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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.”

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 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."

Drug overdose has increased in the U.S. since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. In San Francisco, single-room occupancy (SRO) tenants are more likely to dive of opioid overdose than non-SRO residents. The SRO project aimed to reduce fatal overdoses in SROs. In this eight month ethnographic field work, researchers found that the SRO project increased awareness, access to, and understanding of naloxone, as well as, supporting the privacy and autonomy of tenants regarding their drug use.

The California Statewide Study on People Experiencing Homelessness researchers included people who were formerly or are currently experiencing homelessness. In this op-ed, Claudine Sipili, one of the Lived Expertise Advisory Board co-chairs, writes about the landmark study and her experience participating with the project. She writes, "Throughout the study, the board members’ guidance helped create a safe and dignified space for survey participants to share their experiences openly. By involving individuals with lived experience, we gained deeper insights into the complexities of homelessness."

Older adults experiencing chronic homelessness have low rates of advance care planning despite high rates of morbidity and mortality. Researchers explored if rehousing people who experience homelessness into permanent supportive housing (PSH) would present an opportunity to introduce advance care planning (ACP). Researchers identified behavioral determinants related to ACP for formerly chronically homeless adults in PSH.

Programs have been created to address housing for Veterans. However, Veterans are still at high risk for unstable housing. This study aimed to determine whether interpersonal violence was associated with unstable housing among Veterans. Research from BHHI demonstrated the potential to improve health outcomes through trauma informed approaches that address mental health, substance use, and housing concurrently.

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."

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.

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."

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". 

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.

California has 12% of the US's population, but makes up roughly half of the nation's unsheltered homeless population. In late June, the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative released a landmark report on the state of homelessness in California. In this episode of the Ezra Klein Show, Ezra speaks with the Atlantic writer, Jerusalam Desmas, about the reports core findings, what we know about homelessness, and what solutions exist to address it.

A landmark study by UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) paints a different picture on people experiencing homelessness in California. Researchers at BHHI sought to capture the experiences of all people aged 18 years and older who experience some form of homelessness in California. "It took a lot of time and was a lot of work, but we wanted to be able to show policymakers what this issue looks like instead of just giving them more numbers to look at," said Margot Kushel, MD, the study’s principal investigator and director of UCSF’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative.

California harbors 30% of the United State's homeless population, despite being home to 12% of the nation's population. A new study released by UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative tries to provide a comprehensive picture of how people become homeless and offers policy recommendations to build better programs to address the crisis in California and nationwide. Margot Kushel, MD, BHHI director and lead investigator speaks with Ali Martin about the study's findings. "Absolutely, we need more services, but you can’t ask the health care system to solve a housing problem." said Dr. Kushel.

California is home to 12% of the United State's population, but is home to nearly one-third of the nation’s people experiencing homelessness. A landmark study by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative took an intimate look at the root causes of homelessness. The research team included people who were formerly or are currently unhoused residents in California. In this podcast episode of What Next, host Mary Harris speaks with Claudine Sipili a co-chair of the Lived Expertise Advisory Board. "And the older I get, the more I get to a place where I’m seeking understanding, like this point of intersection where I’m connecting with another human and helping them see what I see" said Claudine.

California invested $17.5 billion over four years to combat homelessness. However, despite the investment, there has been an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness across the state. A recent report by the UCF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative dispelled common myths about homelessness. Margot Kushel, MD, director of UCSF’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and lead investigator said, "Nine out of 10 people lost their stable housing here. These are Californians. We have to create the housing for all Californians"