HONOLULU — Homelessness is declining overall in the U.S., but there are cities and states where homelessness is on the rise, according to new data from the federal government.
A lack of affordable housing and growing problems with opioid addiction are fueling the problem in many cities in the West, experts said last week.
Across the country, there were nearly 550,000 homeless people counted in 2016, according to the report. Homelessness declined 14 percent nationwide since 2010, the year President Barack Obama launched Opening Doors, a program urging communities to have a plan in place to prevent and reduce homelessness. During that time, veteran homelessness fell 47 percent.
Officials hope communities apply what they’ve learned helping veterans to other groups with high rates of homelessness.
