Homelessness in the US is rising – fast

The number of homeless people in the US has increased ~11% from 2022, according to preliminary data reported by the WSJ.

If confirmed, it would be the biggest recorded year-over-year increase since the government started tracking comparable numbers in 2007. And not just by a little – outside of counting interruptions caused by the pandemic, the next-highest increase was 2.7% in 2019.

The effects aren’t just relegated to a specific region, either. Per data gathered by more than 300 entities across the country that count homeless people and reviewed by the WSJ:

• LA County reported a ~10% year-over-year increase in its homeless population
• New Orleans’ rose by 15%
• Chicago’s increased by 58%
• Denver reported a 32% rise
• Hennepin County, Minnesota, an area that includes Minneapolis, saw a 24% jump
• Columbus, Ohio, reported a 20% increase

Quick data caveat: These are preliminary numbers derived from so-called point-in-time counts conducted by boots-on-the-ground organizations in each state and locale. A final estimate is expected later this year from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development – but even still, it won’t provide a full encapsulation of the issue (much like Fox News/CNN😉). Point-in-time counts are the best data that exists on homelessness, but they’re widely considered to be an undercount of the true problem, the WSJ reports.

📈 Driving the trend… According to the boots-on-the-ground orgs, two of the biggest factors are higher eviction rates and lack of affordable housing, which were previously tempered by pandemic-era relief spending and policies such as eviction moratoriums.

Evictions in some cities are 50% higher than pre-pandemic times. And home/rent prices have also risen a healthy amount over the past six years. The current median home sales price in the US is $441,000, a 31% increase over Q4 2017. Median rent is up 41% over the same period.

• Another data point: two areas of the country that reported year-over-year decreases in homelessness – Sonoma County, California, and Colorado Springs, Colorado – cite additional housing units as a major factor that helped to reduce homeless numbers.

📊 Flash poll (long-form): Anecdotally, have you noticed an increase in the homeless population in your area over the past year?

Yes

No