Migrant crisis added to record-level US homelessness: HUD

(NewsNation) — The number of immigrants who entered the country illegally and then struggled to find housing in sanctuary cities contributed to a record number of Americans who experienced homelessness in 2024, according to a new report.

Data released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that more than 770,000 people struggle with finding a place to stay across the country on a single night. The report also indicates that the percentage of Hispanics dealing with homelessness was exponentially higher than the national average due largely to increased migrant populations in cities like New York, Denver and Chicago.

The 18 percent increase in the nation's unsheltered population was the largest year-over-year jump since HUD began tracking homelessness in 2007, The New York Times reported.

That surge is connected to the number of immigrants and asylum-seekers who were sent to sanctuary cities by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) after they entered the country illegally, HUD data shows. Immigration advocates in New York, Chicago and Denver pushed federal officials to expedite work permit applications for immigrants to allow migrants to be able to better qualify for housing.

The HUD report also indicated that migration had a notable effect on family homelessness, which increased by 39 percent in the past year.

In addition to the migrant crisis, the HUD report cited several reasons for the jump in those experiencing homelessness. Data shows that the end of COVID-19 pandemic-era measures that were designed to protect those in need also contributed to the increase, The New York Times reported.

In Chicago, migrants who arrived in the city from the southern border were forced to live in the lobby of local police precincts due to a lack of space in local migrant shelters. Chicago, New York and Denver also saw many immigrants resort to living in tent communities after they reached time limits for living in city-run shelters.

City and federal officials do not track the immigration status of the unsheltered. However, since President Biden issued an executive order regarding border security over the summer, immigration officials have cited significant drops in illegal border crossings. Officials in sanctuary cities have also said that they have seen the number of buses of immigrants being sent from the border drop.

In response, Chicago city officials announced in the fall that the city will end its new arrivals mission at the end of the year. The city announced a One System Initiative in which its legacy shelter program and shelters for migrants would be combined.

The city announced that its remaining migrant shelters will be shuttered by the end of December. The announcement came before announcing that city and census data suggest that an estimated 76,375 residents were experiencing homelessness in 2022.

Cites like New York, Chicago and San Diego began closing tent communities in the fall. New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) said that he did not want to appear heavy-handed or insensitive to those who had been living in tents. However, he said that tent encampments are illegal and that the sweeps of tent communities were being made to improve the lives of all New York City residents.

“These operations will help improve the quality of life of all New Yorkers who use the public space, particularly those who remain in our care nearby,” city spokesperson Liz Garcia said.

“We will continue to prioritize public safety while also providing individuals with the resources they need to pursue the American Dream," she added.