Homelessness on the Rise, but Pockets of Hope Exist

A Brookings report by Hanna Love and Tracy Hadden Loh assesses the state of homelessness in the United States and how some cities and regions are making progress on housing their residents even as housing costs grow and the supply of affordable housing remains insufficient to meet demand. 

“In nine out of the 44 major cities that completed full PIT counts in 2023, homelessness rates either remained stable or declined between 2022 and 2023, with rates in Austin, Texas, Raleigh, N.C., Indianapolis, and Colorado Springs, Colo. declining over 10 percentage points.” Major cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago saw sharp increases in homelessness rates between 2022 and 2023, but those cities saw an overall reduction in homelessness over the last decade.

Looking at the larger picture of short- and long-term total and unsheltered homelessness trends, it’s clear that there are pockets of both progress and setbacks in U.S. cities—reinforcing the need for upstream solutions that can meet cities and regions where they are.

The report recommends five evidence-based strategies that can help ease the crisis. These include ensuring that housing policy tracks with homelessness policy, using both short- and long-term tools like emergency rental assistance, ‘housing first’ models, and zoning reform that spurs more housing production. Other suggestions include strengthening housing and employment supports for vulnerable populations, using alternative crisis response models to reduce the risk of negative interactions with law enforcement, and taking a “regional, data-driven approach” to homelessness to respond to broader structural challenges.