A surge of migrants entering the country and the United States’s housing affordability problem has fueled the country’s highest number of homeless people on record in 2024.
A report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed more than 770,000 people experienced homelessness on a night in January 2024, an 18% increase from 2023 and the largest increase since 2007 (excluding 2021-2022 when the agency didn’t conduct a report due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman suggested the data is not indicative of the nation’s current homelessness problem.
“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 Todman. “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.”
Border Patrol has encountered over 10 million migrants nationwide since 2021, with overall undocumented migrant numbers likely much higher. New York City has experienced a large influx of migrants, causing a budget crunch as officials have struggled to house them. Other cities, such as Boston and Chicago, have faced similar problems.
Veterans were the only group to experience a drop in homelessness, with an 8% decrease in those experiencing homelessness and an 11% decrease in unsheltered veterans.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) blasted the numbers in the report and insisted on creating more affordable housing for Americans.
“This is the richest country on earth,” Sanders said in an X post. “770,000 Americans should not be homeless, and 20 million more should not be spending over half their incomes on rent or a mortgage. We need to invest in affordable housing, not Trump’s massive tax breaks for billionaires.”
New York, Illinois, West Virginia, Alabama, Rhode Island, and New Mexico saw the largest percentage increase in individuals experiencing homelessness, all with over 25% upticks. As for families with children experiencing homelessness, states such as New York, Illinois, and Colorado saw the largest increases.
California, which has been much maligned for its past homelessness problems, showed off some of the numbers via Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) press office. The state experienced a 3.13% increase in homelessness compared to the 18.13% increase nationally. Its increase in individuals experiencing homelessness still ranked second nationally.
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President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to clear encampments and to relocate individuals experiencing homelessness onto “inexpensive land.”
“We will use every tool, lever, and authority to get the homeless off our streets,” Trump said in a video announcing his policy last year. “There is nothing compassionate about letting these individuals live in filth and squalor rather than getting them the help that they need.”
