Homelessness in the United States has occurred to varying degrees across the country. The total number of homeless people in the United States fluctuates and constantly changes hence a comprehensive figure encompassing the entire nation is not issued since counts from independent shelter providers and statistics managed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development vary greatly. Federal HUD counts hover annually at around 500,000 people. Point-in-time counts are also vague measures of homeless populations and are not a precise and definitive indicator for the total number of cases, which may differ in both directions up or down. The most recent figure for the year 2019 that was given was at 567,715 individuals across the country that have experienced homelessness at a point in time during this period.

Homeless people may use shelters, or may sleep in cars, tents, on couches, or in other public places. Separate counts of sheltered people and unsheltered people are critical in understanding the homeless population.

Each state has different laws, social services and medical policies, and other conditions which influence the number of homeless persons, and what services are available to homeless people in each state.

Half of the homeless population of the U.S. reside in one of five states (in 2020), with Texas having the fourth largest population at 25,000 and California having the largest at 151,000. Begging has been criminalized in a number of regions in the state of Texas.

Jake Mammal and Oliver Cuttle discuss the growing homeless encampments in Austin, Texas. They also discuss an ancient Chinese bowl, found at a garage sale, that sold for almost a million dollars.

Articles Referenced:

Chinese bowl bought for $35 at a yard sale sold for over $700,000

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/chinese-bowl-yard-sale-sothebys-auction/index.html

San Marcos police drop off shirtless, shoeless man in South Austin

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/san-marcos-police-drop-off-shirtless-shoeless-man-in-south-austin

'Catastrophic:' Chronic homelessness in LA County expected to skyrocket by 86% in next 4 years

https://abc7.com/la-county-homelessness-socal-homeless-crisis-economic-roundtable-population/9601083/

State of Homelessness: 2020 Edition

https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2020/

Austin Council Members Wont Support Reinstating Homeless Camping Ban

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/03/16/austin-council-members-wont-support-reinstating-homeless-camping-ban/4671152001/