Question
Is homelessness in the United States going up or down?
Short answer
Both, depending on the window. The January 2025 count was a 3% decrease since 2024. Measured against 2013 it is a 27% increase. HUD chose 2013 as its baseline because that is when Housing First policy changes began inside its homelessness programs.
Where this answer comes from
Homelessness
On a single night in January 2025, 745,652 people in the United States had no home of their own, and 266,320 of them were sleeping outside. In this section, we look at solutions to homelessness and the people working every day to help restore dignity and a safe place to call home.
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