HUD reports unprecedented 18% rise in US homelessness, affecting 771,480 people, with children showing the steepest increase at 33%.
U.S. Records Unprecedented 18% Surge in Homelessness During Latest Year
Homelessness in the United States experienced an unprecedented 18% increase over the past year, attributed to multiple factors including housing affordability crisis, elevated inflation, institutional racism, climate disasters and increased immigration, according to Friday's announcement from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
SIGNIFICANCE
The homelessness crisis continues to intensify across America, evidenced by widespread visible homeless populations in urban areas, with makeshift tent settlements becoming commonplace on city streets. Federal and state authorities have implemented various, sometimes conflicting, approaches to address this escalating situation.
STATISTICAL OVERVIEW
According to Friday's released data, 771,480 individuals - approximately 23 per 10,000 U.S. residents - experienced homelessness through emergency shelters, safe havens, transitional housing programs, or unsheltered conditions.
The latest figures reveal an 18% escalation in overall homelessness between 2023 and 2024, surpassing the previous year's reported 12% increase.
During 2023-2024, youth under 18 experienced the most dramatic surge in homelessness, with a 33% increase affecting 150,000 children, the data indicates.
The statistics highlight racial disparities, showing Black Americans, who constitute 12% of the total U.S. population and 21% of Americans living in poverty, represented 32% of individuals experiencing homelessness.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
"The escalating national affordable housing crisis, increasing inflation, wage stagnation among middle- and lower-income households, and persistent systemic racism have overwhelmed homelessness services systems," stated the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The department additionally cited "concurrent public health emergencies, displacement-causing natural disasters, increasing immigration rates, and the termination of COVID-19 pandemic-era homelessness prevention programs."