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Eligible Participants

The McKinney Act requires that first priority for occupancy of SRO units be given to homeless individuals. However, HUD will also provide rental assistance for homeless individuals currently residing in units who are eligible for Section 8 assistance.

Additionally, at least 25% of the units proposed for assistance must be vacant at the time of application so that a significant portion of those served are homeless individuals. An application that has a vacancy rate lower than 25% will be rejected. Finally, when current occupants vacate assisted units, these units must be filled with homeless individuals identified through the recipient or owner's continuing outreach effort.

Depending on the circumstances arising from the rehabilitation, current residents who are not eligible for Section 8 assistance may remain in the building (but without HUD assistance) or may receive relocation payments and assistance. Because relocation requirements are complex, please contact the Field Office Relocation Specialist or an experienced government relocation agency in the planning stage of your application.

Homeless Person

Homeless persons are those who:

• are sleeping in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, and abandoned buildings;
• or are sleeping in emergency shelters.

This includes persons who ordinarily sleep in one of the above places but are spending a short time (30 consecutive days or less) in a hospital or other institution.

Other Homeless Persons

Persons are also considered to be homeless if they:

• are graduating from transitional housing specifically for homeless persons; or
• are being evicted within the week from private dwelling units and
  1. no subsequent residences have been identified; and
  2. they lack the resources and support networks needed to obtain access to housing; or
• are persons being discharged within the week from institutions in which they have been residents for more than 30 consecutive days; and
  1. no subsequent residences have been identified; and
  2. they lack the resources and support networks needed to obtain access to housing.

Not all persons being evicted from private dwelling units or all persons being discharged from institutions are homeless. Applicants who propose to serve these populations must make clear in their applications that they (a) understand that persons are eligible only if they have no subsequent residence identified and lack the resources and support networks needed to access to housing and (b) propose to serve only eligible persons. Applicants that are selected for funding will be required to have documentation of how it was determined that such persons did not have the resources or support network needed to obtain housing.

In summary, a person is homeless if, without the HUD assistance, they would have to spend the night in a shelter or in a place not meant for human habitation.

The intent of these policies is to help persons who lack shelter. The Department administers other programs to serve persons who are poorly housed or need supportive housing but are not homeless, such as HOME, public housing, Community Development Block Grants, and Supportive Housing for Persons With Disabilities. Contact your HUD field office for more information about those programs.