The number of homeless people in the United States jumped 12% in one year to reach a record level, against a backdrop of soaring rents and the phasing out of aid linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data official published Friday.
The country recorded more than 653,100 homeless people in January 2023, an increase of 70,650 compared to January 2022, according to statistics from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
These data confirm the acuteness of the problem of homelessness in the world’s largest economy, with vast economic and social contrasts.
This subject is already emerging as one of the major questions of the presidential campaign, with Republicans frequently accusing their Democratic rivals of pursuing policies favoring the establishment of islands of poverty in urban areas.
African-Americans constitute 37% of people on the streets, while they represent only 13% of the total American population, notes the report released Friday.
Other reasons aggravating the situation include the opioid-related health crisis and the shortage of affordable housing.
California is the US state with the most homeless people (181,399), followed by New York (103,200) and Florida (30,756).
The United States has been counting its homeless since 2007 and the year 2023 represents a record level. The latest increase is particularly notable in families with children (+16%).
