The US Department of Housing and Urban Development released a report saying that according to the results of its annual survey conducted in January, the country had more than 653,100 homeless people, an increase of 70,650 people - or 12% - compared to a year earlier. This is also the highest level since data began being collected in the US in 2007, according to AFP.
Homeless people living in tents in America
The report said that African Americans make up 13% of the total US population but account for 37% of the total homeless population.
The largest increase in homelessness occurred among Hispanics, who saw a 28% increase, or 39,106 people, from 2022 to 2023, according to the report.
The number of families with homeless children also increased by 16%, reversing a downward trend since 2012, the report said.
Of the more than 653,100 people counted as homeless in January, six in 10 were staying in shelters or other forms of temporary accommodation, while 40% were “in places not fit for human habitation,” according to the report.
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California has the largest homeless population — 181,399 people — followed by New York (103,200), Florida (30,756), Washington (28,036), Texas (27,377) and Oregon (20,142).
The homeless crisis in the US is driven by a number of factors, including poverty, mental health, addiction and a lack of housing, experts say.
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