US homelessness hits 15-year high; California drives the surge

Dec 20, 2023

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

In the United States, homelessness has reached its highest levels in 15 years. A mere four states are accountable for over 50% of the homeless population.

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California takes the lead, with 28% of the nation’s estimated 653,000 homeless individuals, as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The surge in homelessness coincides with the conclusion of pandemic-era programs, such as rental assistance and the temporary suspension of evictions, coupled with soaring rental prices that many individuals can no longer afford.

THIS CORRECTS THE NAME OF THE CONTRACTOR TO RAPID RESPONSE BIO CLEAN, NOT RAPID RESPONSE BIO CLEANUP AS ORIGINALLY SENT - Amber Nastasia, left, and Jacob Miller from Rapid Response Bio Clean clean a homeless camp in Portland, Ore., Thursday, July 27, 2023. Cities across the U.S. are struggling with and cracking down on tent encampments as the number of homeless people grows, largely due to a lack of affordable housing. Homeless people and their advocates say sweeps are cruel and costly, and there aren't enough homes or beds for everyone. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer) — AP Images

Notably, California not only harbors the largest homeless population but also claims the highest proportion of individuals living on the streets.

Two-thirds of the homeless population in California live outdoors in cars, tents, or makeshift shelters, constituting 49% of all individuals on the streets in the U.S. In contrast, approximately 5% of New York’s homeless population resides on the streets.

Despite California’s significant investments in emergency rental assistance, housing vouchers, and an overall increase in available beds, the number of people living on the streets continues to grow.

FILE - A person cleans out their tent at a large homeless encampment, Jan. 27, 2015, near downtown St. Louis. The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, struck down a law that threatened homeless people with jail time for sleeping on state land. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) — AP Images

Sleeping on the streets poses considerable safety concerns, as highlighted by individuals like Miguel Maldonado and Sylvester Floyd in Los Angeles, who shared their experiences of vulnerability and hardship.

“I couldn’t sleep, man,” Maldonando said. “I couldn’t sleep in the street. One eye open and the other one closed, like watching your back and stuff. People rob you or beat you up and maybe kill you and stuff like that and hurt you.”

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), homelessness in the country has surged by 12% since the previous year. HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge emphasizes the crucial first step of acknowledging the problem.

“We have to say to America, if they really want to solve things like homelessness, poor education, they have to recognize and admit that the problem exists,” Fudge said.

HUD is channeling significant funds into multifamily housing and senior housing to combat the crisis.

Secretary Fudge stressed that with direct engagement with unhoused individuals and substantial support, the country can eventually address homelessness effectively.

Tags: Affordable housing, California, Homelessness, Los Angeles

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

U.S. HOMELESSNESS IS AT ITS HIGHEST IN 15 YEARS, AND JUST 4 STATES ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN HALF OF THAT POPULATION.

IN A NATION WITH AN ESTIMATED 653 THOUSAND HOMELESS, CALIFORNIA LEADS THE WAY WITH 28-PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION, ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

THE NATIONAL SURGE COMES WITH THE END OF PANDEMIC-ERA PROGRAMS, INCLUDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND THE TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF EVICTIONS COUPLED WITH RISING RENTAL PRICES MANY PEOPLE SIMPLY CAN’T AFFORD.

CALIFORNIA NOT ONLY HAS THE LARGEST HOMELESS POPULATION, IT ALSO HAS THE NATION’S LARGEST SHARE OF HOMELESS LIVING ON THE STREETS WITH TWO-THIRDS OF THEM LIVING OUTSIDE IN CARS, TENTS, OR OTHER MAKESHIFT SHELTERS INSTEAD OF TEMPORARY HOUSING OR INDOOR SHELTERS.

THAT’S 49 PERCENT OF *ALL* PEOPLE ON THE STREETS IN THE U.S.

FOR COMPARISON, NEW YORK WHICH ALSO HAS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST HOMELESS POPULATIONS, ONLY ABOUT 5% LIVE ON THE STREETS.

CALIFORNIA’S GROWING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS COMES DESPITE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INVESTED IN EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS, AND AN OVERALL INCREASE IN AVAILABLE BED.

BUT SLEEPING ON THE STREET PRESENTS A LOT OF SAFETY CONCERNS..

[MIGUEL MALDONADO | LOS ANGELES HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL]

“I couldn’t sleep, man. I couldn’t sleep in the street. One eye open and the other one closed, like watching your back and stuff. People rob you or beat you up and maybe kill you and stuff like that and hurt you.”

[SYLVESTER FLOYD | LOS ANGELES HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL]

“I was living on the streets and when I exhausted whatever money that I had, I had to look for shelter.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

ACCORDING TO HUD, THE COUNTRY’S HOMELESSNESS HAS SPIKED 12-PERCENT SINCE LAST YEAR.

HUD SECRETARY MARCIA FUDGE SAYS THE FIRST STEP IS RECOGNIZING THERE’S A PROBLEM.

[MARCIA FUDGE | SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT]

“We have to say to America, if they really want to solve things like homelessness, poor education, they have to recognize and admit that the problem exists. And once we do that, which we have at HUD, we are putting so much money into assisting with multifamily housing; we are talking about senior housing. When I sit down with home builders and I say to them, ‘You have to build this many homes to just get us where we need to be,’ we are 1.5 million homes short of where we need to be today.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

FUDGE ADDS THAT BY DIRECTLY ENGAGING WITH UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS AND PROVIDING REAL SUPPORT, THE COUNTRY CAN EVENTUALLY ADDRESS UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS AND SOLVE THIS CRISIS.