In the United States, homelessness increased 18.1% this year, a dramatic increase largely due to a shortage of homeless people. affordable housing In addition to devastating natural disasters surge in immigration In several parts of the U.S., federal officials said Friday.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said more than 770,000 people were homeless, according to federal statistics conducted nationwide in January. These figures do not include people who are homeless and staying with friends or family. Their own place.
The increase is 12% increase in 2023HUD blamed soaring rents and ending pandemic aid. The 2023 increase was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. This number equates to 23 per 10,000 people in the U.S. overall, with black people making up a higher proportion of the homeless.
“No American should experience homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that all families have access to affordable, safe, quality housing,” HUD agency Administrator Adrianne Todman said in a statement. Describes “evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness.”
One of the most concerning trends is the nearly 40% increase in family homelessness. immigrants in big cities. According to HUD, family homelessness more than doubled in 13 communities impacted by immigrants, including Denver, Chicago and New York City, while it increased by less than 8% in the remaining 373 communities. An estimated 150,000 children will experience overnight homelessness in 2024, a 33% increase over last year.
Disasters have also contributed to the tally, especially last year’s catastrophic Maui wildfires. America’s worst wildfire Over a century. On the night of the count, more than 5,200 people were staying in emergency shelters in Hawaii.
“Increasing homelessness requires investments in resources and protections to help people find and maintain safe, affordable housing,” Renee Willis, incoming interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said in a statement. “This is a tragic but predictable consequence of the shortage.” “As advocates, researchers and those with lived experience have warned, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to rise as more people struggle to afford soaring housing costs.”
The numbers are also increasing. number of communities We are taking a strong stance against the problem of homelessness.
Angered by the often dangerous and dirty tent camps, communities, especially in the West, have implemented camping bans. It looks like this: Last year’s Supreme Court ruling 6-3 A ruling has been made that bans on outdoor sleeping do not violate the 8th Amendment. Homeless advocates have argued that punishing people who need a place to sleep criminalizes homelessness.
There was some positive news on the count. Homelessness Among Veterans It continued to decline. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness decreased by 8% to 32,882 in 2024. The decline was even greater for unsheltered veterans, down 11% to 13,851 in 2024.
“Reducing veteran homelessness provides a clear roadmap for solving homelessness on a larger scale,” Anne Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a statement. “With bipartisan support, adequate funding, and smart policy solutions, we can replicate these successes and reduce homelessness across the country. “Federal investments are critical to solving our nation’s housing affordability crisis and ensuring that all Americans have access to safe, stable housing.”
Some large cities have succeeded in reducing homelessness. In Dallas, where efforts have been made to overhaul the homeless system, the number of homeless people has decreased by 16% between 2022 and 2024. In Los Angeles, which has increased housing for the homeless, the number of unsheltered homeless people has decreased by 5% since 2023. California is the most populous state. In the United States, the states with the largest homeless populations are New York, Washington, Florida, and Massachusetts.
The surge in the homeless population over the past two years stands in contrast to the success the United States has enjoyed for more than a decade.
Going back to the first survey in 2007, the U.S. government had made steady progress for about a decade in reducing the homeless population, with a particular focus on increasing investments to attract veterans into housing. The number of homeless people decreased from approximately 637,000 in 2010 to approximately 554,000 in 2017.
The 2020 count put that number at about 580,000 and remained relatively stable over the next two years as Congress responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency Rental Assistancestimulus money, Support for State and Local Governments and temporary Eviction moratorium.
