Press Releases

As the nation anticipates shifts in homelessness policy and funding following the 2024 election, it is more important than ever to ground our responses in evidence and compassion. Homelessness is solvable, but solving it requires a commitment to addressing root causes—particularly through expanding affordable housing and support services for those most impacted by the housing crisis.

The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released a topic brief that sheds new light on the 78% of all Californians experiencing homelessness who live in unsheltered settings (i.e. outdoors, in a vehicle, in a place not meant for human habitation). It provides policy recommendations for reducing unsheltered homelessness through a combination of prevention, shelter, and permanent housing. 

On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that cities may arrest and fine people for resting outside, even when they have nowhere else to go. This is an extreme decision that will have a dangerous and negative impact on people experiencing homelessness and do nothing to end homelessness. Read BHHI Director Dr. Margot Kushel’s full statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson.

Dr. Margot Kushel, MD, Director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) at the University of California, San Francisco announced today that Marc Dones has joined the staff as Policy Director. 

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released a special report on who experiences homelessness in late life, what precipitated their homelessness, their experiences during homelessness, and what impacted their return to permanent housing. The analysis is based on survey data and in-depth interviews from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s.

The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released a special report on Black Californians’ experiences of homelessness. The report explores who in the Black community experiences homelessness, how they lost their housing, their experiences while homeless, and the barriers they face to regaining housing. The goal of the report is to inform evidence-based solutions for preventing and ending homelessness for Black Californians.

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released a special report on the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and homelessness in California. The analysis is based on survey data and in-depth interviews from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s.

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.

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s, providing a comprehensive look at the causes and consequences of homelessness in California and recommending policy changes to shape programs in response.