The number of homeless people in the United States has risen sharply by 12 percent to the highest level ever recorded, federal officials said on Monday, as soaring rents and cuts in COVID-19 benefits have left more Americans unable to afford housing.
In January, the number of homeless people in the United States topped 653,000, the highest since the United States began reporting such data in 2007.
According to data provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in the January 2023 count, the number of chronically homeless people jumped 12 percent from a year earlier, the number of veterans among the homeless rose about 7 percent, and the number of people facing homelessness for the first time also rose sharply. More than a quarter of homeless adults are over the age of 54.
In addition, blacks make up 37 percent of the homeless population, and Latinos make up 33 percent of the homeless population. The former account for only 13% of the U.S. population, while the latter account for only 19% of the U.S. population. Some analysts believe that this disproportionate data exposes the problem of systemic racial discrimination in the United States.
Marcia Fudge, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, said there is an urgent need for effective solutions to help people move quickly out of homelessness.
Rising housing costs, the failure of tenant protection measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a decrease in government assistance are believed to be the main reasons for this phenomenon. In addition, more and more immigrants are flocking to places like New York City, Massachusetts and Chicago, contributing to the increase in the number of homeless people.
Jeff Oliver, executive director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness, said: "While there are many factors contributing to homelessness, the primary cause is the high cost of housing and the shortage of affordable housing, which has left many Americans living paycheck to paycheck and one step away from homelessness."
