Answer: You are right to think about the reasons for sharing housing, as the law is clear that it must be “due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason.” 42 U.S.C. §11434a(2) It does seem that in this situation, the family is staying with grandma due to the mother’s health needs, rather than due to a loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason. They have fixed, regular and adequate housing, and the only reason they are staying off and on with grandma is due to the mother’s health needs. It doesn’t seem that their financial needs are a reason for the doubling up.
We are working with a family that struggles financially. Mom is dealing with some medical challenges and is needing brain surgery; she currently can’t be left alone. Since mom can’t be alone, our student and her mom are doubled up with grandma three to five days out of the week. The other days they are able to be at their home, because grandma can be there with them. Grandma lives out of our school district and has reached out for help with transportation. We know they are struggling financially, but we can’t decide if the living situation is one that would be eligible under McKinney-Vento.
Mar 16, 2023 | Q and A