There was more homelessness across the United States in 2024 than at any point since 2007 at the outset of a downturn that would inaugurate almost a decade of economic sluggish growth. According to an annual census conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the number of homeless in America’s streets grew by 18 percent from 2023. What caused the spike? To hear HUD tell it, the culprits are multifarious.

There is a lack of affordable housing in America’s urban centers, to say nothing of the dearth of new construction. Persistent inflation has not kept pace with wage growth, which has crippled consumers. The rising interest rates necessary to combat price instability have put borrowing out of reach for many. The expiration of the child tax credit, which was temporarily expanded during the pandemic, might be a contributing factor. Then there are “the persisting effects of systemic racism,” which “have stretched homelessness services systems to their limits.” Of course.

None of these are particularly satisfying explanations for the phenomenon the country experienced in the last twelve months. Advocates of affordable housing forever insist that there is not enough affordable housing. America’s cities haven’t been building at a tempo that matches population growth for some time. For most, the difference between a $3,600 child tax credit and a $2,000 tax credit is unlikely to be the dividing line between prosperity and poverty. Inflation isn’t new, nor is “systemic racism,” according to those who are forever on the lookout for it. Indeed, the latter is a permanent stain on the American character, which wouldn’t explain a sudden spike in homelessness.

So, what does?

“HUD officials blamed migration for having a ‘particularly notable impact on family homelessness, which rose 39% from 2023-2024,’” one report on HUD’s findings read. That and the 10 percent increase in unaccompanied minors “experiencing homelessness” accounts for a significant portion of the overall homelessness rate. What’s more, America’s homeless population has access to shelters if they want it. Indeed, the number of emergency shelter beds has doubled since 2007 and grew by 18 percent last year alone. However, the number of people exhibiting “chronic patterns of homelessness” has grown by more than 27 percent over the last 18 years. “Sixty-five percent of all individuals experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness, or more than 99,500 people, were counted in unsheltered locations,” the HUD report read. “This is also the highest number recorded since data collection began.”

We might safely conclude that, even if there are many factors contributing to the growing homeless population in America, Joe Biden’s lax border policies are the biggest factor. What’s more, to the extent the phenomenon has become more visible, that is attributable to the fact that so many homeless do not seek support – whether due to their legal status or their mental health issues.

I’m not sure we needed a HUD report to tell us that, but it’s welcome, nonetheless.