US Homelessness Surged 18% in 2024; More Than 770,000 Counted as Homeless

U.S. homelessness surged 18 percent this year with over 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Why It Matters
The American dream is often described as a house with a white picket fence but for thousands of Americans currently experiencing homelessness, whether that be in a New York shelter or on the streets of Los Angeles, this dream is slipping further and further away.
What To Know
According to the 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress released Friday by Hud’s Office of Community Planning and Development, a record-breaking 771,480 people in the U.S. are experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024.
That is roughly 23 of every 10,000 people in the nation, the report says.
Who Is Included In HUD’s Report?
HUD’s number of people experiencing homelessness includes people in shelters, housing programs and unsheltered locations. The actual number of people experiencing homelessness, however, is larger as HUD’s numbers don’t account for some situations like those staying with friends or family because they do not have a home of their own.
A man walks past a homeless encampment in downtown Los Angeles, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. U.S. homelessness surged 18 percent this year with over 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024, according… A man walks past a homeless encampment in downtown Los Angeles, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. U.S. homelessness surged 18 percent this year with over 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). More AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File
Spike In People Experiencing Homeless
There are 18.1 percent more people experiencing homelessness in 2024 than in 2023, according to the HUD report. For reference, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased 19.2 percent from 2007 to 2024.
The number of people experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness, which HUD defines as people with disabilities who have been homeless for at least 12 months, also increased 6.6 percent from 2023 to 2024.
On a positive note, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness decreased 7.6 percent this year and has plummeted 55.2 percent from 2007 to 2024, according to the HUD report.
What Is Causing Homelessness?
HUD listed some factors that have