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Nearly one-third of all Americans experiencing homelessness live in California. Starting in the fall of 2021, Aaron Shrank and Sam Comen conducted interviews and photographed unhoused people living in Los Angeles and Northern California as a companion piece to the University of California San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative’s California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness to shed light on those affected. You can read a lightly condensed version of their stories. More of Comen and Shrank’s work is available at the website Unhoused CA.

The Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California San Francisco, released a groundbreaking report on the characteristics and causes of homelessness in California. The study used a mixed methods approach, collecting data from more than 3,000 surveys and 365 in-depth interviews. In addition to reinforcing the existing—and alarming—trends around both an aging population and disproportionate representation of communities of color among those experiencing homelessness, there were several findings from the report that stand out.

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."

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.

It’s a common belief about homeless people in California: they move here from other places because of the state’s tolerance, mild weather, and generous services. But according to a recent UCSF study, at least 90% of those experiencing homelessness lived in California before losing their housing and 75% are in the same county they used to live in. In the largest study of its kind in nearly three decades, researchers talked to thousands of participants about their experiences to find out what factors pushed them over the edge into homelessness. The real story, researchers found, has more to do with the state’s poverty, inequality, and high housing costs. Talking about the study findings, UCSF BHHI Director and study author Margot Kushel, MD, and BHHI LEAB representatives, Jesica Giannola and Robynne Rose-Haymer, were guests on KQED Forum's ongoing series about homelessness in the Bay Area.

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"

30 percent of homeless population lives in California. A comprehensive new study finds half of all unhoused adults in California are older than 50 years of age, and that people of color are disproportionately affected. Ali Rogin spoke with Margot Kushel, MD, director of UCSF’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and lead investigator about the new landmark study. "This is really, I think, the story of homelessness in the last few decades, the proportion of people over 50 has skyrocketed" said Dr. Kushel.

Understanding the experiences of people experiencing homelessness is logistically difficult. The UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative conducted an ambitious study, where researchers sought to reflect the experiences of all people aged 18 and older experiencing homelessness in California. The study's findings provide evidence that the lack of housing services is a meaningful barrier to health care and income benefits. "I was really surprised by how little people thought it would have taken to prevent their homelessness. Do we know if people are overly optimistic? Sure, they might be. But I sort of believe people are experts in their own lives and people really felt that, had they interrupted that cycle, they could have hung on, but once they became homeless everything else fell apart." said Margot Kushel, MD, the the study's principal investigator and director of UCSF’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative.

Many people talk about California’s homeless community as a monolith, yet the state has distinct homeless populations. The makeup of California's homeless population is more varied than the public assumes. A new statewide study released by UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative helps provides more clarity to the causes and consequences of homelessness in California, debunks common myths, and recommends policy changes to shape programs in response.