Resource Center

On this podcast episode of Factually! with Adam Conover, Margot Kushel, MD, director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, joins host Adam Conover to discuss the findings in the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness and dispel myths related to homelessness. The number of people experiencing homelessness has reached a record high in the US. "You are not seeing the 12 people to a room because that's invisible to those who are lucky enough not to experience that."

In this op-ed, Meghan D. Morris, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, explains that the proposed Homeless, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act will not solve California's retail theft, but instead crowd Californian's prisons. She outlines how Proposition 47, which passed in 2014 to revise penalties for nonviolent lower-level drug offenses, reduced the state's prison population and reinvested funds in counties. Dr. Morris writes, "We risk losing another generation to the consequences of incarceration that we’ve finally begun to tackle." This op-ed was published as part of the Public Voices Fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project and funding from the California Health Care Foundation.

Before medically advised (BMA) discharge, which refers to patients leaving the hospital at their own discretion, is associated with higher rates of readmission and death in other settings. There is limited information on whether housing status is associated with BMA after surgery. This study used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between housing status and BMA discharge. Researchers found that BMA discharge is more common in patients experiencing homelessness after surgery.

In this op-ed, Maya Vijayaraghavan, MD, MAS, director of the UCSF Smoking Cessation Leadership Center, calls for contingency management to reduce tobacco and substance use. She emphasizes that the US is grappling with two interwoven crises of addiction, tobacco use, and opioid and stimulant-related overdoses. Contingency management is underutilized because of legal, logistical, and philosophical reasons. "Through integration, these technical assistance centers could increase opportunities to utilize such effective treatment in community settings." Dr. Vijayaraghavan writes. This op-ed was published as part of the Public Voices Fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project and funding from the California Health Care Foundation.

Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, joins Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams to talk about those who are more at risk of becoming homeless. People who are experiencing homelessness have higher untreated mental illnesses and substance use disorders than the general population. "The people in the 50s and 60s have all of the characteristics of the people we normally think of in their 70s or 80s. What we see is a lot of falls, a lot more worsening of people's cognitive abilities, of people's hearing." Dr. Kushel said.

In this op-ed, Leslie W. Suen, MD, MAS, an assistant professor of medicine in the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital, calls upon physicians to oppose medical discrimination against methadone patients. She highlights how methadone patients are routinely denied the care they need, exacerbating health disparities. "It’s far past time for every stakeholder to recognize their responsibilities and provide equal access to all patients, regardless of their medical condition or treatment." Dr. Suen writes. This op-ed was published as part of the Public Voices Fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project and funding from the California Health Care Foundation.

Safe Ground Sacramento is a nonprofit that advocates for the decriminalization of homelessness and the establishment of Safe Ground communities. In March 2023, Safe Ground Sacramento signed a lease with the city of Sacramento. Under this agreement, the city cannot close Camp Resolution until every resident has been placed in "individual permanent durable housing." The agreement with the city is set to expire in June and the city has decided not to request an extension. This is the fourth installment of a 4 part series exploring solutions to homelessness in California.

San Diego's mayor created a department in 2021 to find solutions to the homelessness crisis. The number of people experiencing homelessness in San Diego increased 35% from 2022 to 2023. City officials are pushing to create a long-term mega shelter with 1,000 beds, including meals, showers, and other amenities. However, the shelter proposals do not address the root cause of homelessness. Housing costs. This is the third installment of a 4 part series exploring solutions to homelessness in California.

Bakersfield focused its efforts on a specific goal in 2015, to reach functional zero chronic homelessness, and by January 2020, it hit the mark. Access to quality data was essential to knowing every person experiencing homelessness, but also cooperation among agencies and strong engagement from the healthcare system was key to achieving this goal. Unfortunately, Bakersfield could not sustain functional zero homelessness. It was hard to secure affordable units. Margot Kushel, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UC San Francisco, said "The rates of homelessness and the ability for people to exit homelessness really has everything to do with the availability and affordability of housing for low-income folks." This is the second installment of a 4 part series exploring solutions to homelessness in California.

More than 181,000 Californians were unhoused in 2023, with nearly 70% living on the streets. Cities provide resources for emergency solutions, but it is not really a solution. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "We’re at a place in California, unfortunately, where doing well is often running in place." This is the first installment of a 4 part series exploring solutions to homelessness in California.

In this op-ed, Margot Kushel, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UCSF, highlights that those who are often living in homeless encampments are frail older adults. She outlines the health impact of homelessness on aging and why so many older adults are experiencing homelessness. "Now is the time to create an America that doesn’t abandon its elders. In doing so, we will not only improve the world for those experiencing homelessness, but create a future that is better for all." Dr. Kushel writes. This op-ed was published as part of the Public Voices Fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project and funding from the California Health Care Foundation.

Are you a researcher who wants to include people with lived experience in your research? Are you an organization that wants to authentically involve community members in your program development or evaluation? The UCSF BHHI recently released a report on the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s—the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH). The CASPEH was guided by a Lived Expertise Advisory Board—a group of advisors from across the state of California who represent a range of lived and living experiences of homelessness. Join Kara Young Ponder, PhD, Lived Expertise Advisory Board Members Michelle Ochoa, Dez Martinez, and Robynne Rose-Haymer as they discuss the nuts and bolts of how they did research together from designing survey questions to helping train field staff, analyzing data and disseminating findings. 

In this op-ed, Ryan Assaf, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral fellow with the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, highlights the benefits of adding Middle Eastern or North African to the US Census. He emphasized the diverse culture in the MENA communities and the importance of separating Middle Eastern or North African from White. "When Middle Eastern or North African is included as White, we lose any insight to the impact MENA communities experience." Dr. Assaf writes. This op-ed was published as part of the Public Voices Fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project and funding from the California Health Care Foundation.

Homelessness has surged in the United States. It is a devastating public health crisis with ruinous, often permanent, effects on people’s lives.  Margot Kushel, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UC San Francisco, said, "We will not solve this problem by denying the enormous trauma that people who’ve experienced homelessness have been through.”

About 130,000 Montanans have lost Medicaid coverage as the state re-evaluates everyone's eligibility following a federally mandated pause in disenrollment that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. People experiencing homelessness may not have the resources to fill out the paperwork and being without health coverage can be risky. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "Being out of your asthma medicine for three days can be life threatening."

In this op-ed, Margot Kushel, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at UCSF, and Gregg Colburn, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Washington, call for providing subsidized housing with services to people experiencing homelessness. They outline the lack of access to housing, the increase in rent, and the ongoing challenge to provide permanent housing. "The answers to homelessness are clear. It is critical that policymakers in local, state and federal governments use their power to address the acute affordable housing shortage that plagues communities in every state in the nation." Dr. Kushel and Dr. Colburn write. This op-ed was published as part of the Public Voices Fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project and funding from the California Health Care Foundation.

In this op-ed, Claudine Sipili, one of the Lived Expertise Advisory Board co-chairs, calls for restoring dignity to people experiencing homelessness. She outlines the need to prioritize human worth and respect while pursuing practical solutions to address homelessness. "The erosion of dignity that comes from losing one’s home can make it more difficult to take advantage of housing solutions." Ms. Sipili writes. This op-ed was published as part of the Public Voices Fellowship in partnership with The OpEd Project and funding from the California Health Care Foundation.