The U.S. had well over half a million homeless people this year, a quarter of which were children, a new report released on Thursday showed.
The study, by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, recorded the total number of homeless at close to 565,000, Reuters reported.
Despite that being 2% less than the homeless population in 2014, major states like New York and California — the two largest in terms of population — have seen an increase, and advocates say the national decline, prompted by a reduction in 33 states, is negligible.
“I am glad it’s trending downward,” Nan Roman, president of Washington, D.C–based National Alliance to End Homelessness, told Reuters, “but a 2% change is pretty much flat.”
[Reuters]
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com