SOUTHLAND - (INT) - Californians have consistently cited homelessness as a top issue.

In 2024, homelessness reached record highs, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Of the nation’s 771,500 people experiencing homelessness, over 187,000 (24%) were in California. Two in three were unsheltered, accounting for almost half of the country’s unsheltered population.

However, homelessness grew at a higher rate in the nation (18%) than in California (3%) from 2023 to 2024, driven by a 25% jump in sheltered homeless in the US compared to 9% in California.

Unsheltered population growth in the US (7%) also outpaced California (0.4%), reversing the previous decade’s trend of larger increases in California.

Story Date: April 1, 2025