"Commerce" means the Washington state department of commerce.

"Consumer price index" means the annual average consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.

"Home" means a single-family residential structure.

"Home rehabilitation" means residential repairs and improvements that address health, safety, and durability issues in existing housing in rural areas.

"Homeowner" means a person who owns and resides permanently in the home the person occupies.

"Low-income" means persons or households with income at or below two hundred percent of the federal poverty level as adjusted for family size and determined annually by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

"Rehabilitation agency" means any approved department grantee, tribal nation, or any public service company, municipality, public utility district, mutual or cooperative, or other entity that bears the responsibility for rehabilitating residences under this chapter and has been approved by the department.

"Rural areas" means areas of Washington state defined as nonentitlement areas by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.