Homeless Emergency and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act

Proposed Rule on the Definition of Homelessness

On April 20, 2010, HUD published the proposed rule for the definition of homelessness. The publication of the proposed rule commences HUD’s regulatory process of the implementation of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act), enacted into law on May 20, 2009. This proposed rule only addresses the definition of the following terms: "homeless," "homeless individual," "homeless person," and "homeless individual with a disability."

The proposed rule clarifies that individuals and families may qualify as homeless under four possible categories, corresponding to the broad categories established by the statutory language of the definition in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Act as amended by the HEARTH Act. Comments on this proposed rule will be accepted at http://www.regulations.gov until June 21, 2010. (authors)