US homelessness soars to historic levels as illegal immigrants flood the streets

Homelessness in the United States is multiplying, reaching historic levels as illegal immigrants cross the border, seek asylum and are bused into major U.S. cities, according to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal.

The data is startling. According to the report, illegal immigrants arriving in the country are conspicuously contributing to what could be the most significant number of homeless people in the United States since data first began to be recorded in 2007.

According to the WSJ analysis, at least 550,000 people were homeless in January this year, the same month the United States recorded its highest number of border crossings ever.

The January 2024 homeless figure represents approximately 10% higher than January 2023,which saw the highest annual number of homeless since 2007.

In 2023, an estimated 653,000 homeless people were recorded in the U.S. However, according to the WSJ, once cities publish or transmit all homeless data, it is very likely that 2024 will be the year with the most homelessness recorded in the entire history of the country.

At the moment, cities such as New York, which has a significant homeless population, many of them illegal immigrants, have not yet reported their data to the government.

Other U.S. cities, which have already reported their numbers, show that illegal migration is affecting the growth of homelessness.

For example, reports from Massachusetts reveal that immigrants represent almost half of the more than 7,000 families sheltered in the state's family shelters in January.

The WSJ reported that the state expects to spend more than $1 billion to house immigrants this fiscal year.

In other cities, such as Denver and Chicago, immigrants also make up a substantial bulk of the homeless.

In Chicago, where there are about 18,800 homeless people, more than seven out of every ten homeless people in the city are immigrants.

In Denver, immigrants essentially caused a 42% increase in the homeless population.

In addition to illegal immigration, the WSJ also notes that the increase in homelessness is due, in part, to fentanyl use, rising housing and rent prices, and the end of tax credits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All these details, coupled with uncontrolled immigration, pushed many families out of their homes and onto the streets, along with recent arrivals with limited resources.

Currently, the WSJ's homelessness figures are very preliminary, especially since the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has not yet released its official 2024 report.

However, the WSJ notes that its figures, gathered with the help of 250 organizations across the country, are more accurate and far less conservative than those of the federal agency.

"[HUD estimates] are widely considered to be undercounts that can be swayed by how many volunteers show up or severe weather," the newspaper reviewed.