New York’s homelessness crisis has hit catastrophic levels, with a 53% spike in just one year, making it the highest per capita in the nation. According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Empire State had over 158,000 people without permanent housing in 2024. Out of the 771,000 homeless nationwide, New York is leading the pack — and not in a good way.
The report points the finger at several culprits, including COVID-era eviction backlogs, skyrocketing rent prices, and the glaringly obvious migrant crisis overwhelming the state’s resources. In New York City alone, migrants living in emergency shelters accounted for a jaw-dropping 88% of the increase in homelessness, according to the HUD report. City officials confirmed nearly 60,000 migrants are currently housed in shelters, with over 200,000 arriving since 2022. At its peak, the city was sheltering nearly 70,000 migrants last spring.
While Mayor Eric Adams continues his performative outrage over the influx, his party’s open-border policies are the real culprit. This isn’t just a coincidence; it’s the predictable result of a leftist agenda that prioritizes virtue signaling over practicality. Even Democrats who fancy themselves progressive champions can’t escape the cold, hard reality: resources are finite.
HUD’s numbers are staggering. In October 2024 alone, over 130,000 people sought refuge in city shelters. Statewide homelessness rose 152% between 2007 and 2024, with unaccompanied minors seeing a 71% jump from the previous year. More than 95,000 families grappled with homelessness last year, exposing the utter failure of policies that were supposed to “build back better.”
While Albany and City Hall play hot potato with the blame, the solution is as clear as it is politically inconvenient: secure the border, enforce immigration laws, and put New Yorkers first. Democrats love to throw money at the problem, but without accountability and structural reform, they’re just bailing water from a sinking ship.
The Democrats’ endless pandering to open-border advocates has turned New York into a cautionary tale. The city that once symbolized American opportunity now stands as a stark warning of what happens when ideology trumps common sense. Republicans should seize this moment to offer real solutions, because as New York crumbles under the weight of progressive failure, the country is watching. And they’re ready for leadership that puts America first.
