New York, Dec 28 || The United States experienced its highest level of homelessness in 2024, with several states reporting triple-digit percentage increases as the nationwide housing crisis deepened, according to federal data.
The annual report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), released on Friday, revealed that 771,480 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, marking an 18.1 per cent increase from 2023.
The most dramatic increases occurred in Illinois, Hawaii, and other states struggling with housing affordability challenges and surges in migrant arrivals, reports news agency.
HUD data showed Illinois recorded the nation's steepest rise, with a 116.2 per cent increase that brought its homeless population to 25,832. The Chicago region accounted for 91 per cent of this surge, primarily due to an influx of migrants. According to the report, new arrivals, including migrant and asylum-seeking families, made up more than 13,600 people in emergency shelters in Chicago.
Hawaii experienced the second-largest percentage increase, with an 87 per cent rise pushing its homeless population to 11,637. The Maui wildfires last year played a significant role, with over 5,200 people staying in disaster emergency shelters during the count.