Kansas homeless population is increasing: HUD report

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Federal officials have released a point-in-time report this week reflecting homelessness estimates across the nation, including in Kansas.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report on Dec. 27. The report provides an annual snapshot of the number of people living in shelters, temporary housing and unsheltered settings on a single night in January this year.

The HUD report found more then 770,000 people experienced homelessness on one night in early 2024, an 18% increase overall from 2023. The total number of people experiencing homelessness in Kansas was marked at 2,793, a 6% increase from the year before.

“We at HUD deeply appreciate the work of our continuums of care and other community partners to end homelessness, especially given the challenges of 2023,” said Marion McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. “You are critical to the success of HUD’s mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.”

Kansas' homeless population has increased by more than 32% since 2007, according to the HUD. Nine out of every 10,000 people in the state's overall population of around 2,937,000 are considered homeless. Additional statistics on homelessness in Kansas for 2024 can be found below:

• All people experiencing unsheltered homelessness - 904.
• Individuals experiencing homelessness - 2,109.
• People in families with children experiencing homelessness - 684.
• Unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness - 156.
• Veterans experiencing homelessness - 211.
• Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness - 764.

“No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every family has access to the affordable, safe, and quality housing they deserve,” said HUD Agency Head, The Honorable Adrianne Todman. “While this data is nearly a year old, and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, it is critical that we focus on evidence-based efforts to prevent and end homelessness. We know what works and our success in reducing veteran homelessness by 55.2% since 2010 shows that.”

The Kansas capital is also reflecting a recent rise in homelessness. A City of Topeka point-in-time report conducted in the summer of 2024 in association with the HUD found 546 people are experiencing homelessness.

• 2024 - 546.
• 2023 - 412.
• 2022 - 365.
• 2021 - 298.
• 2020 - 401.

Topeka officials have taken steps to reduce the impact of homelessness in the city such as enforcing a new camping ordinance and clearing out homeless camps. 27 News was told in July 2024 that cleanup efforts for the year had reached nearly $95,000.

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