20 Key Statistics About Homelessness in the U.S.
In 2023, USA Today reported a 12% rise in homelessness compared to the previous year. Many Americans aren’t okay with it. As these statistics reveal, Good Samaritans are eager to help; the challenge is finding the most effective way to do so.
1: Growing Severity
More Americans saw homelessness as a serious problem for the US in 2023 than they did in 2022. A recent YouGov poll shows 67% of Americans saw homelessness as a very serious problem in 2023 compared to 54% in 2022.
2: Close to Home
The number of Americans who see homelessness as a serious problem in their local communities is also up. In 2022, polling showed that 27% of Americans saw homelessness as severe in their communities. In 2023, that number rose to 34%.
3: More Government Intervention
Most Americans say the federal government should be more active in combating homelessness. Fifty-three percent of Americans say the federal government needs to do “much more” to address homelessness on a national level.
4: More Local Help
Many Americans (48%) also want their state and local government to do more to address homelessness in their communities. Another 24% said they should do “somewhat more,” and only 17% said they’re doing enough.
5: Housing Is a Basic Right
The vast majority of Americans (78%) say housing is a basic human right. However, there’s a stark political divide. While 94% of Democrats believe it, only 61% of Republicans feel the same.
6: Hits Close to Home
Most Americans have had some personal experience with homelessness. They have either been homeless themselves, had a family member who was homeless, or have a friend or acquaintance who’s experienced homelessness.
7: Blame Drugs and Alcohol
Almost three-quarters of Americans who have never been homeless say addiction to drugs and alcohol is to blame for the amount of homelessness. Many also list lack of affordable housing, poverty, and mental illness as contributing factors.
8: Ask the Homeless
Those who have been homeless don’t disagree entirely. Just like Americans who have never been homeless, they say that addiction is a major cause of homelessness. However, they’re more likely to say lack of affordable housing is the top reason.
9: Other Causes To Consider
People who have been homeless are also more likely to say lack of housing supply, racism, gentrification, disabilities, and lack of personal finance skills are contributing factors to homelessness.
10: Growing Complexity
In 2022, Americans as a whole were more likely to focus solely on addiction, poverty, and lack of affordable housing as the causes of homelessness. In 2023, though, more Americans seemed aware of the complexity of the issue. When polled, many said there were other contributing factors, like personal finance skills, domestic violence, poor health, and racism.
11: Partisan Divide
When asked, Democrats are more likely to say that homelessness is due to a lack of affordable housing or poverty than their Republican counterparts. Republicans are more likely to list addiction as a major contributing factor.
12: Who’s To Blame
While Americans seem divided on what leads to homelessness, they appear to agree on who’s to blame. The majority point the finger at the federal government and mental health systems. Most also put at least some of the blame on homeless people themselves.
12: What To Do About It
Americans are divided about what to do to address homelessness. A small majority believe in the “housing first model.” In the housing first model, it’s thought that secure housing helps homeless people solve their other problems, so a house is the first thing they need.
13: Less Belief in Housing Readiness
A sizable minority of Americans (39%) believe in the housing readiness model. In their eyes, other problems, like mental illness and addiction, must be dealt with before securing housing.
14: Political Preferences
Democrats are more likely to support housing first models than Republicans, while Republicans are more likely to support housing readiness programs. Independent voters are split, with 51% agreeing with housing first models.
15: More Counseling Needed
Most Americans (84%), regardless of political party, feel more counseling services are needed to address the nation’s homeless issue. The majority also supports more programs for those with disabilities and more services for veterans.
16: Want To Avoid Government Interventions
Government interventions like banning homeless encampments and sending homeless people to jail are unpopular with Americans. Only 35% and 14%, respectively, supported those proposals.
17: Change City Architecture
Almost half of Americans surveyed (49%) support using architecture that would inhibit people from camping or sleeping in public spaces like parks.
18: More Housing
Most Americans support building more shelters, providing more subsidized housing programs, and funding more emergency rental assistance. Seventy percent of Americans also said they wanted to incentivize developers to build more low-income housing.
19: Few Believe It Will Work
While Americans want all of these things, most believe implementing them won’t get people off the street. For example, while 84% of people support funding programs for people with mental illness, only 50% think doing so would decrease homelessness.
20: Not in My Backyard
Though Americans mostly support building more low-income housing and shelters, far fewer want them built in their communities. Polling shows that 82% of Americans support building homeless shelters nationally, but only 67% want them built locally.
How Many Homeless People Are There?
According to the Annual Homeless Assessment Report made by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 653,104 people experienced homelessness in the 2023 point-in-time count. The point-in-time count is held across America on a single night in January.
Setting New Records
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been using point-in-time counts to measure homelessness since 2007. The 2023 figure represents a new record. It also shows a 12% year-over-year increase, which is a record in itself.
Is Homelessness Too Big To Solve?
Homelessness is a multifaceted issue, and experts say there’s no quick fix. While Americans feel efforts to increase housing or mental health services won’t make a difference, those working with the homeless say they can, but it won’t be overnight.
Small Successes
Though homelessness is increasing, there are some stats to be hopeful about. For example, there was an 8% increase in people exiting homelessness in 2022, according to the HUD. Additionally, 424,000 households connected with services that helped them exit or avoid homelessness in 2023.
25 Cheapest Places To Live in America
People who are homeless or teetering on the edge of homelessness may find it easier to keep a roof over their heads in these towns and cities.
25 Cheapest Places to Live in America
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If current financial trends continue, middle-class Americans may find things they used to afford unattainable. These are the troubling things that will likely become more difficult to afford in the next five years.
19 Things the Middle Class Won’t Be Able To Afford in 5 Years
