HUD’s 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found that 552,830 persons experienced homelessness on a single night in 2018, an increase of 0.3 percent since last year. The report did note significant declines among veterans as well as families with children experiencing homelessness with a 5.4 percent and 2.7 percent nationwide decline over 2017, respectively. HUD cites the slight increase on the nearly 4,000 persons staying in emergency shelters set up in areas impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate; western wildfires; and other storms and events.