2023 Report Reveals Sharp Rise in Homelessness, with Disproportionate Impact on Alaska Native, American Indian, and Indigenous Populations
The 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report paints a stark picture of the growing homelessness crisis in the United States, highlighting a significant nationwide increase. While the data reflects a troubling rise across all demographics, it reveals a particularly devastating impact on Alaska Native, American Indian, and other Indigenous communities.
Indigenous Homelessness: A Deepening Crisis
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation resident Virgil Red Cloud Good offered a poignant perspective during a recent interview, stating, “A reservation is just a modern-day concentration camp.”
As a sixth-generation descendant of prisoners of war at Camp 334, he shared the harsh realities faced by his people—boarded-up homes, a lack of running water, shattered windows, and streets lined with abandoned stores. This grim environment often leads to homelessness, as the latest data confirms.
Key Findings from Homeless Estimates Year Over Year
Between 2022 and 2023, homelessness in the U.S. surged dramatically. According to HUD, the following increases were recorded:
- Child homelessness (up 22% in one year)
- Individual adult homelessness (up 10% in one year)
- Young adult homelessness (up 17%)
These statistics indicate a widespread crisis affecting people of all genders, ages, ethnicities, and races. The increase is evident across various types of homelessness, including sheltered, unsheltered, chronic, and veteran homelessness. However, the rise has disproportionately affected Indigenous communities, with homelessness among American Indian, Alaska Native, and other Indigenous populations increasing by 18%-19%, compared to a 12% increase for the general population.
Indigenous People Are Grossly Overrepresented in Homeless Populations
Experts note that Indigenous people are significantly overrepresented among the homeless population despite being severely under-resourced. Kate Pocock, MHS, PA-C, a member of California’s homeless street medicine team and former clinician for the Navajo Nation and White Mountain Apache Tribe, emphasized these communities’ extreme lack of resources.
“I have had the chance to serve on two different reservations. So, I always caveat that I can only speak to those reservations. It’s important to recognize the diversity of tribes worldwide, even within the United States,” she said. “The two tribes I served were the Navajo Nation and the White Mountain Apache tribe. One of the most prominent issues I witnessed with both tribes was a serious lack of resources. Many people don’t realize just how under-resourced some of these communities can be.”
Barriers to Overcoming Homelessness
According to Pocock, the two tribes she worked with faced several roadblocks to success, including a lack of access to medicine and utilities and a unique isolation from businesses and major resources.
“Within the Navajo Nation, approximately a third of the population is without electricity,” she explained. “They’re in food deserts, and too many people don’t have clean water or access to a hygienic drinking source. They don’t have access to electricity to cool off. They’re very geographically far from major resources, including hospitals.”
“Some of the questions I would always ask folks when they were getting discharged from the ER was, is your car working? Do you have enough gas to get home? These are questions that I think folks don’t always typically think about when they live in a more resourced area.”
Limited access to safe drinking water and vital supplies affects people of all ages, but Pocock said the elderly are especially vulnerable.
“The geographic distance many folks are up against is tricky because if you’re hauling water and needing to drive 1, 2, or even 3 hours to a safe water source, that’s a huge investment,” she said. “That can get extremely difficult, especially for some of the elderly folks in the tribe.”
In the Face of Adversity, An Inspiring Spirit of Resilience Emerges
While discussing the plight of elderly Indigenous tribes, Pocock couldn’t help but lament the compassion she witnessed from members of both tribes and their deep-rooted respect for elderly community members.
“One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever gotten a chance to witness was just how much these tribes care for their elderly and how they recognize the importance seniors serve in the community,” Kate shared. “I want to speak about that resiliency because I got to be up there during the pandemic, and it was one of the things that kept me going.”
“I was amazed by how much they took care of each other,” she continued. “While the infrastructure is difficult, and there are many obstacles, both tribes I worked with exhibited an inspiring spirit of resilience. It’s something phenomenal when you see it in person.”
Tell Your Legislators You Want Tangible Solutions to Homelessness Today
Many communities can thrive under deep-rooted systemic oppression. However, 2024 should be the year they no longer need to do so. Talk to your legislators about presenting real, tangible solutions to the homeless crisis today, such as making housing a human right.
