Homelessness in America Increases to Highest Number on Record
Washington, D.C. — Homelessness reached the highest number on record nationwide in 2024 according to a report the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released on December 27 in a likely attempt to avoid public attention. Dr. Robert Marbut, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow and former Federal Homelessness Czar, says, “HUD spent over 3.16 billion on homelessness in 2024 and continues to attribute rising homelessness to unavailable housing and systemic racism, while ignoring the fentanyl epidemic and untreated mental illness.”
According to the national Point-In-Time count report, homelessness increased by 18.1% since 2023 to the highest number on record. Of the 771,840 people experiencing homelessness, 274,224 are unsheltered.
The data reveals a 32.9% increase in people experiencing homelessness from 2020 to 2024 during the Biden-Harris Administration. In 2024, at least 13 Continuums of Care (CoCs), including Chicago and New York, reported significant increases in homelessness due to an inflow of migrants and asylum seekers. Migration had a dramatic impact on family homelessness, with a 39% increase in families experiencing homelessness nationwide compared to an 8% increase in communities that did not report a migration impact.
As of early 2024, California, New York, and Washington State have the largest statewide populations experiencing homelessness. On a per capita basis, D.C., Hawaii, and New York have the highest statewide rates of homelessness.
Dr. Robert Marbut says, “The data is clear: federal ‘Housing First’ policy’s reliance on free housing has failed and must be replaced by a commonsense prioritization of treatment and recovery.”
Requests for comment from Dr. Robert Marbut can be made to ccory@discovery.org.