The number of homeless people in the U.S. continues to grow, putting the country on pace to hit yet another record high this year.
Counts from encampments, streets, and shelters are largely higher than they were in 2023, according to preliminary data collected and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The numbers come from more than 250 homeless-service organizations covering cities, metro areas and vast rural areas. They are meant to reflect homelessness as it existed on a single night early this year. The Journal’s count includes about 550,000 homeless people so far, up about 10% from what these places reported last year.
Growing homelessness also reflects a thorny mix of economic and social challenges. Soaring housing prices and high rents have pushed families out of homes, especially since pandemic-era aid wound down, according to advocates for the homeless. One poverty measure used by the government rose after pandemic-related tax credits expired.
“It’s deeply unfortunate, but it’s not surprising,” said Diane Yentel, chief executive at the nonprofit National Low Income Housing Coalition, on the latest homeless increase.
Overlapping mental-health and fentanyl crises are contributing factors. The U.S. set a record last year for chronic homelessness, which entails people with disabilities who are persistently without a home.