Students Who are Homeless of Living in Temporary Housing

Students who live in temporary housing have protections and additional rights to immediate enrollment.


The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a federal law that discusses the public education of children and youth in temporary housing. Under McKinney-Vento and state law, students are considered to be in temporary housing if their nighttime residence is not fixed, regular, and adequate. Some examples of temporary housing include:

  • Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship or other similar reason

  • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds

  • Living in emergency or transitional shelters

  • Abandoned in hospitals

  • Living a in public or private place not designed for sleeping

  • Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, etc.

  • Migratory living in circumstances described above

Children and youth in temporary housing can enroll in school without the documents normally needed to enroll. 

Contact:

Mary Breslin
McKinney-Vento Liaison
Phone: (518) 410-0290
Email: 
 breslinm@schenectady.k12.ny.us

Housing Questionnaire