The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has just released its 2023 Homeless Assessment report, which provides a snapshot of the total number of people in the country currently experiencing homelessness. The new report shows that homelessness in the U. S. hit a new record. There were more than 653,000 homeless people counted during the annual January “Point-In-Time” census. That is the highest number since HUD started the annual headcount in 2007.
The homeless population in Lawrence this year increased more than four times faster than the national rate. Lawrence and Douglas County’s homeless population grew an astonishing 51% from just a year ago, making it the fastest-growing location in Kansas, and one of the fastest growing in the nation. Nationwide, the rate of people experiencing homelessness grew by about 12% in the last year.
