TO:	Commissioners, TA Directors, Staff Development Coordinators, TOP Coordinators, CAP Coordinators

FROM: Russell Sykes, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Temporary Assistance 

SUBJECT:	Calculation of Room and Board Maximum 

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Immediately

CONTACT PERSON:  Cash Assistance Bureau @1-800-433-8859, extension 4-9344

When the new shelter schedules were enacted, effective November 1, 2003, districts were told that the shelter allowance to use in calculating the maximum room and board depended upon whether there were  or were not children in the household.

Effective January 12, 2005, 18 NYCRR 352.8(b)(1) was amended to reflect that the maximum room and board allowance must be calculated using the monthly shelter allowance without children.  The local district’s room and board allowance for all room and board living situations provided by an individual, family or commercially operated boarding house cannot exceed the sum of the statewide monthly basic allowance (Basic), the statewide monthly home energy allowance (HEA), the statewide monthly supplemental home energy allowance (SHEA) and the district’s maximum monthly shelter allowance without children, regardless of whether there are children in the case or in the household. The maximum room and board calculation (Basic, HEA, SHEA & Shelter Allowance without children) is based on household size, whereas, the personal needs allowance (PNA) of $45.00 a month is issued to each room and board individual and is not a part of the room and board maximum.  ABEL will correctly calculate the PNA amount(s). Additionally, the PNA is not subject to date specific proration, as the room and board rate is.

The “monthly shelter allowance without children” is the same amount as the previous “monthly shelter allowance with heat”, which was the shelter allowance used in the pre-amended 18 NYCRR 352.8(b)(1) to calculate the room and board maximum for room and board provided by an individual, family or commercially operated boarding house.

To assist districts, the following chart shows the maximum room and board rate a district may provide for up to a family of four.  For larger families, districts must calculate the room and board rate using the procedure outlined in paragraph two.  This chart does not include the personal needs allowance amounts.

District	Room and Board Household Size	
 	1	2	3	4	
Albany	321	431	536	642	
Allegany	327	438	544	651	
Broome	355	470	581	691	
Cattaraugus	316	426	530	636	
Cayuga	316	426	530	636	
Chautauqua	304	412	514	618	
Chemung	334	446	553	661	
Chenango	326	437	543	650	
Clinton	293	399	499	602	
Columbia	328	439	545	652	
Cortland	336	449	556	664	
Delaware	337	450	558	666	
Dutchess	353	469	579	689	
Erie	306	419	506	609	
Essex	336	449	556	664	
Franklin	298	409	503	614	
Fulton	296	402	503	606	
Genesee	339	452	560	668	
Greene	334	447	554	662	
Hamilton	296	402	503	606	
Herkimer	310	418	521	626	
Jefferson	337	450	558	666	
Lewis	289	395	494	596	
Livingston	324	435	540	646	
Madison	336	449	556	664	
Monroe	394	516	634	749	
Montgomery	295	402	502	605	
Nassau	425	552	675	794	
New York City	352	468	577	687	
Niagara	311	420	523	628	

District	Room and Board Household Size	
	1	2	3	4	
Oneida	316	425	529	634	
Onondaga	340	453	561	669	
Ontario	344	458	567	676	
Orange	366	483	596	707	
Orleans	339	452	560	668	
Oswego	320	430	535	641	
Otsego	337	450	558	666	
Putnam	374	493	607	719	
Rensselaer	290	397	484	585	
Rockland	439	568	693	813	
St. Lawrence	319	429	533	639	
Saratoga	322	433	538	644	
Schenectady	332	444	551	658	
Schoharie	336	449	556	664	
Schuyler	331	442	549	656	
Seneca	341	455	563	671	
Steuben	296	402	503	606	
Suffolk	446	576	703	824	
Sullivan	348	462	572	681	
Tioga	338	451	559	667	
Tompkins	354	469	580	690	
Ulster	400	523	641	757	
Warren	352	468	578	688	
Washington	336	449	556	664	
Wayne	344	458	567	676	
Westchester	408	532	652	768	
Wyoming	336	449	556	664	
Yates	318	428	532	638	
					
All – PNA	45	90	135	180	

UPSTATE:

System (ABEL & CNS) support to cap a district’s room and board rate to a maximum using the shelter without children allowance will be available on Monday, April 11, 2005.  Prior to system support, for case types 11 and 12, the district must input the actual room & board amount in the ABEL “ACTUAL” field and the district allowance, in the ABEL “ALLOW” field.  For case types 16 and 17, the district must enter “01” in the ABEL “HC” field, regardless if children are in the case or household. An ABEL edit will be put in place which will not allow the entry of “02-child in household” in the “HC” field for case types 16 or 17 with a shelter type of “04”- room & board.”

DOWNSTATE:

System support to cap a district’s room and board rate to a maximum using the shelter without children allowance will not be in place until July 2005.  In the interim, districts must ensure that the district’s room and board rate does not exceed the maximum rate allowed. For all case types- FA, SNCA, SNFP or SNNC, workers should input either the sum of the Basic Allowance, HEA I & II and the “monthly shelter allowance without children” for the household size or the actual shelter, whichever is lower.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

This GIS is effective immediately.  If the monthly shelter allowance with children was used in any previous calculation of a room and board rate, that rate must be recalculated at the next recertification or client contact.  Overpayments are not to be calculated retroactively from the budget change.	

This regulation change supersedes the answers to questions 12 & 13 in 04 INF-7, therefore, those answers are now incorrect and voided. 

For additional information in establishing the standard of need and budgeting income for persons not residing in their own homes, please refer to 05 ADM-03.

An administrative directive will be forthcoming.

If you have any questions, you may contact the Cash Assistance Bureau at the number listed on page 1.