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ESA SNAP Policy Manual 183 Legal Authority Shelter for battered persons (federal): 7 USC § 2012(m)(5), 7 CFR § 271.2 “Shelter for battered women and children,” 7 CFR § 273.1(b)(7)(vi)(D), 7 CFR § 273.3(a), 7 CFR § 273.11(g) 14.6 SNAP Households Experiencing Homelessness An individual experiencing homelessness is defined as:  An individual who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence; or  An individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is one of the following: − A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (such as a welfare hotel or congregate shelter) − A halfway house or similar institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized − A temporary accommodation for not more than 90 days in the residence of another individual − A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (such as a hallway, a bus station, a lobby or similar places) ESA cannot require an otherwise eligible person who is experiencing homelessness to reside in a permanent dwelling or have a fixed mailing address as a condition of eligibility. Residency verification of households experiencing homelessness can be self-attested if verification from the household or a collateral contact (such as with a shelter) cannot be obtained. Homeless SNAP households will be permitted to use their SNAP benefits to purchase prepared meals from homeless meal providers authorized by FNS. Legal Authority Individuals experiencing homelessness (federal): 7 USC § 2012(m)(5), 7 CFR § 271.2 “Homeless individual” and “Eligible foods,” 7 CFR § 273.1(b)(7)(vi)(E), 7 CFR § 273.2(f)(1)(vi), 7 CFR § 273.3(a), 7 CFR § 273.11(h) 14.7 Prerelease Applicants for SNAP A household that consists of a resident or residents of a public institution(s) who apply for SSI under SSA’s Prerelease Program for the Institutionalized will be allowed to apply for SNAP benefits jointly with their application for SSI prior to their release from the institution.  Application filing date: The filing date of the application that ESA must record is the date of release of the applicant from the institution. Return