ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico has seen an uptick in homelessness and it’s at the top when it comes to the percentage of people in the United States who are experiencing chronic homelessness.

The statistics are part of an annual assessment prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The findings are based on surveys done in shelters and on the street during a single night in January.

In New Mexico, about 12 in every 10,000 people were experiencing homelessness, an increase of 2.8 percent from 2017. About 42 percent had been continuously homeless for a year or more.

Trailing only Montana, New Mexico had the second highest percentage of homeless adults who were veterans at 15 percent.

The count totaled 2,551 people. That included 290 veterans, 182 unaccompanied youth and more than 600 people in families with children.