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Homelessness: HUD's Interpretation of Homeless Excludes Previously Served Groups

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date Aug. 12, 1992
Report No. RCED-92-226
Subject
Summary:

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), under new criteria established in 1991, began limiting its funds to programs that serve people who are literally homeless, the only exception being people threatened with immediate homelessness. Although HUD has revised its guidance, some of the terms and definitions that govern the HUD field offices and assistance providers remain vague. Terms describing individuals as "imminently" homeless or "in the later stages" of eviction have been interpreted differently by various HUD offices, leading to inconsistency and confusion concerning program eligibility. HUD's new eligibility criteria have made the following groups ineligible for funding: institutionalized mentally ill or retarded persons; persons doubled up with families or friends or living in substandard housing; and the rural homeless, who are often "hidden" in overcrowded or substandard housing.

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