Homelessness in the U.S. saw its largest drop in more than a decade last year
U.S. homelessness saw a 6% decline in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of reduction. While the Trump administration attributes this to border and safety policies, independent advocates credit federally funded housing programs.
Why it matters
The data reflects a significant shift in a major social issue, with competing narratives on the effectiveness of current versus previous administration policies.
After years of increasing to record-high levels , the homeless population in the U.S. dropped more than 6% in 2025. That amounts to roughly 49,000 fewer people without housing. It's the second year in a row that homelessness has declined, with a smaller drop in 2024.
"President Trump's actions to secure the border, get criminal illegals off our streets, and restore safety to our communities drove a historic decrease in homelessness," Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner said in a press release announcing the results of an annual count in communities around the country. The agency had not yet posted a detailed report.
A second independent analysis based on the same count, but commissioned by the advocacy group National Alliance to End Homelessness, found a similar decline but credited different reasons for it.
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