U.S. homelessness surged 18 percent this year with over 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Why It Matters
The American dream is often described as a house with a white picket fence but for thousands of Americans currently experiencing homelessness, whether that be in a New York shelter or on the streets of Los Angeles, this dream is slipping further and further away.
What To Know
According to the 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress released Friday by Hud's Office of Community Planning and Development, a record-breaking 771,480 people in the U.S. are experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024.
That is roughly 23 of every 10,000 people in the nation, the report says.
Who Is Included In HUD's Report?
HUD's number of people experiencing homelessness includes people in shelters, housing programs and unsheltered locations. The actual number of people experiencing homelessness, however, is larger as HUD's numbers don't account for some situations like those staying with friends or family because they do not have a home of their own.
Spike In People Experiencing Homeless
There are 18.1 percent more people experiencing homelessness in 2024 than in 2023, according to the HUD report. For reference, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased 19.2 percent from 2007 to 2024.
The number of people experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness, which HUD defines as people with disabilities who have been homeless for at least 12 months, also increased 6.6 percent from 2023 to 2024.
On a positive note, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness decreased 7.6 percent this year and has plummeted 55.2 percent from 2007 to 2024, according to the HUD report.
What Is Causing Homelessness?
HUD listed some factors that have "stretched homelessness services systems to their limits" in their report: A national affordable housing crisis, increasing inflation and stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households. They also said the "persisting" effects of systemic racism play a role in this record-high homelessness.
Additionally, the department mentioned public health crises, natural disasters, increased numbers of U.S. immigrants and the end to COVID-19-era homelessness prevention programs as having "exacerbated this already stressed system."
What People Are Saying
Adrianne Todman, who leads HUD, said in a statement: "No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every family has access to the affordable, safe, and quality housing they deserve."
Renee Willis, incoming interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said in a statement: "Increased homelessness is the tragic, yet predictable, consequence of underinvesting in the resources and protections that help people find and maintain safe, affordable housing."
"As advocates, researchers, and people with lived experience have warned, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to increase as more people struggle to afford sky-high housing costs," Willis added.
Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a statement: "This record-setting increase in homelessness should sound the alarm for federal, state, and local lawmakers to advance evidence-based solutions to this crisis."
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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