Glossary

A law enacted in 1988 that made it illegal in the United States to discriminate against a person with a disability attempting to rent or buy a home.

a household composed of two or more related persons. The term family also includes one or more eligible persons living with another person or persons who are determined to be important to their care or well being, and the surviving member or members of any family described in this definition

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) is a HUD program that encourages communities to develop local strategies to help assisted families obtain employment that will lead to economic independence and self-sufficiency. Public housing agencies (PHAs) work with welfare agencies, schools, businesses, and other local partners to develop a comprehensive program that gives participating FSS family members the skills and experience to enable them to obtain employment that pays a living wage.

are made available to families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the separation, or threat of imminent separation, of children from their families or in the prevention of reunifying the children with their families. Family unification vouchers enable these families to lease or purchase decent, safe and sanitary housing that is affordable in the private housing market.

Federal National Mortgage Association. A government-sponsored enterprise that operates as a private entity in the housing mortgage business.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a consumer protection law that regulates the disclosure of consumer credit reports.

Federal Emergency Management Administration: Funding source, administers $100 million annually to assist homeless and at-risk individuals and families. Funds are allocated by local FEMA Boards.

Acronym for the Federal Housing Administration that provides mortgage insurance and sets construction and underwriting standards. FHA does not lend money.

These are made by private lenders using their own funds. The government provides insurance against default. The borrower pays more to have this type of loan.

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. HUD office responsible for educating public about fair housing and enforcing nation's fair housing laws and civil rights laws as they impact housing discrimination

Federal Home Loan Bank. Major source of funding, Affordable Housing Program, permanent financing & grants

Software that blocks suspicious information from getting into your computer. It can be used with e-mail to help reduce the risk of virus infection. It is usually used by networks so that people can be on the internet but the private company information is protected.

Tax incentives are also known as loopholes. They depart from the normal tax structure and are designed to favor a particular industry, activity, or class of persons. The most familiar examples are the tax deductions for home mortgage interest and for charitable contributions. But, on the federal and state levels, there are a multitude of such incentives, paralleling direct spending programs and targeted to business, research and development, agriculture, income security, health care, oil drilling, nuclear power, employment and training, housing, social services, education, veterans' benefits, etc..

With this type of mortage, each monthly payment pays for interest and a part of the principal that had been borrowed. By the end of the mortage period, the loan will be completely paid off.

A fixture is anything permanently attached to land, such as trees or bushes (ie. landscaping) or fences and buildings.

Insurance required on properties located in a designated flood area.

The part of the computer that runs floppy disks which are reusable magnetic storage cards.

Fair Market Rent. Maximum amount of rent HUD will pay or subsidize.

Storage icons that contain the user's information like data text.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Oversees Food Stamp Program.

Refraining from some sort of enforcement action that is legally available.

Legal proceedings instigated by a lender to deprive a person of ownership right when mortgage payments have not been held up.

When a homeowner sells the property by themselves, without an agent. They save the 6% commission or pass the savings on to the buyer to make the property sell faster.

A government-sponsored enterprise that operates as a private entity in the housing mortage business.

A student carrying full-time subject load as determined by institution attended.

An occupation, profession or trade. The purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.

The goals of the Moderate Rehabilitation Program are to provide the mechanism whereby: 1. substandard dwelling units are upgraded to a safe and livable standard; 2. existing housing stock is retained; and 3. additional affordable housing is provided to very low or lower income tenants.