Rachel Sheffield
Homelessness has been climbing upward in the United States for several years, but 2024 saw the largest jump in homelessness since the federal government began to collect data on this issue: an increase of 18 percent from the previous year.[REF] The second highest recorded increase was between 2022 and 2023 when homelessness grew by 12 percent.
The rise in homelessness in 2024 was due largely to an influx of illegal immigrants into homeless shelters, particularly in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts,[REF] but a porous border is not the only factor driving homelessness. Stories of soaring homelessness in several U.S. cities have been in the headlines for years.[REF]
Unfortunately, the federal government’s policy approach to homelessness, called “Housing First,” fails to address the underlying causes of homelessness and poverty. In fact, the government’s approach stands in the way of efforts that work to address deeper human challenges. It prioritizes programs that provide permanent housing without barriers to entry and penalizes programs for the homeless that require people to engage in activities like drug rehabilitation, work training, or mental health treatment.[REF]
Housing First not only fails to help people overcome problems like drug addiction, unemployment, and mental illness. It also is a very costly approach that fails to reduce overall rates of homelessness.[REF]
Policymakers must see beyond material need if they are to address homelessness effectively. They should recognize the spiritual, emotional, and social needs of human beings and focus on “treatment first” programs that pair material help with programs like job training, drug rehabilitation, and mental health treatment. Helping our brothers and sisters rise from homelessness and poverty will require creative strategies and thoughtful leaders. Beginning with a correct view of the problem is a crucial first step.
Endnotes
- Exhibit 1-1, “PIT Estimates of People Experiencing Homelessness by Sheltered Status, 2007–2024,” in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness, December 2024, p. 2, https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf (accessed April 9, 2026). ↩
- Rachel Sheffield, “Why Homelessness Skyrocketed in 2024, and What to Do About It,” The Washington Times, February 18, 2025, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/feb/18/homelessness-skyrocketed-2024/ (accessed April 9, 2026). ↩
- Rachel Sheffield, “How to Solve Our Soaring Homelessness Problem,” Heritage Foundation Commentary, February 9, 2024, https://www.heritage.org/civil-society/commentary/how-solve-our-soaring-homelessness-problem; Liz Lindqwister, “San Francisco’s Streets Are Filthy. A New Survey Shows Just How Dirty,” The San Francisco Standard, May 23, 2023, https://sfstandard.com/2023/05/23/san-franciscos-streets-are-dirty-but-just-how-dirty-exactly/ (accessed April 9, 2026); Adrian Thomas, “Report: Downtown Portland Clean & Safe Finds Troubling Trend of Needles on Streets,” Fox12 Oregon [KPTV, Portland, Oregon], February 10, 2023, https://www.kptv.com/2023/02/11/report-downtown-portland-clean-safe-finds-troubling-trend-needles-streets/ (accessed April 9, 2026); Nick Gerda, “Homelessness on LA County Streets Skyrockets 40% in 5 Years,” LAist [KPPC, Pasadena, California], June 29, 2023, https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/homelessness-la-county-los-angeles-homeless-count-lahsa-numbers (accessed April 9, 2026). ↩
- Christopher F. Rufo, “The ‘Housing First’ Approach Has Failed: Time to Reform Federal Policy and Make it Work for Homeless Americans,” Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 3513, August 4, 2020, https://www.heritage.org/housing/report/the-housing-first-approach-has-failed-time-reform-federal-policy-and-make-it-work. ↩
- See, for example, Rachel Sheffield, Finding Home: Helping the Homeless Improve Their Lives and Reconnect with Community, U.S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee Republicans, Social Capital Project, December 2022, pp. 1, 2, and 4, https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/59950ff2-da5e-4e1e-8f4a-61452c3156d3/finding-home.pdf (accessed April 9, 2026), and Stephen Eide, “Housing First and Homelessness: The Rhetoric and the Reality,” Manhattan Institute Report, April 2020, https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/sites/default/files/housing-first-and-homelessness-SE.pdf (accessed April 9, 2026). ↩
Sources
- “Exhibit 1-1: PIT Estimates of People Experiencing Homelessness by Sheltered Status, 2007–2024,” in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness, December 2024, p. 2, https://www.huduser.gov/portal/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf (accessed May 10, 2026).
- U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, “National Population by Characteristics: 2020–2025, Vintage 2024, Population Estimates by Age (18+): July 1, 2024 (SCPRC-EST2024-18+POP),” page last revised March 31, 2026, https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-national-detail.html (accessed May 10, 2026).
- U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, “National Intercensal Population Totals: 2010–2020, Intercensal Population Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to April 1, 2020 (NST-EST2020INT-POP),” page last revised November 5, 2024, https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/intercensal-2010-2020-national.html (accessed May 10, 2026).
- U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, “National Intercensal Tables: 2000–2010, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population by Sex and Age for the United States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2010,” page last revised October 8, 2021, https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/intercensal-2000-2010-national.html (accessed May 10, 2026).
