Plumbers, casino supervisors, pizzeria managers, and factory workers—these aren't the people you'd expect to see homeless. They deliver groceries, sell eyeglasses, and unload trucks at Amazon, yet they can't afford a place to live. 

Homelessness is getting worse, especially among people with jobs. Even with decent-paying positions, they simply can't keep up with skyrocketing rents. Interviews with shelter workers and data on rising evictions reveal that more working Americans are becoming homeless. For example, Southeast Texas saw a 61% increase in homelessness over the past year, Rhode Island went up 35%, and northeast Tennessee rose 20%.

There isn’t any federal data on how many homeless people have jobs, but shelters and local groups report a noticeable increase. In Tulsa, where homelessness is up 26%, the main reason people gave for being homeless was the lack of affordable housing, not mental health issues or job loss.

Aaron Reed, a 22-year-old Amazon worker near...