On World Homeless Day, America Must Face Its Shadow: 770,000 Lives at Risk

On World Homeless Day, the world is called to reflect — but America is called to act.

This year, as communities across the globe mark October 10, the United States confronts an unrelenting reality: more than 771,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness, the highest figure ever recorded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That number — an 18 percent increase in one year — represents not statistics, but people: families, veterans, children, seniors. It is a moral test that our nation cannot afford to fail.

“Homelessness is not a reflection of broken people — it is a reflection of broken systems,” said Dr. Chad Audi, President and CEO of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. “We can end this crisis if we choose compassion over complacency and policies that build homes instead of barriers.”

A Crisis in Every City
The causes are as plain as they are painful. Wages have stagnated while rents have soared. Federal housing assistance has not kept pace with need. Families priced out of once-affordable neighborhoods are now forced to live in cars, tents, and abandoned buildings.

Nationwide, one in every 400 Americans now lacks stable housing.
In 2022–2023, U.S. public schools identified over 1.3 million homeless students — a 14 percent jump in just one year. While some cities have made progress, others are struggling to keep pace with the rising demand for emergency beds, outreach services, and long-term housing.

Detroit: A Mirror for the Nation
Detroit stands as both a warning and a sign of hope.

Last year, 6,200 Detroiters experienced homelessness — a 9 percent increase from 2021. The number of unsheltered children nearly doubled. In early 2025, two siblings, ages nine and two, lost their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning while their family slept in a van — a tragedy that shook the city and forced a reckoning.

In response, Detroit officials and nonprofit partners announced a seven-point plan to expand shelter capacity, add outreach teams, and strengthen coordination between city and state agencies. Yet Detroit’s struggle reflects what is happening everywhere: a nation rich in resources but poor in resolve.

Policy Crossroads: Compassion Or Punishment
As homelessness grows, proposed federal budget cuts threaten to dismantle lifelines that keep families off the streets. Pending reductions to HUD’s rental and supportive housing programs could eliminate tens of thousands of vouchers nationwide.

At the same time, a recent nationwide crackdown on homeless encampments has redirected attention from housing to enforcement, criminalizing those with nowhere to go. Advocates warn this approach punishes survival rather than solving the crisis.

“Citations and police tape cannot sweep away homelessness,” Dr. Audi said. “It can only be solved through homes, hope, and humanity.”

A Call for National Unity and Action
On this World Homeless Day, Dr. Audi and Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries call for a renewed national movement grounded in evidence and empathy:

1. Fully fund and expand permanent supportive housing.
2. Adopt the Housing First model nationwide for the working homeless.
3. End criminalization of survival behaviors.
4. Strengthen prevention systems — eviction defense, legal aid, rental assistance, and mental health access.
5. Set measurable public goals to reduce homelessness by 25 percent by October 2026.
6. Center lived experience in every policy discussion and community forum.

“The wealthiest nation on Earth should never have children sleeping in cars,” Dr. Audi said. “If we act with courage, collaboration, and conviction, we can make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.”

A Moral Imperative
World Homeless Day is not just about awareness — it is about accountability.
It is an opportunity for leaders, citizens, and communities to measure progress, commit to change, and honor those who have died without homes. Across America, organizations host memorials, housing summits, community forums, and public rallies to mark the day.

The question before us is not whether homelessness can be ended — it is whether we will choose to end it.

“Let this World Homeless Day be the moment when America finally says: not one more night,” Audi urged. “Not one more life lost to the cold.”