Delayed HUD Report Shows Decrease in Homelessness; Federal Support for Low-Income Renters that Help to Reduce Homelessness Continues to Decline
Jun 01, 2026
Washington, D.C. - The “2025 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress: Part 1,” which provides national Point-in-Time (PIT) estimates of homelessness, found a 3.4% decrease between 2024 and 2025 during the Biden administration. The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and other advocacy organizations use PIT estimates to understand a population that is too often excluded from U.S. census data, like the American Community Survey, which is cited in critical research reports such as The Gap and Out of Reach. These reports consistently show that people with the lowest incomes, including those experiencing homelessness, face significant challenges, like navigating higher rents with depleting rental assistance and insufficient wage growth. These challenges can sometimes put households at risk of becoming or remaining homeless.
“A rise in homelessness is unacceptable. Any reduction in the number of people forced to live on the street or at risk of losing their home is welcomed,” said Renee M. Willis, NLIHC President and CEO. “However, we cannot ignore that effective federal solutions to end homelessness exist and are now under threat. Homelessness is a housing issue, and this administration continues to reduce investments in targeted federal affordable housing resources that could prevent homelessness from worsening.”
The decrease was driven by an 11% reduction among families experiencing homelessness, an 8% decrease among unaccompanied youth, and a 2.9% decrease among unsheltered individuals living outside, in vehicles, or in places not meant for habitation. The 2025 AHAR data indicate that targeted federal resources, such as the Emergency Housing Voucher program, are linked to successful rehousing efforts.
Despite the reported decrease in homelessness, affordable housing advocates remain concerned. Since January 2025, safety nets and critical housing resources have been reduced or eliminated. Massive cuts to anti-poverty programs and the recently released House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) fiscal year (FY) 2027 spending bill, which allocates 8% less funding for HUD programs compared to FY26, indicate that the administration and Congress are prioritizing disinvestment in programs that help people exit homelessness.
“Unfortunately, we have repeatedly seen misguided efforts from this administration to undermine proven solutions to ending homelessness,” continued Willis. “For example, despite strong evidence and decades-long bipartisan support for the Housing First model, the administration has vowed to 'abandon' this approach, leaving many families and veterans uncertain about access to permanent supportive housing. Additionally, just before Pride Month, the Trump administration proposed eliminating LGBTQ+ protections across HUD shelter and housing programs, even though LGBTQ+ individuals, especially youth, are at higher risk of homelessness. These actions are counterproductive and unnecessarily cruel.”
The current administration has chosen to invest in and tout policies that ticket, fine, or arrest people for simply not being able to identify a place to call home. These tactics do not reduce or end homelessness. Instead, to help stabilize families in crisis and end homelessness, NLIHC urges Congress to provide the highest possible funding for affordable housing and homelessness programs in FY27. Members of Congress should create permanent tools, such as emergency rental assistance, support the construction and preservation of deeply affordable housing, and create stronger renter protections.
###