Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§11302 General definition of homeless individual
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 119— - HOMELESS ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 11302
Summary
Defines who counts as homeless for the programs in this chapter. The terms "homeless", "homeless individual", and "homeless person" mean people or families in certain situations. These include people with no regular nighttime home; people sleeping in places not meant for living (for example, cars, parks, abandoned buildings, train or bus stations, airports, or camps); people living in temporary shelters or some government- or charity-paid hotels and motels; people leaving an institution after living in a shelter or place not meant for habitation; people who will lose their housing within 14 days (shown by an eviction order, not having money to stay in a motel more than 14 days, or other credible proof) and who have no next place or resources; and unaccompanied youth or families who have long-term or repeated homelessness and are likely to stay homeless because of chronic disabilities, health problems, addiction, past abuse, a child’s disability, or many work barriers. People fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other life‑threatening situations are also treated as homeless if they have no safe place and no resources for safe housing. To get help under these programs, a homeless person must meet the program’s income rules, except they are eligible under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. People imprisoned under federal or state law are not considered homeless. When the chapter talks about homeless individuals or groups, it means people or groups experiencing homelessness.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §11302
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)For purposes of this chapter, the terms “homeless”, “homeless individual”, and “homeless person” means— 11 So in original. Probably should be “mean—”.
(1)an individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
(2)an individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground;
(3)an individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including hotels and motels paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations, congregate shelters, and transitional housing);
(4)an individual who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily resided;
(5)an individual or family who—
(A)will imminently lose their housing, including housing they own, rent, or live in without paying rent, are sharing with others, and rooms in hotels or motels not paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations, as evidenced by—
(i)a court order resulting from an eviction action that notifies the individual or family that they must leave within 14 days;
(ii)the individual or family having a primary nighttime residence that is a room in a hotel or motel and where they lack the resources necessary to reside there for more than 14 days; or
(iii)credible evidence indicating that the owner or renter of the housing will not allow the individual or family to stay for more than 14 days, and any oral statement from an individual or family seeking homeless assistance that is found to be credible shall be considered credible evidence for purposes of this clause;
(B)has no subsequent residence identified; and
(C)lacks the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing; and
(6)unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other Federal statutes who—
(A)have experienced a long term period without living independently in permanent housing,
(B)have experienced persistent instability as measured by frequent moves over such period, and
(C)can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Secretary shall consider to be homeless any individual or family who—
(1)is experiencing trauma or a lack of safety related to, or fleeing or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous, traumatic, or life-threatening conditions related to the violence against the individual or a family member in the individual’s or family’s current housing situation, including where the health and safety of children are jeopardized;
(2)has no other safe residence; and
(3)lacks the resources to obtain other safe permanent housing.
(c)(1)A homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under any program provided by this chapter, only if the individual complies with the income eligibility requirements otherwise applicable to such program.
(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [29 U.S.C. 3111 et seq.].
(d)For purposes of this chapter, the term “homeless” or “homeless individual” does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to an Act of the Congress or a State law.
(e)Any references in this chapter to homeless individuals (including homeless persons) or homeless groups (including homeless persons) shall be considered to include, and to refer to, individuals experiencing homelessness or groups experiencing homelessness, respectively.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a), (c)(1), (d), and (e), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 100–77, July 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 482, known as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 11301 of this title and Tables. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), is Pub. L. 113–128, July 22, 2014, 128 Stat. 1425. Title I of the Act is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 3111 et seq.) of chapter 32 of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 3101 of Title 29 and Tables.
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–103 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Secretary shall consider to be homeless any individual or family who is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in the individual’s or family’s current housing situation, including where the health and safety of children are jeopardized, and who have no other residence and lack the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing.” 2014—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 113–128 substituted “a homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act” for “a homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998”. 2009—Pub. L. 111–22 added subsecs. (a), (b), and (e), redesignated former subsecs. (b) and (c) as (c) and (d), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (a) which defined “homeless” or “homeless individual or homeless person”. 1998—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 405(f)(32)], struck out “the Job Training Partnership Act or” after “assistance under”. Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 405(d)(41)], substituted “the Job Training Partnership Act or title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998” for “the Job Training Partnership Act”. 1990—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–625 inserted “or homeless person” after “homeless individual” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–645 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “A homeless individual shall be eligible for assistance under any program provided by this chapter, or by the
Amendments
made by this Act, only if the individual complies with the income eligibility requirements otherwise applicable to such program.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2022 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–103 not effective until Oct. 1 of the first fiscal year beginning after Mar. 15, 2022, see section 4(a) of div. W of Pub. L. 117–103, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 6851 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.
Effective Date
of 2014 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 113–128 effective on the first day of the first full program year after
July 22, 2014 (
July 1, 2015), see section 506 of Pub. L. 113–128, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 3101 of Title 29, Labor.
Effective Date
of 2009 Amendment Pub. L. 111–22, div. B, title V, § 1503, May 20, 2009, 123 Stat. 1702, provided that: “Except as specifically provided otherwise in this division [see
Short Title
of 2009 Amendment note set out under section 11301 of this title], this division and the
Amendments
made by this division shall take effect on, and shall apply beginning on—“(1) the expiration of the 18-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this division [May 20, 2009], or “(2) the expiration of the 3-month period beginning upon publication by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development of final
Regulations
pursuant to section 1504 [the first final
Regulations
pursuant to section 1504 (42 U.S.C. 11301 note) were published on Dec. 5, 2011, see 76 F.R. 75994], whichever occurs first.”
Effective Date
of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by section 101(f) [title VIII, § 405(d)(41)] of Pub. L. 105–277 effective Oct. 21, 1998, and amendment by section 101(f) [title VIII, § 405(f)(32)] of Pub. L. 105–277 effective July 1, 2000, see section 101(f) [title VIII, § 405(g)(1), (2)(B)] of Pub. L. 105–277, set out as a note under section 3502 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Regulations
Pub. L. 111–22, div. B, § 1003(b),
May 20, 2009, 123 Stat. 1666, provided that: “Not later than the expiration of the 6-month period beginning upon the date of the enactment of this division [
May 20, 2009], the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue
Regulations
that provide sufficient guidance to recipients of funds under title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act [42 U.S.C. 11360 et seq.] to allow uniform and consistent implementation of the requirements of section 103 of such Act [42 U.S.C. 11302], as amended by subsection (a) of this section. This subsection shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this division.” Clarification of Effect on Other Laws Pub. L. 111–22, div. B, § 1003(c), May 20, 2009, 123 Stat. 1666, provided that: “This section [amending this section and enacting provisions set out as a note under this section] and the
Amendments
made by this section to section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302) may not be construed to affect, alter, limit, annul, or supersede any other provision of Federal law providing a definition of ‘homeless’, ‘homeless individual’, or ‘homeless person’ for purposes other than such Act [42 U.S.C. 11301 et seq.], except to the extent that such provision refers to such section 103 or the definition provided in such section 103.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 11302
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73