North Carolina public schools report data for the type of primary nighttime residence used by students based on four categories: doubled-up, shelters and transitional housing, hotels or motels, and unsheltered. The doubled-up category includes students who are sharing housing with others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. The shelters and transitional housing category includes all types of emergency, family, youth, and transitional shelters. The hotels or motels category includes students residing in hotels or motels due to a lack of alternative, adequate housing. The unsheltered category includes students staying in substandard housing, cars, parks, abandoned buildings, or other places not meant for humans to live. It also includes students staying in temporary trailers and campgrounds due to inadequate alternative housing. 

Historically, the percentage of homeless students living in a particular type of housing remains relatively stable, with students who are doubled-up composing approximately 69% of all students experiencing homelessness at the point of identification by the homeless liaison. This aligns similarly with data from across the country.  

Shelters are not available in all areas of the state. They may be full and have stay limits for families, which contributes to the large number of doubled-up identifications. When living in a double-up situation, the family or youth may be confined to one room or area of the house, live in fear of being kicked out, and feel additional stress due to the overcrowding of the environment. Students experiencing homelessness living in doubled-up situations often lack sufficient sleep and a space to study, which leads to them being unable to perform well in school.