Federal Report Finds Correlation Between Increased Rents and Homelessness

Screen Shot 2020-08-19 at 6.02.02 PMThe report from the GAO found a correlation between a median increase of $100 in rent and a 9% increase in homelssness.

As concerns mount regarding COVID-19 related housing issues, a federal report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds rent increases to be a factor in the increase in homelessness in the majority of jurisdictions they studied.

From Route Fifty:

The report analyzed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s homeless population count, which found nearly 568,000 people were homeless in 2019. While the report acknowledges that HUD’s count is likely an underestimate, it examines a number of factors that can influence changes in homelessness.

GAO researchers interviewed individuals who provide homeless services in 21 city and county governments about factors affecting homelessness and analyzed population and rent data from 2012 to 2018. In seven of the 11 jurisdictions where homelessness increased, the cost of housing was considered a primary factor in the increase in homelessness, according to the report.

For more information:

Higher Rents Associated with Increase in Homelessness, Federal Watchdog Finds (Route Fifty)

Homelessness Better HUD Oversight of Data Collection Could Improve Estimates of Homeless Population (Government Accountability Office)