# Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing: Defining “Homeless”
> **US Department of Housing and Urban Development** · Final rule. · Published 2011-12-05 · Effective 2012-01-04 · 76 FR 75994
## Document
- **Document number:** 2011-30942
- **Category:** hud-homeless
- **Agency:** US Department of Housing and Urban Development
- **Federal Register citation:** 76 FR 75994
- **CFR reference:** 24 CFR 91
- **Publication date:** 2011-12-05
- **Effective date:** 2012-01-04
- **Docket:** Docket No. FR-5333-F-02
## Abstract

The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act), enacted into law on May 20, 2009, consolidates three of the separate homeless assistance programs administered by HUD under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act into a single grant program, revises the Emergency Shelter Grants program and renames the program the Emergency Solutions Grants program, and creates the Rural Housing Stability program to replace the Rural Homelessness Grant program. The HEARTH Act also codifies in law the Continuum of Care planning process, long a part of HUD's application process to assist homeless persons by providing greater coordination in responding to their needs. This final rule integrates the regulation for the definition of "homeless," and the corresponding recordkeeping requirements, for the Shelter Plus Care program, and the Supportive Housing Program. This final rule also establishes the regulation for the definition "developmental disability" and the definition and recordkeeping requirements for "homeless individual with a disability" for the Shelter Plus Care program and the Supportive Housing Program.

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2011/12/05/2011-30942/homeless-emergency-assistance-and-rapid-transition-to-housing-defining-homeless)
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