More than 770,000 people were recorded as homeless in the United States in 2024, a record which represents an increase of 18% compared to 2023. This was announced on Friday, December 27 by the US Department of Housing.
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In his reportseveral reasons are put forward by the Department of Housing (HUD) to explain this increase: mainly the lack of affordable housing, inflation, an influx of migrants, the end of certain aid put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, or even several natural disasters.
The report is based on censuses taken by several localities on a single night last January, and HUD therefore warns that it reflects data collected a year ago and is probably not an adequate representation of the current situation. due to changes in policies and circumstances “.
The record, however, illustrates the vast problem of economic inequality and social within the world’s largest economy. Among the alarming trends: the number of homeless families has increased by 40%, due in particular to “ the particularly notable impact » of immigration, according to the ministry press release. There are approximately 150,000 homeless children on this single night in January 2024, a number also on the rise.
Natural disasters, the frequency of which is increasing with global warming, have also played an important role in the increase in the number of homeless people. Among these disasters: the fire on the island of Mauiin Hawaii, which resulted in 5,200 people being counted in emergency shelters the night of the count. Since then, the United States has experienced other disasters, such as hurricanes Helene And Miltonwhich have ravaged the southeast of the country in recent months and displaced many residents.
Black and African-American populations overrepresented among the homeless
The report highlights that black populations and African-Americans continue to be overrepresented among homeless populations “. Some 32% of homeless people in the United States are black or African American, while people who identify as black make up only 12% of the total population in the United States.
The census was also carried out before a tightening of certain local policies in this area, after the decision in June of the Supreme Court which allowed the authorities to sanction homeless people sleeping outside.
The Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, ordered in the wake of this decision the dismantling of camps in areas controlled by this western American state. Nearly a quarter of the nation’s homeless are in California, according to the HUD report.
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