Homeless population in the U.S. hits all-time high.
The Homelessness Crisis in the U.S.
The homeless population in the U.S. has reached an alarming high this year, indicating a dire crisis that the country is struggling to address.
The number of homeless people across the country has spiked by about 11%, marking the largest jump in over 15 years since the government began tracking the data, according to The Wall Street Journal.
So far this year, more than 577,000 homeless people have been counted, with data collected from over 300 entities that track the homeless population.
Aside from the first year of the COVID pandemic, the second-highest increase in homeless individuals was a 2.7% jump in 2019.
Factors Contributing to the Crisis
A laundry list of factors is contributing to the homeless crisis, with rising housing costs being a major driver.
Since COVID relief funds have run out and eviction moratoriums have been lifted, housing costs have become an urgent issue, making it unfeasible for many Americans to afford housing.
“The Covid-relief funds provided a buffer,” says Donald Whitehead Jr., executive director at the National Coalition for the Homeless. “We’re seeing what happens when those resources aren’t available.”
Rents have skyrocketed since the pandemic, with the national median rent price currently at $2,029, a more than 15% increase since the pandemic began.
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The country’s drug addiction crisis is another significant driver of homelessness.
In 2022, a record 109,680 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S., according to an early estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Washington and Wyoming experienced the largest increase of 22% in overdose deaths last year.
Impact on Major Cities
Several major cities on both coasts have been particularly affected by the homelessness crisis.
In San Francisco, homelessness has worsened since before the pandemic, with about 38,000 people homeless in the Bay Area on any given night, a 35% increase since 2019.
Los Angeles County has also seen a 9% increase in homelessness, reaching approximately 75,518 people this year, up from 69,144 in 2022.
New Orleans witnessed an almost 15% increase in its homeless population.
In New York, the homeless crisis is compounded by an influx of tens of thousands of illegal migrants.
Since April of last year, more than 90,000 migrants have arrived in New York City, with about 55,000 still being housed on the city’s dime. This has caused New York’s homeless shelters to overflow, resulting in a record 105,800 people being sheltered.
Massachusetts has even resorted to asking citizens to consider opening their homes to illegal immigrants due to a dire shelter shortage.
Crime and Homelessness
Crime has become a significant issue accompanying the homelessness problem, particularly in cities.
Open-air drug markets and violent crime driven by homeless individuals in cities like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, and Philadelphia have frustrated residents and businesses, leading them to leave these neighborhoods.
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