Homelessness in U.S. hits all-time high after 12% increase in just one year

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a sharp increase in homelessness at the beginning of 2023, with a 12% increase in single-night numbers.

HUD used "Point-in-Time Estimates," which reported the number of people in shelters, those in temporary housing, and those simply unsheltered.

The report found that 653,000 individuals were "experiencing homelessness" on a single night in January 2023, a 12% increase from 2022. The rise represents 70,650 more homeless. The new number represents the largest number of homeless people in the country since the agency began surveying such data in 2007, the Epoch Times noted.

HUD blamed the rise on a post-pandemic expiration of resources, after the department claimed funding prevented a rise in homelessness between 2020 and 2022.

However, homelessness among families who have children saw the greatest increase at 15.5%, while homeless veterans increased by 7.4%. More than half of those who are homeless reportedly lived in just four states: California, Florida, New York, and Washington.

At the same time, HUD pointed to mostly Texan cities as places where homelessness has been curtailed as part of government programs.

For example, the government agency stated that Dallas City and County saw "a small decrease of 3.8% in overall homelessness as well as a 14% decrease in unsheltered homelessness and 32% decrease in chronic homelessness between 2022 and 2023."

It also cited San Antonio and Houston, Texas, as examples. As well, San Jose/Santa Clara City and Watsonville/Santa Cruz City, California, were touted as success stories.

Homeless individuals decreased by 1.2% in Santa Clara County and dropped by 4.7% in the city limits of San José, the document noted, while the Santa Cruz area saw a 21.5% decrease in homelessness. The latter, HUD explained, was due to "significant influx on resources from federal and state government agencies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Homelessness is solvable and should not exist in the United States," said Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. "From day one, this Administration has put forth a comprehensive plan to tackle homelessness and we’ve acted aggressively and in conjunction with our federal, state, and local partners to address this challenge," she added.

Kari Lake, candidate for U.S. Senate, blamed President Joe Biden's policies for fueling the homelessness crisis. Lake also noted that Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego's district in Phoenix, Arizona, has been particularly plagued with homelessness.

"In Joe Biden's America, it's almost impossible to pay rent or afford a home," she wrote. "Homelessness nationwide just reached its highest reported level at 12%. Nowhere in Arizona is this more obvious than Ruben Gallego's district." she added.

HUD noted Tucson, Arizona, has had a "9% reduction in unsheltered homelessness, as well as slight 1% decrease in overall homelessness" from 2022 to 2023.

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