Mitigation & Solutions

Oregon is one of several states betting on housing and outreach programs using Medicaid funds. Officials hope that by keeping people from experiencing medical crises that lead to repeated emergency room visits, Oregon will save enough money to pay for increased housing costs. California is also working to implement a program similar to Oregon's, spending more than $100 million a year on housing from its Medicaid budget. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative said, "I know that if I could get my patients who are experiencing homelessness housing, we could make everything else work better".

Conducted by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH) is the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s. The study provides a comprehensive look at the causes and consequences of homelessness in California and recommends policy changes to shape programs in response.