HUD Announces New Partnerships, Funding to Address Skyrocketing Homelessness
The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, attributed to a lack of affordable housing, devastating natural disasters and a wave of migrants in various parts of the country. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported on Friday in the January 2024 Point-In-Time Count Report.
The report shows that more than 770,000 people were homeless on one night in January 2024. Although HUD acknowledged that the data is a year old and there may be discrepancies in the data, it is announced today various initiatives to combat homelessness.
HUD’s Point-In-Time Count Report indicated that veteran homelessness has fallen to the lowest rate ever recorded, with an 8% decline – from 35,574 in 2023 to 32,882 in 2024 – in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness.
Among unsheltered veterans, the number dropped nearly 11% – from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024. HUD says it has helped connect nearly 90,000 veteran households to rental housing through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. The Department of Veterans Affairs also shared that it permanently housed 47,925 veterans who experienced homelessness in 2024 – meaning this is the largest number of veterans housed in a single year since 2019.
“No American should be left homeless, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that every family has access to the affordable, safe and quality housing they deserve,” said HUD Agency Chief, the Honorable Adrianne Todman. “While this data is almost a year old and no longer reflects the situation we see today, it is critical that we focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness. We know what works and our success in reducing veteran homelessness by 55.2% since 2010 shows that.”
Meanwhile, today’s announcement revealed that HUD is updating regulations that “streamline the repurposing of surplus federal properties for affordable housing and homelessness services,” and allocating approximately $39.8 million to support veterans through the HUD-VASH program.
The updates complete a collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in which states can apply to participate in a second cohort of the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator. According to HUD’s release, the program will provide “individualized technical assistance to help states reduce homelessness by addressing health-related social needs, such as services that connect older adults and people with disabilities to affordable, accessible housing.”
Furthermore, in collaboration with the General Services Administration (GSA) and HHS, HUD is committed to encouraging the use of unused and underutilized federal properties to house the homeless. The department says more than 140 properties across the country have been repurposed to date.
“Homeless people need more than temporary shelter. They must have access to a comprehensive range of services that connect them to housing they can afford and maintain over the long term. Title V will allow the federal government to use vacant federal properties to house the homeless and provide these essential services. The Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator will help local program administrators better serve older adults and people with disabilities by providing technical assistance and sharing lessons learned across sectors,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “As President of USICH, I am proud of these groundbreaking efforts to use surplus federal property to help those who have lost everything get back on their feet.”
