Despite the Rise, Veteran Homelessness Hits Record Low
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, revealing an 18% increase in homelessness compared to the previous year. Conducted in January 2024, the report states that 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 unsheltered location across the country. The report notes that the data is a year old and does not fully reflect the impact of recent policy changes and interventions.
As for the cause, HUD’s report says, “Several factors likely contributed to this historically high number. Our worsening national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, stagnating wages among middle- and lower-income households, and the persisting effects of systemic racism have stretched homelessness services systems to their limits. Additional public health crises, natural disasters that displaced people from their homes, rising numbers of people immigrating to the U.S., and the end to homelessness prevention programs put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the end of the expanded child tax credit, have exacerbated this already stressed system.”
This is the second year in a row that the HUD report mentions the national affordable housing crisis as the main cause of homelessness. The 2023 report also listed it as the first and largest contributor to homelessness.
Despite the overall rise, the report highlighted a nearly 8% decrease in veteran homelessness, marking the lowest number recorded. The number of unsheltered veterans fell nearly 11%, with 32,882 veterans experiencing homelessness in 2024 compared to 35,574 in 2023.
HUD credited programs such as HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), which connected nearly 90,000 veteran households to stable housing in 2024. The Department of Veterans Affairs also announced that it permanently housed 47,925 veterans during fiscal year 2024, the highest annual figure since 2019.
“Veteran homelessness has declined by 55.2% since 2010, demonstrating the effectiveness of evidence-based strategies,” said HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman.
Several cities reported progress in reducing homelessness:
- Dallas: A $30 million public-private partnership decreased homelessness by 16% from 2022 to 2024.
- Los Angeles: Increased funding led to the first decline in homelessness in seven years, with a 5% drop in unsheltered homelessness across the county.
- Chester County, Pennsylvania: Eviction prevention, affordable housing initiatives, and fair housing education have reduced homelessness by nearly 60% since 2019.
HUD announced multiple funding initiatives to address homelessness in 2024, including:
- $3.16 billion through the Continuum of Care program.
- $290 million in Emergency Solutions Grants.
- $85 million through the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing program.
- $72 million for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program.
Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration expanded the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator to improve coordination between housing and service providers. HUD also announced plans to repurpose federal properties for affordable housing and homeless assistance. “We know what works,” Todman said. “With sustained efforts and targeted resources, we can make meaningful progress in preventing and ending homelessness nationwide.”
