Continued rise in homelessness in the United States, largely due to a lack of affordable housing options, experts say.
The number of people Living in homelessness in the United States rose 18 percent last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said in a new report.
Data published More than 771,000 people were homeless across the country as of Friday, according to an annual count conducted on a single night in January 2024.
The number – the highest ever recorded, according to HUD – includes people staying in shelters, shelters, transitional housing or unsheltered locations across the United States.
This does not include people living in certain other forms of housing instability, such as people living with a friend or family member because they do not have their own housing.
“Our worsening national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, stagnant wages in middle- and low-income households, and the ongoing impacts of systemic racism have pushed homeless services systems to their limits,” the department’s report said (PDF) is.
Homelessness has been increasing in the United States for years, driven primarily by a Lack of affordable housing Options in cities across the country. In figures released last year, HUD found that homelessness increased 12 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Large tent cities and encampments have also emerged in many US cities as homeless rates rise.
While some cities have stepped up programs aimed at getting people off the streets and into shelters or temporary housing, others have introduced harsh measures that critics say have punished or even criminalized homelessness.
One of the most alarming findings from Friday’s HUD report was a significant increase in the number of homeless children.
According to the department, nearly 150,000 children were homeless in the U.S. this year – a 33 percent increase compared to 2023.
“Between 2023 and 2024, children (under 18) were the age group that saw the largest increase in homelessness,” the report said.
While the report attributed the overall increase in homelessness primarily to the lack of affordable housing, HUD said other factors also played a role, including natural disasters such as: Forest fire on Maui that has driven people from their homes.
A Increase in migrants Stays in shelters in major U.S. cities, including New York, Denver and Chicago, also contributed to the increase, as did the expiration of benefits and Protection rules is designed to help people keep their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition said Friday’s report underscores “the urgent need for policymakers to invest in proven solutions to the affordable housing and homelessness crises.”
“Increasing homelessness is the tragic but predictable consequence of inadequate investment in the resources and protections that help people find and maintain safe, affordable housing,” said Renee Willis, the group’s new interim CEO a statement.
“As advocates, researchers and people with lived experience have warned, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to rise as more people struggle to afford the horrendous costs of housing.”
