FILE – In this photo illuminated by an off-camera flash, a tarp covers a portion of a homeless person’s tent on a bridge overlooking the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. The United States experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness to its highest reported level as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said Friday. About 653,000 people were homeless, the most since the country began using the yearly point-in-time survey in 2007. The total in the January count represents an increase of about 70,650 from a year earlier. The latest estimate indicates that people becoming homeless for the first time were behind much of the increase. A rise in family homelessness ended a downward trend that began in 2012. More about housing access in the U.S. Children without a home often fell through the cracks during the pandemic , and many schools struggled to keep track of their families. States and cities are also trying to address the lack of housing. Earlier this year, Oregon lawmakers approved a $200 million housing package . It’s an issue that nonprofits also try to address. Last month, The AP looked at the progress groups were making for veterans who lack housing . “For those on the frontlines of this crisis, it’s not surprising,” said Ann Oliva, chief executive officer at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, an advocacy group. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge said the […]