Chronically homeless means a homeless individual with a disability in a place not meant for habitation, a safe haven or shelter for 12 months, or four occasions in three years totalling 12

coc.income_eligibility.chronically_homeless_definition · v1.0.0

Chronically homeless means, first, a homeless individual with a disability as defined in section 401(9) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act who lives in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven or an emergency shelter, and who has been homeless and living that way CONTINUOUSLY FOR AT LEAST 12 MONTHS or on AT LEAST 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN THE LAST 3 YEARS so long as the combined occasions equal at least 12 months and each break separating the occasions included at least 7 consecutive nights of not living that way. Stays in institutional care facilities for fewer than 90 days do NOT constitute a break in homelessness; such stays are included in the 12-month total, provided the individual was living in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven or an emergency shelter immediately before entering the facility. Second, an individual who has been residing in an institutional care facility -- including a jail, substance abuse or mental health treatment facility, hospital or similar facility -- for fewer than 90 days and met all the first paragraph's criteria before entering it. Third, a family with an adult head of household, or a minor head of household if there is no adult, who meets all the criteria of the first or second paragraph, including a family whose composition has fluctuated while the head of household has been homeless.

Confidence

high

Effective from

2015-12-04

Consequence model

agency finding with cure

Last reviewed

2026-08-29