UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing Initiative
We conduct groundbreaking research to help prevent & end homelessness. Follow us for key insights and evidence-based solutions.
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🖥️ Web: homelessness.ucsf.edu
- We recently released a new evaluation of California’s Home Safe program—a statewide program based in counties’ Adult Protective Services that aims to prevent and end homelessness among older and dependent adults. See what we learned: homelessness.ucsf.edu/HomeSafeEval
- People experiencing homelessness face distinct #MaternalHealth risks, including disrupted healthcare access, exposure to violence, and higher risks for maternal and infant complications. ✅ Key recs: flexible housing subsidies, rapid rehousing, reproductive health support. ow.ly/Kscy50XYjjI
- People experiencing homelessness have different needs. Some need short-term support; others need ongoing physical or behavioral health services. ✅ Matching people to the right level of support can protect health and reduce the need for more intensive services later. Learn more: buff.ly/NMHWh1Z
- Across CA, thousands are waiting for shelter beds. The bottleneck isn't just # of beds—limited housing means longer stays & returns to the street. ✅ Balancing prevention, shelter & housing capacity helps people exit homelessness faster & uses resources more effectively. Learn how: buff.ly/Km16G4R
- Housing + services is the best way to help people with complex needs stay housed. Here's what it takes to work: ➡️ Sustained funding ➡️ High-quality implementation ➡️ Voluntary services that match people’s needs Learn how PSH helped 86% of participants stay housed in Santa Clara, CA: buff.ly/VV18Oji
- For many Americans, losing a job means losing their housing. With high #unemployment and the continued rise of unstable #gigwork, we must implement strategies to help people remain housed. Get the stats: buff.ly/tMjJWeF
- While 80% of homeless #olderadults in our recent study returned to housing at least once (usually with family or friends), half returned to #homelessness. What kept people housed? 👉 Housing vouchers. We can end homelessness by continuing to fund proven solutions. Read the study: buff.ly/VbhyPV1
- Reposted by UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing InitiativeAnd as @mkushel.bsky.social of @ucsfbhhi.bsky.social said: What if we help people BEFORE they lose housing keep it & access any services if they need them? This requires providing enough help for everyone so that we don’t have to triage limited resources to those in the most dire situation.
- ICYMI: Older adults who have experienced homelessness feel deeply alone, even after returning to housing. Nearly 40% report #loneliness—far higher than those who were able to remain in housing. It's not just a feeling—it can harm people's health. Learn what supports could help: buff.ly/Dr4VxKa
- The recording of our latest webinar is now available. ➡️ How are poor health and homelessness connected? ➡️ How are CA systems responding to federal changes? ➡️ What do older adults need? ➡️ How can systems partner with communities? ...Watch the recording to find out!
- 34% of homeless adults in our #CASPEH study had difficulty with daily activities (dressing, eating, etc.). 22% had difficulty walking across a room. #Disabilities make homelessness far more difficult to navigate. Learn how our systems can work together to find solutions: buff.ly/JUydGsn
- Happening Thursday! Join leaders from California’s homelessness, social services, and health systems to discuss how chronic illness, disability, and barriers to care impact people experiencing homelessness—and how coordinated responses can help. 📅 Dec 4 | 🕛 12 PM PT 🔗 buff.ly/OxB1YHt
- Happening next week! Health and homelessness are inseparable. Join BHHI and experts from across health, homelessness, and social services to discuss health findings from the largest U.S. study of homelessness in 30 years—and coordinated solutions. 📅 Dec 4 | 🕛 12 PM PT 💻 buff.ly/GTuI9Br
- ICYMI: Last week we released a report on health and homelessness. Using data from the largest U.S. representative study since the 1990s, it offers a detailed look at the connection between health and homelessness and provides research-backed recommendations. 📘 Read the Report → buff.ly/XbhSIxw
- “If you run it the right way and attach people to the appropriate supports and services, you can get people on a path to stability and community reintegration, and that’s what we want.” Marc Dones lays out the steps to effective encampment resolution w/ @ryan-levi.bsky.social.
- Reposted by UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing Initiative📢 New paper alert: We examined long-term housing results among a cohort of older homeless adults. Full article: Factors Associated With Exits From and Returns to Homelessness Among Older Homeless Adults: Results From the HOPE HOME Study www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... 1/5
- Most people experiencing homelessness don’t regularly use drugs. Among those who do, 1 in 5 ppl seeking treatment couldn’t get it. BHHI Director Dr. Margot Kushel @mkushel.bsky.social discusses #behavioralhealth & #homelessness on KCBS: 🎧 Interview: buff.ly/vy5mBch ▶️ BHHI Webinar: buff.ly/VpEO9pz
- Nearly half of Californians experiencing homelessness report poor or fair health — 4× the national rate. Our new report highlights key #CASPEH findings on the cycle between poor health and homelessness, barriers to care, and solutions. Read → buff.ly/XbhSIxw #healthequity 🧵 1/6
- 60% of Californians experiencing homelessness have at least one chronic health condition. #Hypertension, chronic lung disease, and heart disease or stroke are most common. These conditions are extremely difficult to manage while homeless. Learn more: buff.ly/9Ti11W6 #publichealth 🧵 2/6
- 7 in 10 people experiencing homelessness in CA smoke #tobacco—6x the national rate. Smoking contributes substantially to high rates of chronic disease, respiratory illness & early death in this population. 10% are former smokers—reflecting the difficulty of quitting while homeless. 🧵 3/6
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View full threadEnding the cycle between poor health and homelessness requires addressing both as part of the same crisis. Solutions include: integrated #healthcare + housing, #streetmedicine, recuperative care, accessible housing. Read the report → buff.ly/XbhSIxw Join the webinar → buff.ly/vq1NGyT 🧵 6/6
- “The changes announced in this year’s CoC NOFO represent a profound and dangerous departure from longstanding evidence-based homelessness policy..." says BHHI Director Margot Kushel, MD. Read @mkushel.bsky.social's full statement: homelessness.ucsf.edu/resources/pr...
- 🧠 1 in 3 older adults experiencing homelessness have trouble remembering, concentrating, or understanding. 🏠 We must expand housing and integrated care so people can age with dignity. buff.ly/fti18Xs #AlzheimersAwarenessMonth
- Ending homelessness requires centering the expertise of those who've lived it. Recent work from current and former BHHI team members, Lived Expertise Board members, and NYU colleagues demonstrates how collaboration between lived & academic experts leads to better solutions. 📄 Read: buff.ly/C3K5W8B
- This #VeteransDay, we honor those who’ve served — and highlight recent research showing how housing improves veterans’ health. 🏠 Studies led by Dr. Hannah Decker link housing to earlier cancer detection and improved survival. Learn more: buff.ly/Y7htc4b @hannahdeckermd.bsky.social
- Solving homelessness effectively requires addressing health—not as a separate challenge, but as a deeply connected part of the same crisis. Join us Dec 4 for a discussion of our upcoming health report and research-backed recommendations for a coordinated response. 📅 12–1 PM PT 🔗 buff.ly/gSPDfGF
- Quitting tobacco saves lives—but it’s harder without stable housing or support. Research led by Dr. Maya Vijayaraghavan shows that when cessation programs meet people where they are, progress is possible. Explore the research: ➡️ buff.ly/lRgrqP9 #LungCancerAwarenessMonth #PublicHealth
- Why are so many people being pushed into homelessness? ☑️ Nearly half of all U.S. workers now earn less than the hourly wage needed to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. ☑️ In CA, workers must earn nearly $50 an hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.
- When work isn’t secure, housing isn’t either. BHHI research shows how unstable income, lack of protections, and high costs leave many gig workers one paycheck away from homelessness. Learn more: buff.ly/frwz8W6
- For some caregivers, losing a client means losing both income and housing. Recent BHHI research shows how home health workers—often caring for relatives—can become homeless when a client dies or enters institutional care. Read more: buff.ly/R0u6J8K #CaregiverAwarenessMonth
- ICMYI: "Americans want there to be no homelessness. And this is...a formula to worsen homelessness." —BHHI Director Dr. Margot Kushel says of efforts to expand involuntary detentions & withdraw funding from communities that don't comply. Housing + services is cheaper and proven effective.
- People experiencing homelessness face high rates of chronic illness, disability, and barriers to care. These challenges make it harder to stay housed. Once homeless, managing health conditions becomes even more difficult. Join us Dec. 4 to explore data and coordinated solutions. buff.ly/Yhxv18e
- Can work alone keep people housed? BHHI research finds that job loss, unstable work (such as #gigwork), and #caregiver roles tied to housing leave many vulnerable to homelessness. This highlights the need for stronger worker protections and coordinated prevention efforts. Learn more:
- It's difficult for people with untreated substance use disorders to stay in shelters because addiction doesn't allow you to "stop on a dime,” says Dr. Margot Kushel. “It looks like they’re refusing shelter", when, in fact, “they’re telling you ‘that doesn’t meet my needs.’” buff.ly/PboRGBm
- The relationship between substance use and homelessness is bidirectional—42% of people with regular drug use started using regularly after becoming homeless, often due to stress, lack of safety, and the need to stay awake. 1 in 4 recently sought treatment, but couldn't access it. buff.ly/d44NVtp
- ICYMI: CA has just 24 affordable homes per 100 extremely low-income renters—a shortfall of nearly 1M. 📊 In our statewide study, nearly everyone said costs were a top reason they couldn't get back into a home. You can’t solve homelessness without solving housing affordability. nlihc.org/gap
- When enforcement enters shelters, it tells people they aren’t safe asking for help. When shelters don’t feel safe, people stay outside longer— increasing risks to their health and safety and deepening the homelessness crisis. To end homelessness, we have to replace fear with trust and connection.
- When looking at pathways to treatment, people who used drugs and recently used safe syringe programs are more likely to engage in substance use treatment, while those who had touchpoints with the criminal legal system were not. A new UCSF study by @suenlw.bsky.social et al examines: buff.ly/T9brUFq
- Robust data show 85%+ of people with serious mental illness (with or without substance use) thrive in supportive housing with the right services. As policy debates shift, it’s critical to stay focused on what works: housing + voluntary services. Learn more: buff.ly/Gyl3RRL #HousingFirst
- One reason progress on homelessness feels slow: we spend on things that don't work. When viewed side-by-side, investing in evidence-based homeless services is far more effective than quick "fixes" like arrests & fines. Recent @naehomelessness.bsky.social analysis compares the two approaches.
- Living outside harms people's health and safety, but pushing people around without a way back into housing creates more problems than it solves. There are better ways to navigate urgent encampment issues while advancing long-term solutions to homelessness. ➡️ Our guide can help: buff.ly/xLSAvSj
- People are #homeless because they can’t afford housing. Sweeps and arrests won’t change that—they just move people around. What works? 🏠 Housing 🤝 Accessible health + social services It’s not fast. It’s not simple. But if we fund what works, we can end homelessness. Learn how: buff.ly/DYrADS1
- "Incarcerating the people sleeping outside...in the U.S. would take nearly $18 billion per year." "For...half that...we could house the 84% of people who experience homelessness but receive no housing...because the system is chronically underfunded." -Margot Kushel/Samantha Batko. buff.ly/o0MYTuz
- "Once they had a door they could lock & a place where they felt safe, they started showing up for medical appointments, reestablishing relationships & looking for work. They became, in every sense, good neighbors," says Aaron Estabrook of vets served by HF programs—now under threat.
- Ending homelessness requires centering the expertise of those who've lived it. New work from BHHI's Kara Young Ponder, Robynne Rose-Haymer, DeForrest Hancock, Margot Kushel & colleagues highlights how collaboration between lived & academic experts leads to better solutions. 📄 Read: buff.ly/C3K5W8B
- It’s #WorldHomelessnessDay. Let’s bust some myths: ❌ Most ppl aren’t “from somewhere else” — 9 in 10 lost housing locally ❌ Only 37% used drugs regularly in past 6 months, many starting after losing housing ❌ Jobs alone don’t cover today’s rents Explore the evidence & solutions: buff.ly/ej723gp
- How can communities better support people experiencing homelessness with complex behavioral health needs? Our recent webinar and report have answers. Now streaming: buff.ly/WcvMUco #BehavioralHealth #HousingFirst #WorldMentalHealthDay
- When ageism meets housing injustice, older adults lose twice: denied work opportunities, then turned away from shelters that can’t meet their needs. On #AgeismDiscriminationDay, we must create systems where everyone can age in safety and stability. Learn more: buff.ly/yyTcph3
- "The evidence is clear: when we disinvest in basic supports, people suffer. The proposed cuts will deepen poverty and drive more people into homelessness and hunger." Read BHHI Director Dr. Margot Kushel's full statement on the potential impact of proposed federal funding cuts: buff.ly/c57VPRg
- Communities across California are making progress toward ending homelessness. Federal cuts to permanent housing threaten to undo that progress and are likely to push people back onto the street. ➡️ We can solve homelessness by continuing to fund what works.
