Washington DC [US], December 29 : The rate of homelessness in the US has risen by 18 per cent over the past year, Al Jazeera reported, citing a new report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released on Friday.
According to Al Jazeera, the annual count, conducted in January 2024, found that more than 771,000 individuals were experiencing homelessness, marking the highest number ever recorded. This includes people staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe havens, or living in unsheltered conditions.
However, the report does not account for those in other unstable housing situations, such as individuals staying with friends or family due to a lack of permanent shelter, Al Jazeera reported.
The HUD report attributes the increase in homelessness to the growing affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, stagnant wages for middle- and lower-income households, and the ongoing impact of systemic racism, which has strained homelessness services across the country.
"Our worsening national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households, and the persisting effects of systemic racism have stretched homelessness services systems to their limits," the report read as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Homelessness has been on the rise for years, largely driven by the shortage of affordable housing in many US cities. In 2023, HUD reported a 12 per cent increase in homelessness compared to the previous year.
Amid rising homelessness rates in the United States, sprawling tent cities and encampments have emerged in numerous cities. While some areas have expanded programs to help people transition from the streets to shelters or temporary housing, others have implemented strict measures that critics argue penalise or even criminalise homelessness.
One of the most concerning findings from the HUD report was the notable rise in the number of children experiencing homelessness. Nearly 150,000 children were homeless in 2024, marking a 33 percent increase from the previous year, and children under the age of 18 were identified as the group most affected by the rise in homelessness between 2023 and 2024, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The HUD report attributed the increase in homelessness primarily to the lack of affordable housing but also noted other contributing factors, including natural disasters like the wildfire, which had displaced many families.
Additionally, the surge in migrants seeking shelter in major cities such as New York, Denver, and Chicago, and the expiration of pandemic-era benefits and protections, further exacerbated the situation.
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