The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness rates this year, which federal officials attribute to… Increased numbers of asylum seekersLack of affordable housing and natural disasters.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its report 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report: Part 1: Point in Time (PIT) Estimateswhich documents the number of people in shelters, temporary housing and unprotected spaces.
The report found that more than 770,000 people were Experiencing homelessness On one night in January 2024, an increase of 18% from 2023.
More than a dozen communities reported data to HUD that showed the rise Comprehensive homelessness This was a result of the increasing number of asylum seekers coming into their communities.
A dog barks as a homeless person sleeps in the backyard of an abandoned house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynn Sladky)
Migration had a particularly notable impact on family homelessness, which rose by 39% from 2023 to 2024, according to the report. In the 13 communities reported affected by migration, family homelessness has doubled.
In the remaining 373 communities, the increase in the number of families experiencing homelessness was less than 8%, officials noted.
Rents have stabilized significantly since January 2024, with HUD adding 435,000 new rental units in the first three quarters of 2024, according to the report.
The PIT count was conducted after significant increases in rental costs, “as a result of the pandemic and nearly decades of non-housing construction,” officials said. “Rents have been flat or even down in many cities since January.”
An aerial photo taken on August 10, 2023, shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina along the Pacific Ocean following wildfires in West Maui, Hawaii. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
HUD said the Maui Fire, as well as other natural disasters, had an impact on the area Increase in homelessness. Thousands of people affected by the fire were sleeping in emergency disaster shelters on the night of the PIT count.
“This report reflects data collected one year ago and is likely not representative of current conditions, given changing policies and circumstances,” department officials wrote in a statement. “…More importantly, these reports were collected before the Biden-Harris administration took executive action to secure our borders, after Republicans in Congress blocked a bipartisan Senate bill that would have provided resources and authorities to help reduce illegal immigration.” Regularity.”
Illegal border crossings decreased by more than 60% after the executive action, officials said in the statement.
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Homelessness among veterans fell to the lowest number on record, with a decline of nearly 8% — from 35,574 in 2023 to 32,882 in 2024, according to the report. Among unprotected veterans, the number fell by nearly 11% — from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024.
HUD said it has helped connect nearly 90,000 veteran families to the network Stable homes for rent Through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program in 2024, VA permanently housed 47,925 veterans – representing the highest number of veterans housed in a single year since 2019.
Douglas Poe, 65, pushes his wheelchair into his tent next to a homeless encampment outside Veterans Affairs facilities in West Los Angeles on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that every family has access to the affordable, safe, quality housing they deserve,” said HUD Administrator Adrienne Todman. “Although this data is nearly a year old, and no longer reflects the situation we are experiencing, 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.”
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On Friday, the Biden-Harris administration announced a series of measures to Addressing homelessness Across the country, including expanding the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator program with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarding nearly $40 million to support veterans through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
