The number of homeless people in the United States has reached its highest level recorded in 2024, with more than 770,000 people living without a home on any given night in January, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual report.
This number is an 18% increase from 2023, due in part to a sharp increase in the number of immigrants who entered the United States illegally and are living without housing. sanctuary citythe report points out.
HUD said the data snapshot collected a year ago no longer reflects the current situation, noting that the situation for immigrants is stable and that Chicago and Denver have announced the end of their immigrant shelter systems. .
“No American should face homelessness. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that all families have access to the affordable, safe, and quality housing they deserve,” said HUD Secretary Adrian.・Todman stated. “The other day, data Almost a year after its founding, it is important to focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness because it no longer reflects the situation we see. ”
The National Alliance to End Homelessness blames the increase in the sheltered and unsheltered homeless population on a lack of affordable housing, and says that the nation’s affordable and available rental housing is increasing. It points out that there is an estimated shortage of 7.3 million units.
Related: Venezuelan prison gang crimes, arrests confirmed in 22 US states
“The answer to ending homelessness is ensuring everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Our leaders are committed to providing resources to house the homeless. We must immediately expand our services to support the rapidly increasing number of people who cannot afford rising rents,” said NAEH CEO Anne Oliva. “This record increase in homelessness is a wake-up call for federal, state, and local lawmakers to advance evidence-based solutions to this crisis.”
Oliva said the reported 8% decrease in homelessness among veterans provides a roadmap for policymakers on how to address homelessness overall. Specifically, it would increase federal funding for housing choice voucher programs and invest in homelessness prevention and racial equity programs.
Devon Kurtz, director of public safety policy at the Cicero Institute, said the drivers of the homelessness crisis are not just economic, but also related to health and public safety, especially regarding the unsheltered homeless population.
“Unsheltered is where we see a greater behavioral health component, where we see a greater connection between homelessness and the criminal justice system,” Kurtz told Center Square. “That applies both to people who leave prison and become homeless, and to people who become homeless and cycle between prisons and prisons.
Related: Poll: Majority of Americans support Trump transition
“That’s really all/And [situation] In contrast to many individual factors contributing to it, most combination of things” he added, citing drug use, substance abuse and mental health issues as contributing factors.
According to data collected by the Cicero Institute, approximately 75% of the unsheltered homeless population has a drug or alcohol addiction, and 78% have a severe mental illness.
The state of California has Largest homeless population The United States is set to implement Proposition 36, which cracks down on drug-related crimes and provides treatment as an alternative to incarceration.
Syndicated with permission From the center square.
