U.S. Homelessness Could Jump 45%, Study Says

Unemployment of historically devastating proportions will force people out of their homes and onto the streets, according to a new study by an economist at Columbia University in New York.

1 minute read

May 19, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Washington D.C.

bakdc / Shutterstock

Homelessness in the United States could grow as much as 45% over totals from January 2019, according to analysis by Brendan O'Flaherty, a professor of economics at Columbia University. That increase would mean 250,000 more homeless people living on the streets.

An article on the Community Solutions website provides details of the study's methodology and findings, along with a few soundbites from O'Flaherty. Benjamin Oreskes also picked up news of the study for the Los Angeles Times, supplementing the conclusions front he report with additional data on the state of the economy in the state of California. Perhaps interestingly, O'Flaherty's report predicts a relatively small increase in homeless populations in California, given the already large numbers of people living on the streets in the nation's largest state.


Monday, May 11, 2020 in Community Solutions

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