U.S. homelessness reaches record high with 18% Increase

NEW YORK– The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, released by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), reported an 18% increase in homelessness in the US in 2024, marking the largest single-year surge in recent years.

The report provides a snapshot of homelessness on a single night in January, revealing that 771,480 people – or approximately 23 of every 10,000 people in the US – experienced homelessness in emergency shelters, safe havens, transitional housing programs, or unsheltered locations across the country. The report attributed the record-high homelessness in 2024 to several factors, including the national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, stagnant wages, systemic racism, public health crises, natural disasters, increased immigration, and the expiration of COVID-19-era homelessness prevention programs.

According to estimates, homelessness among families with children increased by 39% between 2023 and 2024. The largest increase in homelessness was among children under 18, with approximately 150,000 children experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024, a 33% increase from 2023. Despite the overall rise in homelessness, HUD reported a decline in homelessness among veterans, with a nearly 8% decrease from 35,574 in 2023 to 32,882 in 2024. Unsheltered veterans saw a nearly 11% decline, from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024. As HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman noted, “No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every family has access to affordable, safe, and quality housing.” She stressed the importance of evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness.