Definition of Homeless
The federal government’s legal definition of homelessness based on the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is anyone who:
• Lacks a regular, fixed and adequate nighttime residence (substandard housing)
• Is sharing housing due to economic struggles (doubled-up/tripled up)
• Is living in a shelter, hotel, or motel
• Is living in a public place not designated for sleeping (cars, parks, campgrounds, or abandoned buildings)
• Is an unaccompanied youth
• Is a child or youth abandoned in a hospital
• Is a migrant child who qualifies under any of the above
