In a continuing effort to keep the congregation informed on the issue of affordable housing, this month your Beacon Housing committee is sharing an article that appeared in the Star Tribune newspaper in December 2024.
US Sees Another Spike in Homelessness (Michael Casey, 12/20/24)
The United States saw an 18.1 % increase in homelessness this year, a dramatic rise driven by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials stated.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless- a number that misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they do not have a place of their own.
That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and end of pandemic assistance. The 2023 increase also was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The numbers overall represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the U.S., with black people being overrepresented among the homeless population.
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