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Self-storage Prices Are Soaring to Unexpected Highs — Even for the Bay Area
San Francisco Chronicle • September 17, 2023
Self-storage prices are rising. With an unregulated industry, owners can raise rates to whatever the market will bear. People who experience homelessness often use storage units to safeguard important papers and other possessions. When folks are unable to pay for the storage unit, their belongings can get locked in the unit or sold off. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, “People wind up paying an enormous proportion of their income to sustain these units, and then wind up losing them anyway. That feels particularly tragic because it’s like the worst of all worlds.”
A New Covid Booster Is Here. Will Those at Greatest Risk Get It?
KFF Health News • September 15, 2023
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends new covid-19 booster vaccines for all. A boost in protection is important to protect people against severe COVID and death. However, structural factors have prevented booster uptake among those who could benefit the most from the vaccine. Booster rates among people who experience homelessness is largely unknown. Tiana Moore, PhD, the Policy Director at the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative is concerned that people experience homelessness face high barriers to vaccination. Dr. Moore said, "Many of our participants talked about concerns about leaving their belongings when unsheltered since they don’t have a door to lock."
Why More Baby Boomers Are Sliding Into Homelessness; the Aging of America Means More Old People on Fixed Incomes Are Overwhelmed by the High Cost of Housing and Other Financial Shocks; ‘Not Seen Since the Great Depression’
The Wall Street Journal • September 12, 2023
The number of people experiencing homelessness who are older than 50 is increasing. The second half of the baby boomers were aging and came of age during back-to-back economic downturns, making them financially less secure. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "These are people who worked their whole lives. They had typical lives, often working physically demanding jobs, and never made enough to put money away."
New Study Paints a Fuller Picture of Homelessness in California
PD&R Edge • September 5, 2023
A landmark study by UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) paints a different picture on people experiencing homelessness in California. The report released in June 2023, examines the demographics of people experiencing homelessness in California, how people enter and experience homelessness, factors that block or enable a person’s return to housing, and policy recommendations.
California Statewide Study of Homelessness May Have Nationwide Implications
National Alliance to End Homelessness • August 21, 2023
The Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California San Francisco, released a groundbreaking report on the characteristics and causes of homelessness in California. The study used a mixed methods approach, collecting data from more than 3,000 surveys and 365 in-depth interviews. In addition to reinforcing the existing—and alarming—trends around both an aging population and disproportionate representation of communities of color among those experiencing homelessness, there were several findings from the report that stand out.
Addressing the Root Causes of Homelessness
Spectrum News • July 27, 2023
California is home to 30% of the nation's homeless population, and 50% of the nation's unsheltered population. The UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative released the largest representative study on homelessness in decades. The study's findings dispel common myths and take a systematic approach to understanding the causes of homelessness and potential solutions. Inside the Issues host Alex Cohen speaks with Margot Kushel, MD, director of UCSF’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, about the landmark study and the root causes of homelessness. When talking about older people experiencing homelessness, Dr. Kushel said, "The story of homelessness in California is really older adults, usually older adults of color, living their last years on our streets."
News
Largest Homelessness Study in Decades Unveils Insights on America’s Homeless Crisis
California Examiner • July 25, 2023
The California Statewide Study on People Experiencing Homelessness is the largest representative study on homelessness since the 1990s. The research highlighted crucial aspects of homelessness and debunked several myths. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and principal investigator of the landmark study emphasized the urgent need for a national effort to combat homelessness, building upon the insights gained from the California study.
News
California Homeless Study May Provide Insight for Oregon
Oregon Public Broadcasting • July 24, 2023
On this podcast episode of Think Out Loud, Dave Miller speaks with Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, about the new study on homelessness and how the findings could be relevant to Oregon. When talking about how the study's findings could provide insight to Oregon, Dr. Kushel said, "I'm afraid what we're seeing in California is definitely a model, in not a good way, up and down the west coast, and throughout other parts of the country."
Margot Kushel Explains Homelessness in California
California Sun • July 20, 2023
Everyday 171,000 people experience homelessness in California; in rural areas, in urban areas, throughout California. Margot Kushel, MD, director of UCSF’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and lead investigator spoke with the host of the California Sun podcast, Jeff Schechtman, about the recent study released by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. When speaking about root causes, Dr. Kushel said, "The root cause comes back to just housing. It is right there in the name, to be homeless is to not have a home". 
The Root Cause of the Homelessness Crisis
The Atlantic • July 18, 2023
Researchers at UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative have released the largest representative survey of homeless people in more than 25 years. Researchers surveyed over 3200 people experiencing homelessness in California, and conducted over 300 in-depth interviews. The California Statewide Study on People Experiencing Homelessness paints a different picture, debunking common myths and providing evidence-based solutions.