Record Highs in Homelessness Across the United States

New York, Dec 28 (NationPress) The United States has recorded its highest level of homelessness in 2024, with various states experiencing increases in the triple digits as the national housing crisis escalated, based on federal statistics.

The annual report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), released on Friday, indicated that 771,480 individuals were facing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, representing an 18.1 percent rise compared to 2023.

The most significant increases were observed in Illinois, Hawaii, and other states grappling with challenges related to housing affordability and rising numbers of migrant arrivals, according to a report by Xinhua news agency.

HUD data revealed that Illinois experienced the steepest increase in the nation, with a staggering 116.2 percent increase that raised its homeless population to 25,832. The Chicago area accounted for 91 percent of this increase, primarily attributed to a surge in migrants. The report noted that new arrivals, including migrant and asylum-seeking families, constituted over 13,600 individuals in emergency shelters in Chicago.

Hawaii saw the second-largest percentage increase, with an 87 percent rise bringing its homeless population to 11,637. The wildfires in Maui last year significantly contributed to this, with over 5,200 individuals residing in disaster emergency shelters during the count.

Massachusetts reported the third-highest increase at 53.4 percent, closely followed by New York at 53.1 percent. HUD indicated that the surge in New York City was mainly driven by asylum seekers, who made up almost 88 percent of the increase in sheltered homelessness in the city.

"No American should face homelessness," stated HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman in the report. While recognizing that the data was nearly a year old, she stressed the need for evidence-based efforts to prevent and eliminate homelessness.

Colorado rounded out the top five with a 29.6 percent rise in homelessness. The state reported 18,715 individuals experiencing homelessness, with family homelessness more than doubling due to a 134 percent surge.

California accounted for nearly a quarter of the nation’s homeless population, with 187,084 individuals facing homelessness—approximately 48 per 10,000 residents, according to HUD.

The Golden State noted a 3.1 percent increase from 2023, adding 5,685 individuals to its homeless population. In California, 66.3 percent of those experiencing homelessness were living in conditions unfit for human habitation, such as streets, abandoned buildings, or vehicles.

Despite extensive efforts and expenditure to enhance housing availability for those without homes, Los Angeles has only achieved a 5 percent reduction in unsheltered homelessness since 2023.

"The rise in homelessness is a tragic yet predictable outcome of insufficient investment in the resources and protections necessary for individuals to secure and maintain safe, affordable housing," commented Renee Willis, interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, as cited in the HUD report.

This crisis has disproportionately impacted various populations across states. Family homelessness witnessed the most significant single-year increase nationwide at 39 percent. Nearly 150,000 children faced homelessness on a single night in 2024, marking a 33 percent rise from the previous year.

In Colorado, family homelessness more than doubled, while California reported 25,639 individuals within families experiencing homelessness.

Individuals identifying as Black, African American, or African are disproportionately affected, making up 32 percent of those experiencing homelessness despite only representing 12 percent of the US population.

The increase in homelessness occurred amid an ongoing affordable housing crisis. Communities noted that the rise in the sheltered population mirrored expanded shelter capacity, the conclusion of eviction moratoriums and other pandemic-related protections, a scarcity of affordable housing, and increasing numbers of immigrants arriving in the United States.