US Homelessness Up 18% — and Officials are Blaming the Migrant Crisis, Devastating Natural Disasters, and a Lack of Affordable Housing; US Homelessness Up Double Digits, Rising Numbers of Asylum Seekers, Affordability Crisis Among Causes

US homelessness up 18% — and officials are blaming the migrant crisis, devastating natural disasters, and a lack of affordable housing:

The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials said Friday.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless — a number that misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they do not have a place of their own.

That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. The 2023 increase also was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The numbers overall represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the U.S., with Black people being overrepresented among the homeless population.

The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials said Friday.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless — a number that misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they do not have a place of their own.

That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. The 2023 increase also was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The numbers overall represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the U.S., with Black people being overrepresented among the homeless population.

Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness — one of the areas that was most affected by the arrival of migrants in big cities. Family homelessness more than doubled in 13 communities impacted by migrants including Denver, Chicago, and New York City, according to HUD, while it rose less than 8% in the remaining 373 communities. Nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33% jump from last year.

Disasters also played a part in the rise in the count, especially last year’s catastrophic Maui wildfire, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. More than 5,200 people were staying in emergency shelters in Hawaii on the night of the count. —>READ MORE HERE

US homelessness up double digits, rising numbers of asylum seekers, affordability crisis among causes:

The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, which federal officials attribute to a rising number of asylum seekers, lack of affordable housing and natural disasters.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Friday released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report: Part 1: Point-in-Time (PIT) Estimates, which documents the number of people in shelters, temporary housing and unsheltered settings.

The report found more than 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, an 18% increase from 2023.

More than a dozen communities reported data to the HUD that showed the rise in overall homelessness was a result of a rising number of asylum seekers coming into their communities.

Migration had a particularly notable impact on family homelessness, which rose 39% from 2023 to 2024, according to the report. In the 13 communities that reported being affected by migration, family homelessness more than doubled.

In the remaining 373 communities, the rise in families experiencing homelessness was less than 8%, officials noted.

Rents have stabilized significantly since January 2024, with the HUD adding 435,000 new rental units in the first three quarters of 2024, according to the report.

The PIT count was conducted at the tail of significant increases in rental costs, “as a result of the pandemic and nearly decades of under-building of housing,” officials said. “Rents are flat or even down in many cities since January.” —>READ MORE HERE

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