Answer: Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for athletic associations to think that the McKinney-Vento Act does not apply to them – but, it does. This detailed brief describes all the ways in which the law applies here.
Since your state has a form for homeless students, there must be some recognition of the need to waive existing rules for homeless students. There is strong legal precedent on these issues, so perhaps the representative at the state athletic association with whom you spoke is not aware of the law. Perhaps sending her this brief could help.
In case you are met with additional resistance, we suggest calling your State Coordinator to ask them to intervene on your behalf.
Two other “last resort” tactics that have been successful advocacy strategies are getting a lawyer and/or the press involved. A lawyer may have more luck persuading the state athletic association of the McKinney-Vento Act’s application. These stories tend to get very sympathetic coverage in the press, which sometimes sways athletic associations. Of course, these are both last resorts, and ultimately it would be up to the students whether they wanted to pursue those angles.