Photo credit: Lost Coast Outpost
The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year.
Associated Press reports that it is a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing, natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country., according to federal officials.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that over 770,000 people were counted as homeless. The number misses some people and does not include those staying with friends because they do not have a place of theirs.
The increase is based on soaring rents and end-of-pandemic assistance. The numbers represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the US, with Black people being overrepresented among the homeless population.
Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness – one of the most affected by the arrival of migrants in big cities. Family homelessness more than doubled in 13 communities impacted by migrants including Denver, Chicago, and New Yor City, according to HUD, while it rose less than 8% in the remaining 373 communities. Nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33% jump from last year.
Disasters also played a part in the rise in the count, especially last year’s catastrophic Maui wildfire. Over 5,200 people were staying in emergency shelters in Hawaii on the night of the count.
Increasing numbers of communities are taking a hard line against homelessness. Some have been enforcing bans on camping as public pressure grows to address what some residents say are dangerous and unsanitary living conditions. The Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that outdoor sleeping bans don’t violate the Eighth Amendment. However, homeless advocates argued that punishing those who need a place to sleep would criminalize homelessness.
The sharp increase in the homeless population over the past two years contrasts with the success the US has been having for more than a decade. The US made steady progress for about a decade in reducing the homeless population as the government focused particularly on increasing investments to get veterans into housing. The number of homeless people dropped from about 637,000 in 2010 to about 554,000 in 2017.
The numbers ticked up to about 580,000 in the 2020 count and held relatively steady over the next two years as Congress responded to the Covid-19 pandemic with emergency rental assistance, stimulus payments, aid to states and local governments and a temporary eviction moratorium.
