By AFRO Staff
More than 770,000 people were homeless in 2024, an 18 percent increase from 2023 and the highest number ever recorded, according to a new report released Dec. 27 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(Right): Housing advocates and experts say the record number of unhoused Americans can be largely attributed to the high cost of housing and the lack of affordable housing units. (Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash)
The devastating numbers were driven by a lack of affordable housing, a surge in migration to some areas and devastating natural disasters, in addition to rising inflation, stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households, and the persisting effects of systemic racism, officials stated.
“Increased homelessness is the tragic, yet predictable, consequence of underinvesting in the resources and protections that help people find and maintain safe, affordable housing,” said Renee Willis, incoming interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in a statement. “As advocates, researchers, and people with lived experience have warned, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to increase as more people struggle to afford sky-high housing costs.”
The figures compounded an already record-setting 12 percent increase in the U.S. homeless population in 2023, which HUD attributed to the end of pandemic-era assistance programs, skyrocketing rents and a record number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time.
The federal housing agency captured its annual snapshot of homelessness across the country by tallying the number of individuals in shelters, temporary housing and unsheltered settings on one night in January 2024. However, the numbers are likely higher as they do not account for the unhoused who sought shelter at the homes of family and friends.
The record level of homelessness was evident across varied groups, including families with children–which demonstrated a disturbing estimated 40 percent increase–and unaccompanied youth. About 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33 percent from the previous year.
“ latest report illustrates something the country already knows: More people than ever need help paying rent. More people than ever are becoming homeless for the first time. Homelessness is up because our leaders haven’t addressed that,” wrote The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a nonprofit focused on preventing and ending homelessness, in a social media post about the HUD report.
But the Biden administration did point out some positive trends as a result of its campaign against homelessness.
For instance, Blacks–not unexpectedly–represented a disproportionate segment of the homeless population: Blacks comprise 12 percent of the total U.S. population and 21 percent of the U.S. population living in poverty but accounted for 32 percent of all people experiencing homelessness. However, that figure was down from 37 percent in 2023.
More encouragingly, the population of homeless veterans continued its decline, dropping by 8 percent or 2,692 fewer veterans, from 2023 to 2024. In total, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has declined by 55 percent since data collection among that group began in 2009.
“No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every family has access to the affordable, safe, and quality housing they deserve,” said Adrianne Todman, acting secretary of HUD, in a statement. “While this data is nearly a year old, and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, 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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