When housing is unaffordable, some people have no other option but to go without a home. For 40 years, California has not built enough affordable housing to keep up with demand. The devastating result of housing policies and discriminatory practices has resulted in a crisis of homelessness across the State.

Recognizing two decades of UCSF research examining and advocating for evidence-based solutions to homelessness, Marc and Lynne Benioff allowed this groundbreaking work to continue with a $30 million gift, marking the largest-ever private donation to fund homelessness research. In 2019, the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) was launched at UCSF.

Since its inception, BHHI has conducted research with the primary focus of translating evidence into action. Employing strategic science, BHHI collaborates with partners who have real-life questions, which we help answer with scientific rigor, while simultaneously using principles of community-engaged research to center the voices and insights of those impacted by homelessness. From design to implementation, we actively involve people with lived experience in our research.

In addition, the BHHI Education Program prioritizes training the next generation of researchers who will address homelessness and housing issues in the years to come. Providing education and building capacity among researchers is at the center of our work to ensure that the body of research on homelessness and housing grows not only at BHHI, but also beyond our institution.