Reports

Latine Californians represent more than one-third of the state's homeless population. Yet their experiences are too often left out of research, policy, and service design. To better understand these experiences, we examined data from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness. This report, based on the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), examines who experiences homelessness in the Latine community, their experiences while homeless, and offers evidence-based policy and program solutions.

Behavioral health challenges both contribute to and are exacerbated by homelessness. To better understand behavioral health and homelessness, we examined data from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness. Our latest report examines the relationship between homelessness, substance use, and mental health, providing critical insights for policymakers, program leaders, Continuum of Care leaders, and healthcare systems.

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 research-backed solutions and policy interventions to address the unique challenges faced by older adults experiencing homelessness.

To better understand the experiences of Black Californians experiencing homelessness, the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative examined the experience of Black Californians within 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 the Black community, what may have precipitated their homelessness, experiences during their episode of homelessness, and what impacts their return to permanent housing. These findings aim to inform evidence-based solutions for preventing and ending homelessness for Black Californians.

To better understand the experiences of survivors of intimate partner violence currently experiencing homelessness, this report analyzed data related to IPV in the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH)—the largest representative study of homelessness since the mid-1990s. The mixed-methods study included data about participants’ experiences of violence across the life course, in the six months prior to homelessness, and during their current episode of homelessness. The report presents these findings to advance research-backed solutions for preventing and responding to homelessness among survivors of IPV. 

Conducted by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH) is the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s. The study provides a comprehensive look at the causes and consequences of homelessness in California and recommends policy changes to shape programs in response.

People with multiple, complex health and housing needs frequently receive fragmented care because the providing systems operate independently. The California Policy Lab at UC Berkeley and the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative worked with partners in San Francisco’s public health and criminal legal systems to link together ten years of data from the physical health, behavioral health, housing, and criminal legal sectors.