U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annual report

US Homelessness Hits Record High of 770,000 in 2024, Rising 18% Amid Housing Crisis

Dec 27, 2024, 05:47 PM

Homelessness in the United States surged by 18.1% in 2024, reaching a record high of over 770,000 people, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This increase, the largest annual rise since counts began in 2007, comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023. The crisis is attributed to a lack of affordable housing, with 22% of U.S. renters allocating all their income to rent payments, according to Redfin, and the end of pandemic assistance. Additionally, natural disasters and a surge of asylum seekers in January contributed to the rise. New York experienced a significant increase, with 55,000 more homeless individuals compared to last year, while Illinois saw a rise of 14,000. Washington, D.C., reported a 12% increase in homelessness since last year, and California accounts for approximately 27% of the nation's homeless population. Family homelessness rose nearly 40%, and nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33% jump from the previous year. The number of homeless individuals now exceeds the populations of cities like Seattle, Denver, and Washington, D.C. Conversely, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness declined by 8%, which experts attribute to federal housing aid available for veterans. Some cities saw improvements; Dallas reported a 16% drop in homelessness between 2022 and 2024, and Los Angeles saw a 5% decrease in unsheltered homelessness since 2023. The affordability crisis is further highlighted by the annual income needed to buy a house reaching an all-time high of $109,564—double that of four years ago—while the median income is $83,431.