Homelessness in the U.S. jumped 18.1% this year, hitting a record level, with the dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in some regions of the country,

Federal officials say the United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country.

Veterans were the lone group among whom homelessness declined last year, and the number of homeless veterans is down more than half since 2009. That trend has been driven by bipartisan support for services and housing that is at odds with the rancor of the broader homelessness debate.

There was a record 18% rise in homelessness in the U.S. in the last year, driven by factors like unaffordable housing, high inflation, systemic racism, natural disasters and rising immigration, the U.

A record estimate of 771,480 people were homeless in the U.S. in 2024, an 18% increase from a year earlier, fueled by factors including an influx of migrant families, a lack of affordable housing and natural disasters,

Homelessness in the United States soared to the highest level on record, according to government data released Friday.

The annual federal count finds more than 770,000 people living in shelters or outside. It cites rising rents and the recent surge in migrants as key factors behind the increase.