U.S. homelessness spikes by 18% — a look at Alaska’s numbers

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Homelessness soared across the country to the highest level on record this year, according to an estimate published Friday by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as part of an annual count.

Alaska reports 2,686 homeless people, which is roughly 2.8% more than last year. According to the report, that is 72 people more than last year.

The assessment measures the number of people living in shelters, temporary housing, tents, or cars on a single night in January.

The number of people experiencing homelessness nationwide topped 770,000, an increase of more than 18% over last year and the largest annual increase since the count began in 2007.

Even more disturbing — people in families with children had the largest single-year increase in homelessness. Nearly 150,000 children experienced homelessness on a single night in 2024, reflecting a 33% increase — 32,618 more children over 2023.

Between 2023 and 2024, children under the age of 18 experienced the largest increase in homelessness.

The National data estimated that 39% more people in families with children relied on shelters or slept outside this year in the United States. That’s about 259,000 people, the largest number since data collection began in 2007. The Anchorage School District (ASD) reported that almost 2,000 homeless students were enrolled in ASD in 2023.

Veterans were the only population to report continued declines in homelessness.

Anchorage conducts its homeless count during the same month on Jan. 29 called the Point-In-Time Count.

People who were counted were sleeping outdoors or in tents or vehicles, alcoves, or other places “not meant for human habitation,” as well as people staying in shelters or transitional and temporary housing.

According to the Anchorage count, 346 people were unsheltered in January 2024 — 1,105 were in emergency shelters and 256 were in transitional housing, equalling 1,707 people.

The 2024 report shows a slight decrease of homeless people over 2023 where 1,760 people were homeless in Alaska’s largest city.

The report also highlights cities where homelessness has decreased including Dallas, Los Angeles, and Chester County, PA.

Homeless people in Anchorage were asked what contributed to their homelessness:

• 23% county pays rent or their mortgage.
• 20% were asked to leave their residence or had been evicted.
• 9% lost their job or couldn’t find work.
• 7% reported alcohol or substance misuse.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct a statistic involving the percent increase in Alaska’s homeless population from 2023 to 2024.

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