Financial Resiliency and Housing Insecurity is headed in the wrong direction for families, children, and the elderly. Young adults are feeling this pressure as well. They are often the invisible “uncounted” population who live in their cars or on friend’s couches. We Must Do More.
Financial literacy coupled with ACTIONABLE Steps and knowing one’s resources, is not a nice-to-have, but a must-have. Let’s get ahead of the curve and champion our employees, clients, members, and students ~ We are here to help ~
U.S. homelessness rises 18% amid affordable housing shortage
Families with children saw the largest increase in homelessness this year, according to an annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Veterans were the only group to experience a decrease in homelessness, which dropped by 8% from 2023 to 2024, according to an annual report released Friday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.Daniel Cole / Reuters
Dec. 27, 2024, 3:39 PM EST
Homelessness rose 18% in the U.S. this year as the affordable housing crisis, inflation, stagnant wages and natural disasters pummeled communities across the country, federal officials said Friday.
More than 771,000 people — or about 23 of every 10,000 — experienced homelessness when the national count was conducted in January, according to an annual report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Families with children saw the largest increase in homelessness, at 39%. Nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, representing a 33% increase from last year.
Conversely, veterans were the only group to experience a decrease in homelessness, which dropped by 8% from 2023 to 2024, according to the report.
Los Angeles, which has consistently reported the highest number of unsheltered people in the country, saw a 5% decrease following investments in temporary and permanent housing programs. Dallas, which in 2021 launched an initiative to connect unsheltered families to housing and services, saw a 16% drop this year.
“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 Agency Head 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.”
Notably, the annual count was conducted months before a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed cities to ban sleeping and camping on public streets. Since the June decision, cities and states, especially in the Western U.S., have passed new policies that allow encampments to be removed, which could impact the annual count moving forward.
“Increased homelessness is the tragic, yet predictable, consequence of underinvesting in the resources and protections that help people find and maintain safe, affordable housing,” Renee Willis, incoming interim CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said in a statement. “As advocates, researchers, and people with lived experience have warned, the number of people experiencing homelessness continues to increase as more people struggle to afford sky-high housing costs.”
Natural disasters and immigration played a key role in the 2024 numbers.
Read article here.
