Under McKinney-Vento, homeless children and youth are those who “lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This definition includes:
- Families sharing housing (doubled up) with relatives or other families due to economic hardship, loss of housing or similar reason;
- Families living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, campgrounds or shelters;
- Children living in places not designated for housing, such as cars, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, or bus or train stations; or
- Children designated as “migratory” under ESEA Title I, Part C, as reauthorized by ESSA, who meet one of the above criteria.