By Servet Gunerigok
WASHINGTON (AA) – The number of people living on the streets in the U.S. increased 2.7% in 2019, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
A total of 567,715 people experienced homelessness on a single night, an increase of 14,885 from 2018.
"Homelessness among veterans and families with children continued to fall, declining 2.1 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively, in 2019," the agency said in statement Friday.
Significant increases in unsheltered and chronic homelessness on the West Coast, particularly California and Oregon, caused the overall increase in homelessness.
Twenty-nine states and Washington, D.C. experienced declines in homelessness between 2018 and 2019. The number of people experiencing homelessness increased in 21 states.
"Homelessness increased in California by 21,306 people, or 16.4 percent, accounting for more than the entire national increase," said the statement.
HUD Secretary Ben Carson warned in the statement that homelessness in California is at a crisis level and needs to be addressed by leaders with urgency.
"Addressing these challenges will require a broader, community-wide response that engages every level of government to compassionately house our fellow citizens who call the streets their home," said Carson.
