Homelessness: HUD's Interpretation of Homeless Excludes Previously Served Groups
RCED-92-226
Published: Aug 12, 1992. Publicly Released: Aug 28, 1992.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) interpretation of the Homeless Assistance Act's definition of homeless, focusing on: (1) ambiguities in the HUD definition of homeless; and (2) the effects of the interpretation on persons who are deinstitutionalized, homeless and living with friends or family, and those living without accommodations in rural areas.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should ensure the completion of departmental efforts to establish more specific guidelines for defining homeless. These guidelines should clarify the terms imminent, of short duration, and in the later stages and should be specific enough to be consistently interpreted and applied. |
HUD reissued the guide to participant eligibility with the terms "imminent," "of short durration," and "in the later stages" defined on January 14, 1993. HUD also distributed training materials for grant applications containing a discussion of participant eligibility with the terms defined on March 15, 1993.
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Topics
Disadvantaged personsEligibility criteriaEligibility determinationsHomelessnessHousing programsIndigentsHousingMental healthUrban developmentVeterans hospitals