The United States has experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness. Federal officials on Friday said soaring rents and a winding down of coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans. Numbers in the January count were up across the board compared to January 2022. Homelessness among individuals rose by nearly 11%, among veterans by 7% and among families with children by 15.5%. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge says the data shows an “urgent need” for support of proven solutions to get people out of homelessness quickly and to prevent it in the first place.