US Homelessness in 2024 Up 18 Percent From Previous Year, HUD Reports

Federal officials blamed the increase on the lack of affordable housing, devastating natural disasters, and the surge in illegal immigration.

A tent encampment in San Diego on July 31, 2023. Mike Blake/Reuters

The nation’s homeless population grew by 18.1 percent from 2023 to 2024, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on Dec. 27.

HUD determined that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless in a federally required survey taken across the country in January called the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report. This number does not include those who don’t have a home of their own but are able to stay with family or friends.

Federal officials blamed the increase on the lack of affordable housing, devastating natural disasters, and the surge in migration seen in different parts of the country.

“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,” HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman said in a statement. “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 percent since 2010 shows that.”

The report also states that since January 2024, rent prices have “stabilized,” and HUD has been able to add 435,000 new rental units as of September 2024.

The year-over-year rise in homelessness follows a 12 percent increase recorded in 2023, which was driven by people who were experiencing homelessness for the first time. HUD blamed this increase on higher rents and the end of pandemic assistance.

This year also saw a nearly 40 percent rise in family homelessness, with nearly 150,000 children experiencing homelessness for at least one night in 2024, a 33 percent year-over-year increase on its own. According to HUD, family homelessness was found to have more than doubled in cities impacted by illegal immigrants, such as Denver, New York City, and Chicago.

The report does not separate the number of homeless immigrants from the number of homeless U.S. citizens.

Thousands also remain homeless in Hawaii due to the Maui fires. According to HUD, more than 5,200 people were found sleeping in disaster emergency shelters when this year’s survey was taken.

Not all states and cities were equal in terms of homelessness. Maine saw the largest decrease in homeless individuals from 2023 to 2024 (20.9 percent), while Florida recorded the largest long-term decrease in its number of homeless individuals, dropping 28 percent from 2007 to 2024.

Maine and Florida also lead the country, with Georgia, in the decreased number of people in families with children who were homeless from 2023 to 2024.

HUD also announced that veteran homelessness dropped to 32,882, a nearly 8 percent year-over-year decrease and “the lowest number on record.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.