Originally published at National Catholic Register
More than half of people experiencing homelessness counted in the study were in one of the nation’s 50 largest cities. In 2024, more than 259,000 people in families with children were experiencing homelessness.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Friday released a report estimating that nearly 772,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States at the beginning of 2024, the highest number recorded since data collection began in 2007.
HUD’s figure, produced during an annual point-in-time count conducted in January 2024, represents an increase of 118,376 people and an 18% jump from the number of homeless people counted in 2023. About half of the people counted were in sheltered locations, such as homeless shelters or domestic violence houses, while half were in unsheltered locations.
More than half of people experiencing homelessness counted in the study were in one of the nation’s 50 largest cities. Almost 20% of the homeless individuals overall were experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness, HUD said.
A major factor in the rising number of homeless people in 2024, HUD reported, was migrants and people seeking asylum. For example, New York City saw a 53% increase in homelessness between 2023 and 2024,
