The latest State of Homelessness analysis from the National Alliance to End Homelessness highlights a sobering reality: on a single night in 2024, 771,480 people experienced homelessness in the United States— the highest level on record, and an ~18% increase from 2023. The Alliance and HUD point to the ongoing housing affordability crisis as a key driver. When rents rise faster than incomes and the safety net can’t keep pace, more families and individuals are pushed into homelessness.
By the Numbers
Total people experiencing homelessness (Point-in-Time)
Year-over-Year Change (2023 → 2024)
Selected groups with notable increases
+39%
Increase among families with children from 2023→2024.
~150k
Children under 18 homeless on a single night in 2024 (+33% YoY).
Affordability: median rents are rising faster than incomes
The State of Homelessness report underscores that rent levels directly shape homelessness. GAO research finds that when a community’s median rent rises by $100, homelessness increases by about 9%. From 2001–2023, median rents rose 23% after inflation, while renters’ median incomes rose just 5%—a gap that pushes more households to the brink. (Source: NAEH summary of GAO and HUD data.)
7 Key Takeaways
- Record-high counts. Homelessness increased 18% to 771,480 people in the 2024 PIT count.
- Demand is surging. Homeless response systems served 1.1 million people in 2024, up 12% year over year.
- Resources are short. Communities lack sufficient permanent housing; capacity meets only a fraction of need.
- Bigger increases for vulnerable groups. Families with children and children under 18 saw sharp year-over-year rises.
- Persistent disparities. Black and Indigenous people and gender-expansive communities face higher rates.
- Geographic differences. Unsheltered homelessness is pronounced in many rural/suburban areas; large shares live in a handful of states.
- Solutions exist. Scaling housing-first strategies, prevention, and income supports can reduce homelessness—veteran progress shows this.
What the numbers mean for communities
Rising numbers don’t mean solutions aren’t working; they mean we need more of what works. Housing-first approaches, robust prevention to keep rent-burdened families housed, and increased permanent housing options are key. Outreach, navigation, and supportive services help people stabilize once housed.
How your support helps
Your donations and volunteer time fund outreach, basic needs, and connections to long-term housing and care. Together, we can translate the data into action—fewer nights outside, more keys in hand, and more neighbors moving from crisis to stability.
Sources: National Alliance to End Homelessness, State of Homelessness (2025 Edition); HUD, 2024 AHAR Part 1.