1.28 住房危机： 难计其数.docxVIP

【1.28】

1.28每日一篇|熊猫外刊精读

Housing：Outforthecount

Homelessnessrisestoarecordlevel

【1】Eachyearforafew?frigid?daysinJanuary,volunteersfanoutacrosscities,townsand?rural?areastotrytocounteveryhomelesspersoninAmerica.Themethodis?imperfect:citiesdotheir?counting?indifferentways,andmanyhomelesspeopleare?transient?orhideawayin?subterranean?tunnels?andunder?highway?overpasses.Researchersthinktheresultisan?undercount.Butthis“pointintime”surveyoffersthemostcompletepictureofhomelessnessthat?exists?inAmericatoday.TheresultsforJanuary?2024,?released?onDecember?27th,offer?bleak?news:thenumberofhomelesspeopleinthecountryhad?risen?tothehighestlevelonrecord.

【2】Between?2023?and?2024?homelessnessincreasedby?18%,toroughly?771,000?people.ThatisnearlyasmanypeopleasliveinNorthDakota.Thevastmajorityofthe?uptick?comesfrompeoplelivinginshelters—picturehotelroomsorrowsofbeds—ratherthansleepingrough,asiscommonontheWestCoastandinsomesouthernstates.Thereport’smost?shocking?revelation?isthatthenumberofhomelesspeopleinfamilieswithchildrenrose?39%year-on-year—areversalofaslowbut?steady?declineintheyears?preceding?thecovid-19?pandemic.Threebigthings?contributed?tothe?surge:ahousingshortagethathasdrivenup?rents?andhomeprices,an?influx?of?asylum-seekers?that?overwhelmed?somecities,and?disasters?thatdisplacedpeople.

【3】Estimatesvary,butMoody’sAnalytics,aconsultancy,?reckons?Americaisshortabout?2.9m?affordable?homes.Itisno?coincidence?thatmanystateswith?consistently?highratesofhomelessness(CaliforniaandNewYork)orthosethatsawbigincreasesthisyear(HawaiiandMassachusetts)havesomeofthepriciesthousinginthecountry.Athirdofpeoplecountedwere?chronically?homeless,andmaysufferfromdrug?addiction?orstrugglewithmentalillness,whichmakeithardertostayhoused.Butmostpeoplefallin