HomelessStatus as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section Part B §11434(a), definitions the term “homeless children and youths” —

(A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence [within the meaning of section 11302(a)(1)]; and

(B) the term includes —

(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters

(ii) children and youths who 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 [within the meaning of section 11302(a)(2)(C)];

(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

(iv) migratory children (as such term is defined in section 6399 of title 20) who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

The McKinney-Vento Act requires that every school district designate a homeless liaison. Contact your local homeless liaison for questions about the statutory definition of homelessness in the McKinney-Vento Act, whether or not a student meets that definition, and what category of living situation is appropriate.