US Homelessness Rises 18% as Many Cannot Afford Affordable Housing

(VOR News) – Federal officials said on Friday that the United States experienced a significant rise in homelessness this year, totaling 18.1%, mostly attributed to a lack of affordable housing, severe natural disasters, and an influx of migrants in various areas of the country.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that federally mandated counts conducted nationwide in January indicated that over 770,000 individuals were categorized as homeless;

However, this statistic does not account for certain individuals or those residing with friends or family due to a lack of personal housing. This increase follows a 12% rise in 2023, which HUD ascribed to the cessation of pandemic assistance and soaring rents.

In 2023, newly homeless individuals also contributed to a surge in homelessness.

The data reveals that 23 per 10,000 Americans are homeless, with a disproportionately elevated rate of Black individuals affected by homelessness.

HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman asserted that the focus must remain on “evidence-based initiatives to prevent and eradicate homelessness,” emphasizing that “no American should experience homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is dedicated to guaranteeing that every family has access to affordable, safe, and quality housing.”

A roughly 40% rise in family homelessness, significantly affected by the surge of migrants in major urban areas, was among the most concerning trends.

HUD reports that family homelessness rose by under 8% in 373 towns, while it more than quadrupled in 13 communities affected by migration, including Denver, Chicago, and New York City. In 2024, around 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night, representing a 33% rise compared to the prior year.

The rise in the number was also affected by calamities, notably the catastrophic Maui wildfire that transpired last year, marking the deadliest wildfire in the United States in nearly a century. During the census night, more than 5,200 individuals were accommodated in emergency shelters in Hawaii.

Renee Willis, the incoming interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, stated that “the tragic, yet foreseeable, result of insufficient investment in the resources and protections that assist individuals in securing and sustaining safe, affordable housing is a rise in homelessness.”

“The incidence is increasing as individuals grapple with exorbitant housing expenses, as cautioned by advocates, researchers, and those with firsthand experience.”

These statistics support more communities cracking down on homelessness.

Communities, especially in Western states, have started implementing camping regulations in response to the often perilous and unsanitary tent encampments.

This follows the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision last year that banning outdoor camping does not contravene the Eighth Amendment. Proponents for the homeless said that penalizing individuals in need of shelter would render homelessness a criminal offense.

Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End, stated, “The reduction in veteran homelessness provides a definitive framework for tackling homelessness more broadly.”

We can replicate this success and reduce homelessness nationwide with bipartisan backing, adequate funding, and strategic policy measures. Federal investments are crucial to tackling the nation’s housing affordability crisis and ensuring that all Americans have access to secure, stable housing.

The population of homeless individuals has effectively diminished in several major urban areas.

Dallas’ systemically changing homeless population dropped 16% from 2022 to 2024.

Since 2023, unsheltered  in Los Angeles has diminished by 5%, resulting in an increase in housing availability for the homeless.

The highest population of homeless individuals in the United States is located in California, the most populous state, followed by New York, Washington, Florida, and Massachusetts.

The United States has had almost a decade of success, which stands in stark contrast to the significant increase in homelessness observed in the past two years.

According to the original 2007 research, the United States made steady progress in reducing homelessness for approximately a decade, with the government particularly focusing on increasing money to assist veterans in securing housing. From 2010 to 2017, the population of homeless individuals declined from about 637,000 to approximately 554,000.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress implemented emergency rental assistance, stimulus money, support for states and local governments, and a temporary eviction moratorium, resulting in a modest increase to approximately 580,000 in the 2020 figure, which remained relatively consistent over the subsequent two years.

SOURCE: USN

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