New York City experienced a 53% increase in homelessness last year, marking the highest per capita rate in the country, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The report attributes much of the rise to the growing number of migrants seeking shelter in the city, alongside ongoing housing difficulties.
In 2024, more than 158,000 people in New York were reported as homeless, contributing to the national total of over 771,000 homeless individuals. That equates to 81 homeless individuals per 10,000 residents in New York, the highest rate in the United States.
The report highlights multiple factors contributing to the rise, including a backlog of evictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, limited affordable housing options, rising rent prices, and the strain caused by the influx of migrants. According to HUD, nearly 88% of the increase in sheltered homelessness in New York City is linked to the arrival of migrants in the Big Apple’s emergency shelters.
As of early January, nearly 60,000 migrants were residing in city shelters. Between December 30 and January 7, around 400 new migrants entered shelters, while 1,300 left. Since the spring of 2022, over 200,000 migrants have arrived in New York City, with the shelter population peaking at nearly 70,000 in the spring of 2023.
The overall number of homeless individuals in New York City reached 140,134 in 2024, up from 88,025 in 2023. In October, 130,438 people were reported to be staying in city shelters, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. The organization also estimates that thousands more were living on the streets during that time.
The increase in homelessness is linked to several factors, including the shortage of affordable housing and rising rents, which have left many residents vulnerable to eviction. The HUD report also points to a 152% increase in homelessness across New York State from 2007 to 2024.
The report also found that more than 95,000 families in New York faced homelessness in 2024, along with 3,203 unaccompanied minors, a 71% increase from 2023.
