Number of homeless people in the United States increased 18% in 2024

Published at: 27/12/2024 05:21 PM

During 2024, the number of homeless people in the United States increased 18%, with more than 770,000 homeless people in a single night, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The American dream is often described as a house with a white fence, but for thousands of Americans currently experiencing homelessness, whether in a shelter in New York or on the streets of Los Angeles, this dream is getting farther and farther away, Newsweek reported.

The 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress released this Friday, December 27, by HUD's Office of Planning and Community Development, mentions a record of 771,480 people in the United States who are experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024.

That's roughly 23 out of every 10,000 people in the country, according to the report.

The number of homeless people according to HUD includes people in shelters, housing programs and places without shelter. However, the actual number of homeless people is higher, since the HUD figures don't take into account some situations, such as those of those who stay with friends or family because they don't have their own home.

The HUD report indicates that in 2024 there will be 18.1% more homeless people than in 2023. For reference, the number of homeless people increased by 19.2% between 2007 and 2024.

The number of people experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness, which HUD defines as people with disabilities who have been homeless for at least 12 months, also increased 6.6% between 2023 and 2024.

Mazo News Team