The US saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials said Friday. The Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally required counts taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless. That tally misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they do not have a place of their own, the AP reports.
The increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. The 2023 increase also was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The numbers overall represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the nation, with Black people being overrepresented among the homeless population. Adrianne Todman of HUD said in a statement that the focus should remain on "evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness." Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness—one of the areas 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 York 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 the Maui wildfire, per the AP. Several large cities had success bringing down their homeless numbers. Dallas, which worked to overhaul its homeless system, saw a 16% drop in its numbers between 2022 to 2024. Los Angeles, which increased housing for the homeless, saw a drop of 5% in unsheltered homelessness since 2023.
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