WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. homelessness in 2024 increased by 18 percent compared to 2023, driven by a national affordable housing crisis, rising inflation, and a surge in migrants, according to a report released Friday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

More than 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, an 18 percent increase from 2023, the report showed, adding that the data collected likely does not represent current circumstances.

"While this data is nearly a year old, and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, it is critical that we focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness," said HUD Agency Head Adrianne Todman.

Several factors likely contributed to this historically high number, the report noted. "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," it said.

"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," it continued.

Migration had a "particularly notable impact" on family homelessness, which rose 39 percent from 2023 to 2024, the report noted.

In the 13 communities that reported being affected by migration, family homelessness more than doubled. Whereas in the remaining 373 communities, the rise in families experiencing homelessness was less than 8 percent.

The department also noted that some communities reported data to HUD that indicated that the rise in overall homelessness was a result of their work to shelter a rising number of asylum seekers coming into their communities.

The Maui fire, in addition to other natural disasters, had an impact on the increase in homelessness, it added. Enditem

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