According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the number of homeless people in America exceeds 650,000. This is stated in the 2023 report released by the department last week. It is the highest value recorded since 2007.
The report states that there are many factors that have influenced the increase in the number of homeless people. One of them is the continuous rise in house rents. In 2022, house rental rates in America have doubled from the previous year.
America, the world’s number one capitalist country, has a serious disparity between the rich and the poor. CNN has also reported that the main cause of homelessness and housing instability is the “gap between low income and high rents.”
Apart from this, the issue of racial discrimination cannot be ignored. According to the report, although African Americans make up 13% of the country’s total population, they make up about 37% of the homeless population. Although Latinos make up 19% of the US population, they are also reported to make up 33% of the homeless population.
