Determining Chronic Homelessness

This guide is designed to provide an in-depth look at Prior Living Situation as it relates to determining Chronic Homelessness

Chronic Homelessness Definition
Determining Chronicity
Determination Examples

Chronic Homelessness Definition

HUD considers an individual to be chronically homeless only if the client has a disability AND one of the two following criteria are met:

The client has spent the last 12+ consecutive months experiencing literal homelessness

OR
The client has had 4 or more separate episodes of homelessness in the past 3 years totaling up to 12+ months of literal homelessness

Determining Chronicity

Disabling Condition

The first step in the process of determining chronicity is to see if the Head of Household has a disability based on the answer to Disabling Condition. Only “Yes” responses are given further consideration for CH status.

When asking the disabling condition question, explain what it means to have a disabling condition, so the appropriate response is provided. Disabling conditions, according to HUD, include:

Physical, mental, or emotional impairment (including substance abuse, PTSD, or brain injury) that is:
- Expected to be long-continuing or indefinite,
- Substantially impedes ability to live independently, and
- Improved by more suitable housing conditions.
Developmental Disability; or
HIV/AIDS

Homeless History

If the Head of Household indicates that they have a disabling condition, information entered for the Head of Household’s Prior Living Situation is then used to to calculate length of time/number of occasions homeless to determine if the remaining CH requirements are met. This includes the following data

Prior Living Situation: Living situation immediately prior to project entry.
Length of Stay in Previous Place: Time living in this specific situation only.
Approximate Date Homelessness Started: Continuous time living in all homeless situations without a break of seven days or more.
Number of times homeless in the past three years: Count each homeless occasion separated by seven days or more that occurred in the past three years before project enrollment.
Number of months homeless in the past years: Count each month for any time spent in a homeless situation during each homeless occasion identified above. Remember that if a client has spent a single night in a given month homeless, then the entire month counts towards their total number of months homeless.

Prior Living Situation

The client’s living situation immediately prior to project entry. This field, along with "Length of Stay in Previous Place" will appear for all clients. When a “Homeless Situation” is selected from the PLS dropdown menu, three additional questions will be displayed to capture the additional information needed for CH determination.

Length of Stay in Previous Place

The length of time spent in that specific situation as of the Project Start Date.

Approximate date homelessness started

This date reflects the continuous length of time for the current homeless occasion where the client was on the streets, in ES, in SH, or any combination of those three homeless situations without a break of seven days or more.

You will likely need to work with the client to identify the best approximate date that should be used. Many clients may initially tell you they have been homeless for several years, but after some discussion about where they have been living will reveal that while their housing instability has been going on for several years, their most recent episode of homelessness actually began 3 months ago.

Starting with the current homeless situation, include time spent in any other homeless situation for a continuous period to estimate the date for this homeless occasion. While this date is an approximation, it needs to be as accurate as possible. Asking the client to recall something significant, such as a current event, holiday, season, etc., can help narrow down a date current homelessness began. If a specific date is not able to be identified, select the appropriate approximate date for month, season, quarter, year, etc.

Date covers entire time spent in previous place + any stays in other homeless situations for the duration of one continuous occasion. Remember that any time that a client's homelessness is interrupted by 7 or more consecutive nights in a permanent or temporary housing situation or by 90 or more days in institutional settings, they begin a new episode of homelessness.

Number of times the client has been on the streets, in ES, or SH in the past three years

Anytime there is a break of seven days or more from the current occasion of homelessness within the three years prior to the Project Start Date, a new occasion of homelessness occurs.

You will likely need to engage with the client to identify the correct number of episodes of homelessness. Many clients may initially tell you they have been homeless for one long period of time, but after some discussion about where they have been living will reveal that they have had several breaks of 7 or more days in their homelessness in which they stayed with family/friends, for example, and that they have actually experienced 4 or more episodes of homelessness.

Total number of months homeless on the street, in ES, or SH in the past three years

Remember that if a client has spent a single night in a given month homeless, then the entire month counts towards their total number of months homeless.

Determination Examples

Client is not CH because there is not one continuous stay of at least 12 months, or 4+ occasions in the past three years for at least 12 months.

Client is CH since the current occasion of homelessness is continuous for at least 12 months.

Client is CH since there are 4+ occasions in the past three years for at least 12 months.

Additional Resources

See also: Flowchart of HUD's Definition of Chronic Homelessness for additional support.