In America, the world's most powerful country, 350,000 people live on the streets, with an average of 21 deaths per day
The number of homeless people is increasing every year in the United States, which is one of the most developed and powerful countries. The number of homeless people is increasing every year after exceeding the level of extreme poverty in the socially, economically, development infrastructure and politically developed America.
According to the calculations made by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HDU) in 2024, there are currently 771,480 people who are completely homeless in the US. This number is 0.24 percent of the total population.
HDU claims that the number of homeless people in the US, which has a population of about 320 million, has fluctuated over the past 12 years. According to the data published by HDU through an organization called Bagpack Bed, from 2012 to 2016, the number of homeless people in the United States has been decreasing, but from 2017 to 2024, this number has increased every year.
According to HDU data, 621,553 people became homeless in 2012. In 2013, this number decreased to 590,364 and in 2014, 576,450 people were listed as homeless. In 2015, there was a further decrease to 564,708 homeless people.
Similarly, in 2016, 549,928 people were homeless, and in 2017, the number increased to 550,996. HDU data has confirmed the continuous increase in the number of homeless from 2017 to 2024. The number of homeless people in America reached 552 thousand 830 in 2018, 567 thousand 765 in 2019 and 580 thousand 466 in 2020.
HDU did not count homelessness in 2021 due to the impact of Corona. According to the calculation that was started again in 2022 after the corona period, 5 lakh 82 thousand 462 people, 6 lakh 53 thousand 1 hundred 4 people in 2023 and 7 lakh 71 thousand 480 people were listed as homeless in 2024. The number of homeless people is constantly increasing after the Corona period. 70 thousand 642 in 2023 and 18 thousand 376 homeless people in 2024, which is an increase of 18 percent.
Currently, 69 percent of the homeless are male, 29 percent are female, and 2 percent are other. There are 146 thousand 154 over 55 years old and 32 thousand 780 elderly people over 70 years old, while the remaining 592 thousand 546 people are young people. 34 percent of them are children with families. Currently, 274,224 of the homeless in America live in homeless shelters. Among them, 13,851 are elderly people above 70 years of age.
Apart from road boxes, HDU has said that they are living in the buildings built for them by pitching tents under the open sky designated by local bodies, state government and federal government. Homelessness is highest in California, Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida, Washington, New Jersey, Nevada, Nevada, Georgia, Minnesota, Michigan, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Oregon, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Hawaii, and Maine.
It is estimated that an average of 20 homeless people die every day. According to the Homeless Death Count (HDC), 6,345 people died in 2018, 6,362 in 2019 and 7,877 in 2020. HDC has not released data on the number of homeless deaths after 2020. According to the latest 2020 data, an average of 21 homeless people die every day.
Ann Oliva, chief executive officer of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said that since the number of homeless people has increased in recent years, the United States needs to implement some new plans to control it. She has responded to the US media saying she did not anticipate 700,000 more homeless by 2024 and was shocked by the numbers. She claimed that the main reasons for becoming homeless are family violence, mental health problems, physical health problems, unemployment, job loss, underemployment or not being able to find a new job, and drug addiction.
Executive Director of the National Housing Law Project, Samus Roller, said that this situation was created when the basic conditions to avoid homelessness did not go in the right direction. He has claimed that this situation has been created even though America's 'system' and economic status is very strict. "The increase in homelessness has affected a large population across the country." Commenting on the data, he said, "When people reach the end of their economic status, then they become homeless."
