The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that protects the educational rights of students (PreK-12) who have lost housing and are living in transition. The goal of the Homeless Education Project is to uphold the McKinney-Vento Act by removing barriers that might prevent students experiencing homelessness from enrolling, attending and succeeding in school and ensure equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other youth.

Students living in transition (whether residing with a parent, legal guardian or unaccompanied children and youth) are those who lack a fixed, regular or adequate nighttime residence. This includes:

• Sharing the housing of other persons “doubled-up” due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar situation;
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations;
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters; abandoned in hospitals;
• Living in a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
• Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings.
• Migratory children and youth living in circumstances described above also qualify for McKinney-Vento Homeless Education services.