Homelessness hit record high this year amid affordable housing shortage

Homelessness in the U.S. hit the highest level on record this year as the affordable housing crisis intensifies, federal regulators said Friday.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) tallied more than 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, an 18 percent increase from 2023 that is likely an undercount.

Families with children experiencing homelessness jumped 39 percent, the largest increase on record, according to HUD data. Nearly...