A growing number of Americans with jobs are still without homes due to rising rents and high inflation.
The Washington Post found local shelters and volunteer groups are showing an increasing number of people coming in who work steady jobs. One Tulsa organization reported the top reason cited by many people for being homeless is a lack of affordable housing.
"Years of fast-rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing have created a situation where even a strong labor market and rising wages haven’t been enough to offset the financial strains of inflation," the article read.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), an estimated 653,104 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2023, a 12% jump from 2022, making it the highest number of homeless people since the country began using the yearly point-in-time survey in 2007.
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People who spoke to the Post shared stories of living in cars, hotels or with friends outside homeless shelters. A few admitted to sleeping in parks.
"Many who spoke with The Washington Post said they’re trapped in an impossible position — making too much money to qualify for food stamps and other types of government assistance, but not enough to secure housing," the article read.
It continued, "All said they were working toward saving enough to cover first and last month’s rent, plus a security deposit, required by many rentals, but were hampered by everyday living costs."
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"I work 50 hours a week, and it’s still really hard to keep up," 22-year-old Amazon worker Aaron Reed said.
Despite earning $21 an hour, Reed, his mother and their dog have been sleeping in his mother’s Hyundai SUV. He remarked on additional costs to being homeless, such as buying jugs of bottled water to offset a lack of running water.
"Every day, it’s like, ‘Which bills can we actually pay?’" Reed said. "We’re behind on our car payments, then we’ve got gas, insurance, phones."
The National Low Income Housing Coalition reported a $20-per-hour wage could only afford a two-bedroom apartment in six states, despite many states having a $15-per-hour minimum wage.
"I am blessed to make $15 an hour, but the cost of living is high, and $15 an hour barely covers rent and utilities," 28-year-old hotel and casino supervisor Marie said. "With everything going up … we cannot save to even get a place to rent."
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Homelessness continues to be a problem plaguing major cities throughout the U.S. Some Democratic lawmakers have signaled efforts to crack down on the problem by encouraging bans on homeless encampments following a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year.
