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Becoming homeless is an extreme example of the financial squeeze on caregivers. In the early 2000's research revealed people experiencing homelessness in California were getting older. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, and her team found that older homeless adults who occasionally stay with a family member were actively caregiving. Dr. Kushel said, "These were folks who had left behind something to go care for mom, and then the bottom falls out."

In this op-ed, Alma Yates, MSW, the Education Program Manager at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, and Lourdes Johanna Avelar Portillo, PhD, an alumni postdoctoral fellow with the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, call to recognize menstrual health as a human right. Many countries and the United States have tried implementing initiatives that address menstrual health inequities, but "period poverty" continues, especially in armed conflicts." Dr. Portillo and Ms. Yates write, "Everyone who menstruates –  in conflict zones and refugee camps, in shelters and unhoused – needs and deserves access to necessary information, sanitary products, and facilities to manage their periods safely and with dignity." 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.

Among people experiencing homelessness in California, the group rising the fastest by proportion is older adults. A recent special report released by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative on older adult homelessness highlights their experiences during homelessness, and what impacted their return to permanent housing. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "The dramatic rise in homelessness among older adults has severe consequences for the health and safety of those who experience it and for our society at large. Now is the time for investments in real solutions to prevent and end homelessness among this vulnerable population."

The California Statewide Study on People Experiencing Homelessness is the largest representative study on homelessness since the 1990s. The study used a mixed methods approach, collecting data from more than 3,000 surveys and 365 in-depth interviews to uncover who is experiencing homelessness, what individual circumstances have led to them becoming homeless, and how their health issues have affected their life experiences. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and principal investigator on the report, also delivered the annual John P. Dunlop Lecture at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), presenting the findings and discussing policy recommendations.

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. 

Californians experiencing homelessness are aging, presenting unique challenges. A recent special report released by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative on older adult homelessness highlights their experiences during homelessness, and what impacted their return to permanent housing. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "The older you are when you first become homeless, sort of the more stuck in homelessness you get."

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.

To better understand the experiences of older adults experiencing homelessness, the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative examined findings from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), the largest representative study of homelessness since the mid-1990s. This report reviews who experiences homelessness in late life, how they lost their housing, their experiences during homelessness, and the barriers they face to regaining housing. These findings highlight the urgent need for evidence-based solutions and policy interventions to address the unique challenges faced by older adults experiencing homelessness.

In this op-ed, Tom Murphy, the Senior Director of Communications for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Yolanda Stevens, program and policy analyst for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, call Congress to do more for older Americans facing homelessness. Older adults are the fastest-growing age demographic of people experiencing homelessness. They highlight the need to reconcile the stereotypes against older adults experiencing homelessness. "Leaders must also commit the resources to ensure that homeless systems can meet the needs of an aging population." they wrote. 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.

The Centre for Homelessness Impact May 2024 Research Network Meeting features presentations from Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, Beth Watts-Cobbe, PhD, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Social Policy, Housing, and Equalities Research at Heriot-Watt University, and Niamh Flannigan, Implementation Lead at the Centre for Homelessness Impact, highlighting landmark pieces on research and policy. Dr. Kushel presented on the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness. Dr. Kushel said, "We need to build housing, create housing at every price point, but particularly for those with extremely low income."

In this op-ed, Claudine Sipili, one of the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness Lived Expertise Advisory Board co-chairs, highlights the need for compassion and innovation to the growing homelessness crisis. She outlines the devastating impact of criminalizing homelessness and the need to focus on evidence-based solutions that prioritize the well-being and dignity of people experiencing homelessness. "Addressing the homelessness crisis requires a balanced and comprehensive approach that combines short-term relief with long-term solutions. While shelters and temporary assistance can help meet immediate needs, they must be coupled with efforts to expand affordable housing, decriminalize homelessness, and address the structural inequalities that perpetuate poverty." 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.

As of January 2024, Californian landlords accepting Section 8 vouchers or other housing subsidies may not use credit reports when screening tenant applications. This policy reform will greatly benefit people who have experienced intimate partner violence. The financial instability can cascade into all parts of survivors lives. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, “There are only so many places you can hide when you are vulnerable.”

Baby boomers own over 35% of all large homes in the US, and many of these older Americans are choosing to stay in their homes, exacerbating housing costs. This problem is even more apparent in California because their unique tax law incentivizes people to stay. On the other hand, younger boomers reaching retirement are increasingly facing homelessness. The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness, found that over 40% of homeless older adults in California were homeless for the first time after the age of 50.

On this podcast episode of Factually! with Adam Conover, Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF 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.