Rising Homelessness in the US Linked to Migrant Influx and Economic Pressures

[Social Media]

 

Homelessness in the United States is reaching unprecedented levels, driven by a surge in illegal migrants and a variety of economic factors, according to a recent report. As cities scramble to fund shelters, a Wall Street Journal analysis suggests that the number of homeless people could soon surpass the highest levels ever recorded.

 

As of January, approximately 550,000 people were reported homeless, a figure that coincided with the highest number of border crossings the US has ever seen in a single month. This marks at least a 10% increase from January 2023, which had already set a record for homelessness, according to data going back to 2007, when the government first started tracking these numbers. The January 2024 tally is expected to grow even further, as cities like New York, which have significant homeless populations, have yet to report their official figures.

 

Given current trends, the US is on pace to exceed 2023’s record of 653,000 homeless individuals. The increase in homelessness has paralleled a record number of migrants crossing the border illegally, seeking asylum, and then being transported to major cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, and Denver. This has stretched local resources thin, leading to rising crime and gang violence in some areas. Massachusetts, for example, reported that nearly half of the more than 7,000 families in its family shelters were migrants. The state expects to spend over $1 billion housing migrants during this fiscal year alone, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

 

In Chicago, migrants made up more than 70% of the homeless population, pushing the city's homeless count to triple what it was before, with over 18,800 people living on the streets or in shelters in January. Similarly, Denver has seen a 42% spike in homelessness, with fresh waves of migrants contributing to the city's struggles. The Journal also points to the rise in fentanyl use, skyrocketing housing and rent costs, and the end of pandemic-era tax credits as factors that have pushed many families into homelessness.

 

California, long grappling with the largest homeless population in the country, remains at the epicenter of the crisis. In 2023, the state had more than 180,000 homeless people, according to the most recent data from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has been urging cities to dismantle homeless encampments, but the situation continues to worsen. While HUD has not yet released its official 2024 report, the Wall Street Journal, with the help of 250 organizations across the country, expects this year’s numbers to be even higher. The Journal suggests its estimates might be more accurate, as HUD’s data are often seen as undercounts influenced by volunteer availability and weather conditions during data collection. 

 

The combination of rising migrant numbers, economic instability, and housing shortages has brought the homelessness crisis in the US to a breaking point, with no immediate solution in sight.

 

Based on a report from: NYP 2024-09-24

 

 

 

[mdr224]

No need to fear fellow ANers, with kamala as president at least we will all be able to have abortions! Clown world 

[Tug]

Another murdoc rag,put those people to work picking fruit and other crops like in the old days get the bipartisan border bill passed for more border patrol more fentanyl enforcement more judges and case workers to weed out the fake asylum seeker’s.