<p>WASHINGTON — Homelessness in America was on the rise even before the coronavirus pandemic dramatically dragged down the economy, <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2020-AHAR-Part-1.pdf">according to a government report</a>. </p>
<p>The Housing and Urban Development Department’s annual report on homelessness provides a snapshot of the number of homeless people, both sheltered and unsheltered, in America on a single night. The one-night counts are conducted during the last 10 days of January each year, and the new report shows that 580,466 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in January 2020 — an increase of 12,751 people, or 2.2 percent, from 2019. </p>
<p>Newly confirmed HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement Thursday the results were “very troubling." She added: “What makes these findings even more devastating is that they are based on data from before COVID-19, and we know the pandemic has only made the homelessness crisis worse.” </p>
<p>The report found that homelessness has increased in America for the past four years after what it called “steady reductions” from 2010 to 2016. </p>
<p>“Housing should be a right, not a privilege, and ensuring that every American has a safe, stable home is a national imperative,” Fudge said. “As a nation, we have a moral responsibility to end homelessness, and we know how to do it.” </p>
<p>Fudge said President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan, which includes $5 billion for emergency housing vouchers, has equipped her department with tools to help get individuals and families off the streets. A long-serving Ohio congresswoman, Fudge said her final act as a House member was voting to approve the aid bill.</p>
