Homelessness rose in 2018 to 552,830, up from 550,996 in 2017, and the trough of 549,928 in 2016. That said, as recently as 2007, homelessness totaled 647,258. The long run decline and recent rise are due to changes in unsheltered (vs. sheltered) homelessness. In 2007, it was 255,857, by 2015 it had declined to 173,268 but has since risen to 194,467. Most troubling, homelessness is rising despite the booming economy.