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HUD report reveals homelessness hit an all-time peak in 2024

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An empty downtown Raleigh in March 2020. Mary Willson/EducationNC

A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report released in December 2024 revealed homelessness in the United States, on a sample night in 2024, was the highest ever recorded, marking an 18% increase from 2023.

The rates for children and families with children were even higher, with 39% more children experiencing homelessness in 2024 than 2023. On the sample night, nearly 150,000 children nationwide experienced homelessness.

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People who identified as Black, African American, or African continued to be overrepresented among the population experiencing homelessness, according to the report.

In total, 771,480 people — or about 23 per 10,000 people in the United States — experienced homelessness in some form: unsheltered, in an emergency shelter, in a safe haven, or in a transitional housing program.

The HUD report cited the worsening national affordable housing crisis, inflation, stagnating wages, and the persisting effects of systemic racism for stretching homelessness service systems to their limits.

In North Carolina

In North Carolina, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness between 2023 and 2024 increased by 17%, with unsheltered individuals outpacing those who were sheltered.

North Carolina Continuums of Care (CoCs), which provide consistent outreach and services for those experiencing homelessness, reported that expanded efforts might be a reason for the higher number. While some noted housing affordability issues, most said improved assessment and entry systems probably led to more accurate counting, according to the HUD report.

Another reason the North Carolina count might have been more accurate in 2024 was the growth in the number of community organizations participating in the count, including schools, libraries, regional housing authorities, and food pantries, among others, the report said.

Courtesy of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The federal government (through agencies like HUD and FEMA) provides North Carolina funding for programs that attempt to curb homelessness, an issue in focus after Hurricane Helene and statewide winter storms.

Municipalities, nonprofits, and religious groups run their own programs and collaborate with state and federal agencies.