American Homelessness Policies Failing: Urgent Action Needed

Official data released last Friday show that 2023 was the worst year ever recorded for homelessness, and it’s not even close. The 12 percent rise in homelessness quadrupled the previous record for a single-year increase. Our homeless population is now the largest it has ever been. Policy-makers must wake up to this national crisis. Our current approach is broken, and the problem will get worse if we don’t correct course.

The numbers are devastating. Sheltered homelessness rose by a whopping 14 percent since last year and by 22 percent over the last two years. Before then, the number of people in shelters had never increased by more than 4 percent in a single year (which happened 14 years ago). Unsheltered homelessness rose by a record 10 percent in the past year and by almost 50 percent since 2015. There are more people on the street today than ever before.

Official data released last Friday show that 2023 was the worst year ever recorded for homelessness, and it’s not even close. The 12 percent rise in homelessness quadrupled the previous record for a single-year increase. Our homeless population is now the largest it has ever been. Policy-makers must wake up to this national crisis. Our current approach is broken, and the problem will get worse if we don’t correct course.

The numbers are devastating. Sheltered homelessness rose by a whopping 14 percent since last year and by 22 percent over the last two years. Before then, the number of people in shelters had never increased by more than 4 percent in a single year (which happened 14 years ago). Unsheltered homelessness rose by a record 10 percent in the past year and by almost 50 percent since 2015. There are more people on the street today than ever before.