In 2023, there were about 653,104 homeless people estimated to be living in the United States, the highest number of homeless people recorded within the provided time period.

On a single night in January 2023, more than half a million people (653,104 people) were experiencing homelessness across the United States. Behind this number is another set of numbers pointing to alarming growths in homelessness, especially since the previous year (2022):

111,620 children were without homes in America last year. Homelessness increased in 41 states between 2022 and 2023, with New Hampshire, New Mexico, and New York having the highest percentage increases. New York, Vermont, and Oregon had the highest per-capita rates of homelessness in 2023.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), who perform an annual count of the nation’s homeless population by individually counting the homeless in shelters and on the...

Homelessness in the United States is an urgent public health issue and humanitarian crisis. It impacts cities, suburbs, and rural towns in every state. Housing is a social determinant of health, meaning lack of it has a negative impact on overall health and life expectancy.