Veteran Homelessness Declines Amid Nationwide 18% Spike in Homelessness

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says that the number of homeless people in the United States rose by a worrisome 18.1% in 2024. The rise was the biggest in over a decade and was caused by a lack of affordable homes, natural disasters, and large groups of migrants.

During HUD's annual January survey, which didn't include people living with friends or family for a short time, more than 770,000 people were identified as homeless. This is on top of a 12% rise in 2023, which was caused by high rents and the end of aid programs from the pandemic. Black Americans are still disproportionately affected, and a big chunk of the homeless community is black.

The number of homeless families rose the most, by almost 40%, especially in places like Denver, Chicago, and New York, where new immigrants put a strain on resources. HUD said that 150,000 children were homeless on a single night, which is 33% more than in 2023. Natural disasters, like the Maui wildfires, also played a role, forcing over 5,200 Hawaiians to stay in emergency centers.

Even though things are looking bad, the number of homeless veterans has gone down by 8%. This is because the federal government is still investing in and supporting specific housing programs. Cities like Dallas and Los Angeles also saw growth. The number of homeless people dropped 16% and 5%, respectively, because systems were updated and more housing became available.

 Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said, "The drop in veterans who are homeless shows what's possible."  As per Oliva, funding and smart policies can make a difference across the country.

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Advocates stress that the federal government needs to move quickly to make housing more affordable in order to end homelessness.

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