Homelessness in the United States has increased by 18.1% this year, which federal officials blame on a rise in the number of asylum seekers, a lack of affordable housing and natural disasters.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its report Friday. 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report: Part 1: Point in Time (PIT) Estimatesrecords the number of people in shelters, temporary housing, and unsheltered settings.
More than 770,000 people will experience homelessness on any given night in January 2024, an 18% increase from 2023, according to the report.
More than a dozen communities have reported data to HUD showing that the overall increase in homelessness is the result of an increase in the number of asylum seekers entering their communities.
A dog barks as a homeless person sleeps in the backyard of an abandoned house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynn Sladke)
The left's homeless agenda has destroyed our cities. Help may come from unexpected sources
Migration had a particularly significant impact on family homelessness, which increased by 39% from 2023 to 2024, according to the report. In the 13 communities that reported being affected by immigration, family homelessness more than doubled.
In the remaining 373 communities, the increase in families experiencing homelessness was less than 8%, officials noted.
Rents have remained significantly stable since January 2024, and HUD added 435,000 new rental units in the first three quarters of 2024, according to the report.
The PIT tally was conducted in response to a significant rise in rents “as a result of the pandemic and nearly decades of slow housing construction,” officials said. “Since January, rents have been flat or falling in many cities.”
Aerial photos taken on August 10, 2023 show destroyed homes and buildings in Lahaina, on the Pacific coast, due to wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
HUD said the Maui fires, along with other natural disasters, also contributed to the increase in homelessness. On the night of the PIT count, thousands of people affected by the fire were sleeping in disaster emergency shelters.
“This report reflects data collected a year ago and is likely not representative of the current situation given changes in policy and circumstances,” ministry officials said in a statement. . “…Importantly, this report shows that the Biden-Harris administration will be able to secure the border after Congressional Republicans blocked a bipartisan Senate bill that would have provided the resources and authority needed to reduce illegal immigration. The information was collected before any administrative action was taken.
Officials said in a statement that illegal border crossings have decreased by more than 60% as a result of the president's actions.
Spending on homelessness soars to 'shocking' amount in Portland metro area
The number of homeless veterans decreased by nearly 8% from 35,574 in 2023 to 32,882 in 2024, the lowest number on record, according to the report. The number of unsheltered veterans decreased by nearly 11%, from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024.
HUD will help connect approximately 90,000 veteran households to stable rental housing through the HUD-Veterans Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program in 2024, and the Department of Veterans Affairs will permanently place 47,925 veterans in stable housing. announced that it had been contained. Single year from 2019.
Douglas Vue, 65, pushes his wheelchair into a tent next to a homeless camp outside a West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs facility on Monday, August 30, 2021. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“No American should face homelessness. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring all families have access to the affordable, safe, and quality housing they deserve.” said HUD Secretary Adrian Todman. “While this data is nearly a year old and does not reflect the situation we are seeing, it is important to focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness. We know what works and that we have successfully reduced veteran homelessness by 55.2% since 2010. ”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
On Friday, the Biden-Harris administration announced plans to address homelessness across the country, including expanding the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and nearly $40 million in grants to support veterans. announced a series of measures to HUD-Veterans Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program.
