Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence are considered homeless. This includes individuals who:<br />
•	Share the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as “doubled-up”);<br />
•	Live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations;<br />
•	Live in emergency or transitional shelters;<br />
•	Are abandoned in hospitals; or<br />
•	Are awaiting foster care placement (where applicable by state definition).<br />
•	Have 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 (such as cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, or similar settings);<br />
•	Live in substandard housing that lacks basic utilities, is unsafe, or unfit for human habitation; or<br />
•	Are migratory children who qualify as homeless because they live in the circumstances described above.<br />
The McKinney-Vento Act ensures that students experiencing homelessness have the right to:<br />
•	Enroll in school immediately, even without normally required documents;<br />
•	Attend either their school of origin or the local school, depending on the student’s best interest;<br />
•	Receive transportation to and from their school of origin; and<br />
•	Access educational services and supports to ensure academic success and stability.