Climate disasters led to a sharp rise in U.S. homelessness, and according to research published in The JAMA Network Open, homelessness increased by 33% from January 2020 to January 2024, meaning there is approximately 1 out of every 435 Americans who is homeless. The increase was not even throughout the country; some states experienced significant increases, and some witnessed little change, according to a multi-institution study based on Point-in-Time Counts published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and UCLA also indicate that moratoriums on eviction and natural disasters, along with climate change, were the largest contributors to these disparate trends, more so than usual determinants such as unemployment or rent increases.

Why Did Homelessness Rise Unevenly Across States?

Researchers found that short-term shocks were more responsible for sudden increases in the homeless population than longer-term economic conditions. For example, states with significant damage to housing caused by climate-related events such as wildfires and hurricanes saw much larger increases in their homeless populations than states with fewer short-term shocks to housing.

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Evictions and Climate Disasters

States that had longer-term eviction protections had comparatively less of an increase in the number of homeless people living there. If states had not had eviction moratoria, researchers estimate that the average increase in the number of homeless people living in states from 2020 to 2022 would have been approximately 11%, to nearly 20%.

Consequently, the terms “evictions” and “disasters of climate” are not merely descriptive words but rather help define how those events influenced the dynamics of homelessness and what actions may be needed to mitigate their impacts in the future.

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How Did Eviction Moratoria Prevent a Larger Crisis?

The moratorium on evictions was a temporary protection against the financial upheaval brought about by the pandemic. Implemented at different governmental levels, federal, state, and municipal, they ensured that millions of Americans would not be homeless.

This is supported by findings from a study conducted by the Urban Institute, which estimates:

• Longer-duration protections correlated strongly with smaller increases in homelessness
• Evictions cause instant homelessness
• Preventing them directly reduces sudden spikes

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Climate Disasters Have Accelerated Housing Instability

Climate-related disasters have led to people losing their homes and being displaced. The study found that each home-equivalent lost per 10,000 residents resulted in a 1.00 percentage-point increase in homelessness.

The data is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which reported in 2023 that there were 28 separate disaster events that were recorded at a cost of $1 billion or more, representing one of the highest yearly records.

Climate disasters led to a sharp rise in U.S. homelessness, and they also adversely impact entire housing markets, reducing supply and increasing the number of individuals at risk for homelessness.

This provides further evidence that evictions and climate disasters are related.

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What Factors Were Unexpectedly Not Found to Have Contributed?

Despite common assumptions, several factors were unexpectedly found to be unrelated to yearly changes in housing instability:

• Rent levels on average
• Unemployment figures
• The flow of immigrants
• Deaths from overdoses (serving as a proxy measure for intensity of substance abuse)
• Rental assistance provision

It contradicts the existing narrative and highlights the importance of acute event-driven causes.

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Insight in Brief: Health and Social Impacts

Climate disasters led to a sharp rise in U.S. homelessness, which is not only a problem related to housing but one that poses serious challenges to the health sector. According to studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homelessness is highly associated with:

• Increased chances of acquiring infectious diseases
• Chronic disease levels
• Mental disorders
• High mortality rates

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Policy Responses: What Can Be Done?

Some recommendations for policy solutions include:

• Right to counsel services for tenants
• Eviction diversion services
• Disaster recovery assistance for housing
• Climate-resilient housing infrastructure

According to a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the United States is currently suffering from a lack of 7 million affordable homes.

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A Dual Crisis Demanding Integrated Solutions

The evidence clearly shows that climate disasters led to a sharp rise in U.S. homelessness, which means that the way policymakers think about housing instability has to change. Eviction moratoriums have been a very successful emergency stopgap measure for evictions, but they cannot be the answer to this problem in the long term. Similarly, the frequency of natural disasters is creating a structural issue in society that goes beyond housing policy.

Also Read: Accelerating Extreme Weather: Evidence & Implications Of The Rising Global Disaster Frequency In 2025

FAQs

1. What made homelessness grow during the COVID-19 outbreak?

The main reasons for the growing number of homeless people were not only economic reasons but also evictions and climate disasters that resulted in the loss of housing very quickly across different states.

2. Is there a complete solution to homelessness with eviction bans?

Not really, however, eviction moratoriums played an important role in reducing the increase rate in some states by almost two times.

3. How can climate disasters cause homelessness?

Climate disasters directly impact housing by destroying and displacing communities from their homes.

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