Report: Homelessness Numbers in Mass. on the Rise

A federal report says the homeless population in Massachusetts increased faster than in any other state in the nation since 2007

A federal report says the homeless population in Massachusetts increased faster than in any other state in the nation since 2007, even as overall homelessness in the country declined.

The report issued Thursday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says the number of homeless residents in Massachusetts has jumped 40 percent since 2007, and 12 percent this year when compared to 2013.

Just 4 percent of Massachusetts residents considered homeless live on the streets because the numbers include people living in shelters and transitional housing.

The high rate of homelessness is blamed in part on the high cost of housing in the state.

Lyndia Downie, executive director of the Pine Street Inn shelter, tells The Boston Globe even some with jobs find it difficult to afford housing.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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