immediately preceding 12-month period or shall be expected to last continuously during the next succeeding 12-month period.

"Elderly person" means a person who exceeds, by any period of time, 62 years of age.

"Elderly tenant" means (i) an elderly person or (ii) a household in which any member is an elderly person.

"Eligible owner" means any person meeting the criteria for an eligible owner as set forth in the state code and these rules and regulations.

"Eligible tenant" means an elderly tenant, a tenant with a disability or a previously homeless tenant whose income does not exceed the limit described in these rules and regulations.

"Executive director" means the executive director of the authority or any other officer or employee of the authority who is authorized to act on his behalf or on behalf of the authority pursuant to a resolution of the board.

"HUD fair market rent" means the rent published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Section 8 Rental Certificate Program.

"Income" means gross income (including but not limited to all salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, income from self-employment, interest, dividends, alimony, rental income, pensions, business income, annuities, social security payments, cash public assistance, support payments, retirement income and any other sources of cash income) which is being received by the elderly tenant, a tenant with a disability or a previously homeless tenant or is regularly paid to or on behalf of such tenant by a third party as of the application date. The income of any person who is living with an elderly person or person with a disability for the primary purpose of providing care to such person shall be excluded. All such income, provided it is not temporary, shall be computed on an annual basis to determine income for the purpose of program eligibility.

"Market rent" means the amount of rent, as determined by the authority pursuant to these rules and regulations, charged to other tenants for comparable units (other than tax credit units) in the same property or, if there are no such comparable units in the same property, for comparable units in the same market area.

"Owner" means an applicant for tax credits under these rules and regulations and, upon and subsequent to an allocation of such credits, means the owner of the tax credit unit to whom the tax credits are allocated.

"Person with a disability" means a person having a disability as defined in these rules and regulations.

"Previously homeless" means having, at any time within the 12 months preceding the commencement of the lease term, resided in a domestic violence shelter or homeless shelter.

"Previously homeless tenant" means (i) a previously homeless person or (ii) a household in which any adult member is previously homeless.

"Program" means the low-income housing tax credit program for rent reductions described in these rules and regulations.

"State code" means Article 3 (§ 58.1-331 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia.

"Tax credit rent" means the reduced amount of rent charged for the tax credit unit to the eligible tenant. As provided in 13VAC10-160-30, the tax credit rent shall be at least 15% less than the market rent.

"Tax credits" means the tax credits as described in §§ 58.1-339 and 58.1-339.9 of the Code of Virginia, as applicable.

"Tax credit unit" means a unit occupied or to be occupied by eligible tenants at reduced rents in order for the owner to be entitled to receive tax credits hereunder.

"Tenant" means a person or household who is applying for occupancy of, or is occupying, a tax credit unit.

"Tenant with a disability" means (i) a person with a disability or (ii) a household in which any member is a person with a disability.