McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

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The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 100-77, July 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 482, 42 U.S.C. § 11301 et seq.) is a United States federal law that provides federal money for shelter programs. ^{[1] [2]} It was the first significant federal legislative response to homelessness, and was passed and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on July 22, 1987. The McKinney Act originally had fifteen programs providing a spectrum of services to homeless people, including the Continuum of Care Programs: the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program, and the Single Room Occupancy Program, as well as the Emergency Shelter Grant Program. It established the Interagency Council on the Homeless ^[3]. The legislation has been amended several times since it was first written and enacted. Much of the wording of the act still has great significance:

United States Code, Title 42, Chapter 119, Subchapter I, § 11301. [Laws in effect as of January 6, 1999] [Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between January 6, 1999 and October 26, 2000] [CITE: 42USC11301] (a) Findings The Congress finds that-- (1) the Nation faces an immediate and unprecedented crisis due to the lack of shelter for a growing number of individuals and families, including elderly persons, handicapped persons, families with children, Native Americans, and veterans; (2) the problem of homelessness has become more severe and, in the absence of more effective efforts, is expected to become dramatically worse, endangering the lives and safety of the homeless; (3) the causes of homelessness are many and complex, and homeless individuals have diverse needs; (4) there is no single, simple solution to the problem of homelessness because of the different subpopulations of the homeless, the different causes of and reasons for homelessness, and the different needs of homeless individuals; (5) due to the record increase in homelessness, States, units of local government, and private voluntary organizations have been unable to meet the basic human needs of all the homeless and, in the absence of greater Federal assistance, will be unable to protect the lives and safety of all the homeless in need of assistance; and (6) the Federal Government has a clear responsibility and an existing capacity to fulfill a more effective and responsible role to meet the basic human needs and to engender respect for the human dignity of the homeless. (b) Purpose- It is the purpose of this chapter-- (1) to establish an Interagency Council on the Homeless; (2) to use public resources and programs in a more coordinated manner to meet the critically urgent needs of the homeless of the Nation; and (3) to provide funds for programs to assist the homeless, with special emphasis on elderly persons, handicapped persons, families with children, Native Americans, and veterans. (Pub. L. 100-77, title I, Sec. 102, July 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 484.) [4] [5] [6] [7]

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act also ensures homeless children transportation to and from school free of charge, with their choice of what school they want to attend regardless of what district the family resides in. This Act also ensures children free lunch at schools.

http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2002-1/030802a.html

This legislation is considered landmark legislation for the homeless.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ United States Department of Housing and Urban Development synopsis of the McKinney-Vento Act [1]
2. ^ National Coalition for the Homeless fact sheet on The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act [2]
3. ^ Interagency Council on the Homeless [3]