Homelessness Jumps 12% to Over 650,000 as Pandemic Protections Expire
• Homelessness in the U.S. rose 12% in the past year to over 650,000 people, the largest increase since reporting began in 2007
• The rise comes after homelessness had dropped in 2021-2022 due to pandemic assistance that has now expired
• The increase was largely driven by a spike in people becoming homeless for the first time, likely due to higher rents and fewer protections
• Black and Indigenous people continue to be overrepresented among the homeless population
• New York, California, Florida, Washington, Colorado and Massachusetts saw the biggest rises in homelessness