( NewsNation ) — The number of immigrants who entered the country illegally and then struggled to find housing in sanctuary cities contributed to a record number of Americans who experienced homelessness in 2024, according to a new report.
Data released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that more than 770,000 people struggle with finding a place to stay across the country on a single night. The report also indicates that the percentage of Hispanics dealing with homelessness was exponentially higher than the national average due largely to increased migrant populations in cities like New York, Denver and Chicago.
The 18 percent increase in the nation’s unsheltered population was the largest year-over-year jump since HUD began tracking homelessness in 2007, The New York Times reported.
That surge is connected to the number of immigrants and asylum-seekers who were sent to sanctuary cities by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) after they entered the country illegally, HUD data shows. Immigration advocates in New York, Chicago and Denver pushed federal officials to expedite work permit applications for immigrants to allow migrants to be able to better qualify for housing.