This rule continues HUD's implementation of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act), Enacted into law on May 20, 2009.  The HEARTH Act consolidates three of the separate homeless assistance programs administered by HUD under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act into a single grant program, revised the Emergency Shelter Grants program and renames it 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 rule would finalize the definition of chronically homeless.  The definition would replace the current, different, definition in the Consolidated Plan regulation and the Continuum of Care regulation, creating a consistent definition between the two programs.  Public comment was sought on proposed definitions as part of the conforming amendments published with the Emergency Solution Grants Program interim rule, the Continuum of Care interim rule, and the Rural Housing Stability Assistance Program proposed rule.