US Homelessness Hits Record
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Many more were sleeping rough across the United States on Sunday as homelessness hit its highest level on record, according to data released by federal authorities and monitored by Worthy News.
The data, which was collected in January and released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, showed 653,000 people being homeless.
It marks both the most significant increase and the highest count since the country first started publishing data in 2007.
Federal officers said the 12 percent increase compared to last year was due to a collision of factors, including rising housing costs, the opioid epidemic, and the expired pandemic-era aid that had helped keep people in their homes.
Yet it was seen as a blow to U.S. President Joe Biden’s flagship policy that promised to reduce levels by 25 percent.
“This data underscores the urgent need for support for proven solutions and strategies that help people quickly exit homelessness and that prevent homelessness in the first place,” Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement.
The U.S. made steady progress for about a decade in reducing the homeless population as the government focused particularly on getting veterans into housing.
UPTICK IN NUMBERS
The number of homeless people dropped from about 637,000 in 2010 to about 554,000 in 2017.
But the number increased up to about 580,000 in the 2020 count and held relatively steady over the next two years.
“While numerous factors drive homelessness, the most significant causes are the shortage of affordable homes and the high cost of housing that have left many Americans living paycheck to paycheck and one crisis away from homelessness,” said Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, a federal agency.
Within the overall rise, homelessness among individuals rose by nearly 11 percent, among veterans by 7.4 percent, and among families with children by 15.5 percent. More than 25 percent of homeless adults were over age 54.
Churches and Christian groups have been involved in helping homeless people, including in major cities such as New York.
The figures come ahead of what promises to be a tough presidential election year with Biden seeking another run for the White House, just as his expected main rival, former President Donald J. Trump.
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