Behavioral Health and Homelessness

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.

Key Findings

• Nearly half (48%) of people experiencing homelessness in California have complex behavioral health needs—regular drug use, heavy drinking, hallucinations, or recent psychiatric hospitalization.
• About one-third (35%) report regular drug use; 42% reported that they began to use regularly after the first time they experienced homelessness.
• Methamphetamine (32%) is the most common drug used, followed by opioids (11%) and cocaine (3%).
• More than one in four (28%) people with regular drug use or heavy alcohol use sought treatment during their current episode of homelessness but couldn’t access it.

We thank the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) for supporting this work.

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