In the above report, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimated that there were 771,480 homeless people on a single night in January 2024, an increase of 18% compared to 2023. This number can be understood. is that out of 10,000 people in the US, 23 people experience homelessness, according to AFP.
A man searches for food in trash cans along Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California on December 9.
According to a report released by HUD in December 2023, the United States had more than 653,100 homeless people, an increase of 70,650 people – or 12% – compared to 2022. That is also the highest level since data began being collected in the United States. America in 2007, according to AFP.
The surge in homelessness in the US comes as households feel pressured by housing costs, with average rents 20% higher in January 2024 than in January 2021, according to the Housing Association. National low income.
In addition to housing costs, the HUD report highlights “stagnant wages among low- and middle-income households, and the persistent impacts of systemic racism” as Other factors contribute to the increase in homeless people.
Other issues contributing to the increase in homelessness in the United States include natural disasters that displace people, increased immigration, and the end of homeless prevention programs. during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“While this data is nearly a year old and no longer accurately reflects the situation we are seeing, it is important that we focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness,” acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman emphasized in a statement.
The number of homeless people in America has increased to a record
Also according to the new report, nearly 150,000 children will experience homelessness in just one night in 2024, an increase of 33% compared to 2023. Among them, people under 18 years old are the age group witnessing homelessness. Immigration will increase the most in the period 2023-2024.
Individuals who identify as Black, African American or African remain overrepresented among the homeless, the report said.
The report also found that families with children saw the largest one-year increase in homelessness, and that migration had “a particularly notable impact on family homelessness.” family”.
