housing unit

A residence such as a house, apartment, mobile home, or room(s) within a larger structure that provides a space for occupants making up a single household to live and eat. For a room or apartment to be defined as a housing unit, it must be distinctly separated from other living spaces within the building. It must be directly accessible from an outer door or through an interior door in a shared hallway rather than by walking through another household's living space. Facilities with shared dining areas are typically excluded from this definition.