Homeless rates up 18% from 2023 according to HUD

(WAND) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its annual homelessness assessment report on Friday. According to the report, more than 770,000 people in the U.S. experienced homelessness at least one night in January 2024, an 18% jump from last year.

While the data is grim, the homelessness population amongst veterans dropped to the lowest number on record, an 8% decrease. The report said 35,574 veterans were without housing in 2023, to 32,882 experienced the same in 2024.

The HUD said in their report they have helped around 90,000 veterans secure housing through their HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH)

The VA said it housed around 47,925 veterans last year, the highest number of veterans housed in a single year since 2019.

“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 HUD Agency Head, The Honorable Adrianne 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.”

The HUD said some communities may experience a higher rise in homelessness as a result of asylum seekers coming to their cities. However, the HUD said this reporting was collected before there was Biden-Harris Administration executive action to secure the border. They added that since then, crossings at the border have dropped more than 60%.

The HUD added migration has made a big impact on family homelessness due to rising 39% last year. In 13 areas impacted by migrants, family homelessness doubled.

The HUD added rents have stabilized since January 2024, and they have added 435,000 new rental units, helping keep people with roofs over their heads.

“We at HUD deeply appreciate the work of our continuum of care and other community partners to end homelessness, especially given the challenges of 2023,” said Marion McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. “You are critical to the success of HUD’s mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.”

The HUD added that the Maui Fire, as well as other natural disasters, led to an increase in the number of people without housing. More than 5,200 people in Hawaii are still sleeping in disaster emergency shelters.

While the data is grim, some cities have seen a decrease in those without housing.

In Dallas, homelessness decreased by 16% after the city, in 2021, made an effort to address the crisis with the Street to Home Initiative.

In Los Angeles, the city tackled the issue by combining Federal, City, and County funding, which led to a 5% decline, the largest in 7 years.

In Pennsylvania, Chester County started taking more steps to tackle the crisis in 2019. Their efforts have led to a 60% decrease in the number of people without housing through creating and expanding housing programs, groups, education, and prevention efforts for migrant workers.

The HUD has awarded multiple grants to help address the issue nationwide. Click here to read through all of their media releases.

The HOME-American Rescue Plan in 2021 also gave $5 billion to 648 jurisdictions to invest in ending homelessness in their communities.

On Friday, the HUD announced that it is expanding the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, a joint effort with the Department of Health and Human Services.

The HUD is also awarding $39.8 million through the HUD-VASH to give veterans rental assistance to combat veteran homelessness.