US Homelessness Surges 18%
The Facts
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported on Friday that more than 770K people were homeless in January 2024, marking an 18.1% increase from the previous year.
Family homelessness rose by 40%, with 13 communities impacted by migration — such as New York City and Chicago — seeing rates more than double, while the remaining 373 communities experienced less than an 8% increase.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
The surge in homelessness stems from systemic underinvestment in affordable housing, income inequality, and insufficient access to mental health services. There must be collaboration between federal, state, and local governments to prioritize permanent housing solutions and increase funding for programs to address this crisis effectively.
Republican narrative
Democrats' pro-migration policies have exacerbated the homeless crisis, with the arrival of millions of migrants having contributed to rising rental costs in the aftermath of the pandemic. It's simple economics: when demand is high, prices go up. As a result, housing has become unaffordable for young people and low-wage earners.
