Homelessness Prevention
Prevention means stopping someone from becoming homeless in the first place. Homelessness prevention must include broader structural reforms addressing the drivers of homelessness, not only interventions targeted at individuals.
UCSF BHHI’s homelessness prevention research highlights the interventions, policies, and practices that reduce the likelihood of someone experiencing homelessness. Our work identifies structural barriers and outlines policies to address the lack of housing while providing the support necessary to ultimately reduce the risk of recurring homelessness.
Related Resources
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Our Research
“Everybody out there in the real world is one paycheck away from being homeless”: job loss and housing precarity among people experiencing homelessness
August 19, 2025
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The United States has fewer labor protections and wage guarantees than most wealthy nations, leaving many workers vulnerable to economic hardship from job loss, reduced hours, or work-related injuries. Based on data from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), this study shows how income disruptions—through layoffs, unstable gig work, caregiving tied to housing, illness or injury, probation and parole demands, and COVID-19-related impacts—can quickly lead to homelessness when housing costs are high and wages are low.
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Press Release
Statement by Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative Director Dr. Margot Kushel on 2023 Point-In-Time Homeless Count
December 15, 2023
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Press Release
Statement by Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative Director Dr. Margot Kushel on 2023 Point-In-Time Homeless Count
December 15, 2023
Following is a statement by Dr. Margot Kushel, MD, Director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) at the University of California, San Francisco on the 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, released today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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Reports
Toward a New Understanding: The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness
June 20, 2023
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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.
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