The United States has fewer labor protections and wage guarantees than most wealthy nations, leaving many workers vulnerable to economic hardship from job loss, reduced hours, or work-related injuries. Based on data from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), this study shows how income disruptions—through layoffs, unstable gig work, caregiving tied to housing, illness or injury, probation and parole demands, and COVID-19-related impacts—can quickly lead to homelessness when housing costs are high and wages are low.

Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, spoke about Oakland’s new shallow subsidy program, which will help 200 low-income households pay rent for 18 months by sending money directly to their landlords. The UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative will evaluate the impact the program has on families to determine whether people who received subsidies were more likely to remain housed than those who did not.

Deep-rooted racial residential segregation and housing discrimination have given rise to housing disparities among low-income Black young adults in the US. In this study, researchers aimed to illuminate the multiple forms of housing instability that Black young adults contend with and examine relationships between housing instability and mental health outcomes. They found that the high prevalence of housing instability and mental health challenges among low-income Black young adults require tailored interventions to reduce instability, given widening racial disparities and implications for future well-being into adulthood.

Following is a statement by Dr. Margot Kushel, MD, Director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) at the University of California, San Francisco on the 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, released today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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.