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.

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. 

People experiencing homelessness in California face high rates of chronic illness and disability, and numerous barriers to care. Nearly half of adults experiencing homelessness rate the...

Difficulty performing activities of daily living (“functional impairment”) is common in homeless adults aged 50 and older. Homeless adults develop aging-related conditions earlier than individuals in the general population, including difficulty with basic activities of daily living (ADLs) that are essential for independence. Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study to assess functional trajectories based on self-reported difficulty performing 5 activities of daily living. They found functional impairment improved in some homeless adults, it persisted or worsened in many others.

The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released a special report on Black Californians’ experiences of homelessness. The report explores who in the Black community experiences homelessness, how they lost their housing, their experiences while homeless, and the barriers they face to regaining housing. The goal of the report is to inform evidence-based solutions for preventing and ending homelessness for Black Californians.

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released a special report on who experiences homelessness in late life, what precipitated their homelessness, their experiences during homelessness, and what impacted their return to permanent housing. The analysis is based on survey data and in-depth interviews from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s.

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released a special report on the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and homelessness in California. The analysis is based on survey data and in-depth interviews from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s.

SAN FRANCISCO – The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s, providing a comprehensive look at the causes and consequences of homelessness in California and recommending policy changes to shape programs in response.

The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) today released a topic brief that sheds new light on the 78% of all Californians experiencing homelessness who live in unsheltered settings (i.e. outdoors, in a vehicle, in a place not meant for human habitation). It provides policy recommendations for reducing unsheltered homelessness through a combination of prevention, shelter, and permanent housing. 

Black Californians make up only 7% of the states population, but make up more than 25% of the state's population of people who experience homelessness. A recent special report released by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative on Black Californians' experiences homelessness highlights the systemic racism. Kara Young Ponder, PhD, director of community engagement and racial justice at the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "California is one million units short of affordable and available housing for extremely low-income renters, of which Black Californians are over represented."

Californians experiencing homelessness are aging, presenting unique challenges. A recent special report released by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative on older adult homelessness highlights their experiences during homelessness, and what impacted their return to permanent housing. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "The older you are when you first become homeless, sort of the more stuck in homelessness you get."

The homeless population has a higher prevalence of mental health and substance use problems than the general population. Researchers aimed to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with unmet needs for mental health and substance use treatment in older homeless adults. They used logistic regression to examine factors associated with unmet treatment needs. Researchers found that older homeless adults have a high prevalence of unmet behavioral health treatment needs and need targeted services.

This topic brief examines who experiences unsheltered homelessness, how they lost their housing, their experiences during homelessness, and barriers to regaining housing. The findings highlight the urgent need for the homelessness system to advance evidence-based strategies to meet the needs of unsheltered people.

Half of people experiencing homelessness are older than 50, and almost half of older homeless adults became homeless for the first time after they turned 50. This webinar is about the causes and consequences of homelessness in late life. Margot Kushel, MD, and other BHHI presenters will discuss findings from the Health Outcomes of People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle Age (HOPE HOME) project—a longitudinal cohort study following older adults experiencing homelessness in Oakland, CA, and the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH)—the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s.

Homelessness and behavioral health issues (mental health and substance use) are intertwined. The UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing Initiative held a webinar about this complex bidirectional relationship, along with solutions to this crisis. Margot Kushel, MD, Claudine Sipili, Darrell Steinberg, JD, and Stephanie Welch, MSW, discussed findings from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), highlighted key policy recommendations, and answered audience questions. Marc Dones moderated the webinar.

Black Californians are nearly four times more likely than White Californians to experience homelessness. This webinar is about the causes and consequences of homelessness for Black Californians. Kara Young Ponder, PhD, Tiana Moore, PhD, Lived Expertise Advisory Board Members Sage Johnson and Robynne Rose-Haymer, and National Alliance to End Homelessness VP of Research and Evidence Joy Moses discussed findings from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), highlighted key policy recommendations, and answered audience questions.

Are you a researcher who wants to include people with lived experience in your research? Are you an organization that wants to authentically involve community members in your program development or evaluation? The UCSF BHHI recently released a report on the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s—the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH). The CASPEH was guided by a Lived Expertise Advisory Board—a group of advisors from across the state of California who represent a range of lived and living experiences of homelessness. Join Kara Young Ponder, PhD, Lived Expertise Advisory Board Members Michelle Ochoa, Dez Martinez, and Robynne Rose-Haymer as they discuss the nuts and bolts of how they did research together from designing survey questions to helping train field staff, analyzing data and disseminating findings. 

Domestic violence, frequently referred to as intimate partner violence (IPV), is a common precipitant of homelessness. This webinar is about the intersection of intimate partner violence and homelessness. Anita Hargrave, MD; Lived Expertise Advisory Board Members Jesica Giannola and Dez Martinez; Tiana Moore, PhD, and Debbie Chang, MPH, CEO of the Blue Shield of California Foundation discussed relevant findings from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), highlighted key policy recommendations, and answered audience questions.

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. The UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) held a discussion of Toward Equity: Latine Experiences of Homelessness in California, the latest report from the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH) series. This webinar highlights key data on how structural anti-Latine racism, housing exclusion, and administrative barriers shape pathways into homelessness, and explores what policy, service, and community leaders can do to close equity gaps.

The UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) recently released a report on the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s—the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness. BHHI study staff administered nearly 3,200 questionnaires and conducted 365 in-depth interviews with adults experiencing homelessness in California to better understand the characteristics and experiences of adults experiencing homelessness, precipitants of homelessness, barriers and facilitators to regaining housing, and opportunities to better prevent and end homelessness. Our presenters, Margot Kushel, MD, Kara Ponder, PhD, Tiana Moore, PhD, and Sage Johnson discussed key findings from the study, reviewed evidence-based policy recommendations, and answered questions from attendees.

People experiencing homelessness in California face high rates of chronic illness and disability, and numerous barriers to care. These health challenges make it harder for people to obtain and retain housing, and homelessness worsens health, trapping people in a vicious cycle. As the homeless population ages, these burdens deepen, with profound implications for individuals, communities, and the systems that serve them. This webinar includes findings from our recent report, Toward Thriving: Understanding Health & Homelessness, with insights from the report’s lead author and experts from across the health and homelessness systems.

Most people experiencing homelessness in California do so in unsheltered settings, such as outdoors or in vehicles. This webinar is about the causes and consequences of unsheltered homelessness. Margot Kushel, MD, moderated a conversation with Marc Dones, Ashley Meehan, MPH, and Carter Hewgley, discussing recommendations and solutions for addressing unsheltered homelessness in a way that preserves health, dignity, and civil rights for those experiencing it.

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.