The Florida Department of Children and Families is touting a 36 percent drop in homelessness. That’s according to a January 3rd press release. But the real picture is much more nuanced.
The 36 percent figure comes from the federal government's 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress. It found between 2007 and 2023, Florida had the largest drop in homelessness in the U.S.
However, over the last two years, notes Leon County Commissioner David O'Keefe, the number of unhoused people in Florida has increased.
"So, why are we celebrating something from over a decade ago when more and more families are ending up on the streets every year in Florida?" he asked. "This is why we need bold action – local, state and federal – on affordable rental housing.”
Housing affordability remains a big issue locally. According to federal data, homelessness increased across the country by 18 percent last year, while Florida's increase was in the single digits and Leon County’s was 5 percent.
The governments' reporting comes as more families struggle with high housing and insurance costs.
