BHHI Opinions

In this op-ed, Zena Dhatt, a Qualitative Research Project Manager at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, calls for action to decriminalize drug use. She outlines that hyper-policing and escalation of drug war policies will not resolve the increasing rates of overdose or people experiencing homelessness. Ms. Dhatt writes, "Prison and jail cells should not be an alternative to housing or treatment." 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.

In this op-ed, Ryan Assaf, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral fellow with the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, highlights the common misconception among many Californians that substance use is the primary cause of people losing their housing. He outlines that drug use is correlated with the length of time someone is homeless and the extremity of their living conditions. Dr. Assaf calls for a housing first approach, writing, "Regardless of an individual’s drug use, policymakers and advocates should prioritize getting people experiencing homelessness into safe, secure and stable housing." 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.

In this op-ed, Lourdes Johanna Avelar Portillo, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow with the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, underscores the importance of providing access to water and sanitation services to people who are experiencing homelessness. She explains how the lack of water and other hygiene services can create added barriers among those experiencing homelessness, increasing stigmatization, as well as an increase risk in public health. Dr. Protillo writes, "the need for public access to water, sanitation and hygiene services is not just for people experiencing homelessness — it’s important to everyone."  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.

In this op-ed, Tom Murphy, the Senior Director of Communications for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, brings attention to the frontline professionals who respond to homelessness. He highlights the demanding work and economic disparity among the frontline workers who engage with unhoused individuals. "If we truly want to end homelessness, we must honor frontline workers with a living wage" Mr. Murphy 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.

In this op-ed, Alma Yates, MSW, the Education Program Manager at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, implores world leaders to do more in helping migrants and asylum seekers. She highlights her own story as a former refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina who relocated to the United States following the Bosnian War. "Thousands of displaced people were living here, mostly elderly, women and children from Prijedor. The conditions were horrific" Ms. Yates writes. "I was able to leave this place to continue my long migration journey, which had its own twists and turns, but, unfortunately, thousands of others had no place to go." 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.

In this op-ed, Maria Raven, MD, MPH, associate director at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, explains how homelessness is not just a housing issue, but a health care issue. She outlined the pertinent health needs of people experiencing homelessness and the barriers of treating illness against a background of homelessness. Dr. Raven writes, "The health care system in general, and emergency departments specifically, cannot solve this problem — we can only respond to its consequences." 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.

In this op-ed, Cheyenne Garcia, senior research analyst at the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, calls for action to end generational homelessness. She characterizes the dire need for expanded funding for necessary resources, like an increase in housing choice vouchers, to end family homelessness. "As a society, it is imperative to assume an obligation to protect children." Ms. Garcia 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.

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."

In this op-ed, DeForrest (DeDe) Hancock, a UCSF Benioff Homeless Housing Initiative Lived Expertise Advisory Board member, tells her story about experiencing homelessness. She writes, [when] “I was homeless, 2009 to 2016, I came to believe that we are all ordinary people simply each living out the scripts of our lives. Some of our scripts include life-challenges which provide lived experience to build the expertise and skills for survival.”

In this op-ed, Maria Raven, MD, explains why involuntarily hospitalizing people experiencing homelessness doesn't work. She writes, "Hospital emergency departments have long been the rece...