ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP via Getty Images
The number of homeless people in the United States jumped 18% this year – the highest level ever recorded – driven by the lack of affordable housing, a series of natural disasters and a surge of migrants claiming asylum at the border.
The report, released by Housing and Urban Development and based on federal counts taken across the country on a single night in January, found that more than 770,000 people were homeless in January of this year – that’s about 23 of every 10,000 people.
The number of homeless families with children surged 39% compared to the previous year.
HUD said nearly 150,000 children were homeless, an increase of 33% , or 32,618 children, compared to 2023.
While homelessness grew in just about every category, it fell 8% among veterans, continuing a trend that began in 2009.
“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,” HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman said in a statement.
“While this data is nearly a year old, and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, it is critical that we focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness. We know what works and our success in reducing veteran homelessness by 55.2% since 2010 shows that,” she said.
