What defines homelessness?

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The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Act), 42 U.S.C. Section 11434a (2) et.seq., identifies homeless students as those who:
 
1.     Lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence;
2.     Share the housing of other persons due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; live in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
3.     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;
4.     Live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; or
5.     Are migratory and live in the conditions set forth in items 2, 3, and 4 above.
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