Why Homeless Spike? The Rent Is Too Damn High

Persistently high housing costs and the end of pandemic-era relief programs have fueled a sharp increase in homelessness in the U.S. this year, according to an analysis published Monday by The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reported that homelessness nationwide—from Denver to New Orleans to New York City—is up 11% so far this year compared to 2022, when more than 582,000 people experienced homelessness.

If this year's increase holds, the Journal noted, it would mark the largest jump since 2007, the year the U.S. government began tracking comparable data.

"We and others have repeatedly predicted this increase in homelessness," Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), wrote in response to the new figures. "When rents skyrocket amidst a severe shortage of affordable housing and a shredded safety net, more people become homeless. It really is that simple—and preventable."

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