HUD Report Notes Increase in Homelessness
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to the U.S. Congress last month. The Report provides nationwide estimates of homelessness, including information about the demographic characteristics of homeless persons, service use patterns, and the capacity to house homeless persons.
The number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024 was the highest ever recorded. A total of 771,480 people – or about 23 of every 10,000 people in the United States – experienced homelessness in an emergency shelter, safe haven, transitional housing program, or in unsheltered locations across the country.
Some Minnesota-specific data in the report of Minnesotans experiencing homelessness from the single-night survey include:
5,013 people were homeless
37% of were unsheltered
4,188 people were families with children - one of the highest percentages in the US and one of the states experiencing the highest growth from 2023
782 were unaccompanied youth - one of the highest percentages in the US and 34% were unsheltered
Some of the general findings from the Report include:
People in families with children had the largest single-year increase in homelessness.
Nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33 percent increase (or 32,618 more children) over 2023.
About one in every five people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024 was age 55 or older.
People who identify as Black, African American, or African continue to be overrepresented among the population experiencing homelessness.
One in every three individuals experiencing homelessness reported having experienced chronic patterns of homelessness.
