The Biden administration is partially blaming a massive spike in homelessness on an immigration surge, reported the Daily Caller.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless — a number that misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they do not have a place of their own.
That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. The 2023 increase also was driven by people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The numbers represent 23 of every 10,000 people in the U.S., with Black people being overrepresented among the homeless population.
"Some communities reported data to HUD that indicated that the rise in overall homelessness was a result of their work to shelter a rising number of asylum seekers coming into their communities," HUD stated in a summary of its report.
"Importantly, this reporting was collected prior to the Biden-Harris administration taking executive action to secure our border, after Congressional Republicans blocked a bipartisan Senate bill that would have provided needed resources and authorities to help reduce irregular migration."
The report stated migration "had a particularly notable impact on family homelessness, which rose 39% from 2023-2024. In the 13 communities that reported being affected by migration, family homelessness more than doubled.
"Whereas in the remaining 373 communities, the rise in families experiencing homelessness was less than 8%."