UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing Initiative

🚨 New BHHI Report: Behavioral Health & Homelessness Behavioral health challenges—mental health conditions & substance use disorders—both increase the risk of homelessness and are worsened by it. Our latest report explores this relationship, barriers to treatment, and evidence-based solutions for policymakers, program leaders, CoC leaders, & service providers. 📌 Key Findings: ➡️ 48% of people experiencing homelessness have at least one complex behavioral health need (regular drug use, heavy drinking, hallucinations, or recent psychiatric hospitalization). ➡️ 35% report regular drug use—42% began using regularly after becoming homeless. ➡️ Methamphetamine (32%) is the most common drug, followed by opioids (11%)—80% of regular opioid users also use meth. ➡️ 28% of regular substance users tried to access treatment but couldn’t. Many others had stopped trying after repeated barriers. ➡️ Those with complex behavioral health needs are more likely to experience unsheltered homelessness (89%), institutional exits (27%), and higher rates of police interactions, jail stays, and forced displacement. 🔑 Evidence-Based Solutions: ✔ Expand affordable housing ✔ Offer low-barrier, evidence-based treatment ✔ Integrate housing & behavioral health care through Permanent Supportive Housing & Assertive Community Treatment Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gmaCq2YE Attend the webinar: https://lnkd.in/gs9hCWEt #BehavioralHealth #Homelessness #HousingFirst #PublicHealth

Shelters are a vital resource, but they work best when they serve as a bridge—not a dead end. California has doubled shelter beds since 2017, yet fewer than 1 in 4 shelter residents move into permanent housing. This isn’t a failure of shelters—it’s a failure of housing availability. Without enough affordable homes, shelters become overwhelmed, struggling to provide safe and effective support. Many people avoid shelters altogether because of safety concerns, restrictive rules, or a lack of privacy. Reports of violence, unsanitary conditions, and long stays with no clear path to housing make it even harder for shelters to meet their intended purpose. Dennis Culhane, a leading expert on homelessness, points out: “The shelters are not a solution... If we scaled up income support and provided rental assistance, we would probably see the homeless numbers cut in half.” Our research backs this up. Seventy percent of CASPEH participants said they could have stayed housed with as little as $300-$500 more per month. Strengthening rental assistance and income supports and adding housing options makes shelters more effective, ensuring people can transition out rather than cycle through. More on the challenges and solutions via CalMatters: https://lnkd.in/gw2MxYAP

⏰ Happening in just a few hours! With funding challenges top of mind, where should resources be focused to best support people with behavioral health needs experiencing homelessness? Join us for a webinar exploring insights from our upcoming Behavioral Health Report, with reflections from researchers, state leaders, and experts working across homelessness and behavioral health systems. We’ll dig into what California’s most comprehensive study of homelessness—CASPEH—reveals about behavioral health and share research-backed recommendations that can help leaders make informed decisions about where to prioritize resources. 📅 Thursday, March 20, 2025 🕦 11:30 AM PDT 💻 Virtual (Zoom) 🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/gs9hCWEt Can't make it? Sign up to get notified when the recording is available: https://lnkd.in/gCxT5b99 Or check our social channels and webinar registration page next week!

This National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, we’re breaking down myths about substance use and homelessness. 👉 Most people experiencing homelessness don’t regularly use illicit drugs. 👉 Methamphetamine, not opioids, is the most commonly used drug among those who use substances. 👉 Many people try to access treatment but can’t. 👉 Homelessness increases the likelihood of drug use, often as a way to cope. Expanding treatment access, reducing barriers to care, and ensuring stable housing are critical. ⏰ Stay tuned—our new BH report drops tomorrow with recommendations for policymakers, program leaders, CoC leaders & more! 📅 Learn more March 20 at our webinar! https://lnkd.in/gs9hCWEt #NationalDrugAndAlcoholFactsWeek #SubstanceUse #Homelessness #HousingFirst #JAMA

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a time to highlight prevention, early detection, and treatment. But access to care isn’t the only factor affecting survival—housing status plays a critical role. Research from Hannah Decker, MD, et al.: ✅ Veterans who remained housed or gained housing after a colorectal cancer diagnosis had better survival rates. ❌ Those who were continuously unhoused or lost housing after diagnosis had worse outcomes. Why does this matter? People experiencing homelessness already face barriers to cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Without stable housing, completing treatment and managing health becomes even harder. These findings reinforce what we’ve long known—housing is healthcare. Read the full study: https://lnkd.in/gKMyFZP9 #ColorectalCancerAwarenessMonth #HousingIsHealthcare #CancerPrevention #EndHomelessness

Emergency response plans have critical gaps that leave many vulnerable during disasters. Missed alerts, lack of evacuation support, and limited shelter access put lives at risk. These failures impact many—but people experiencing homelessness are often on the front lines, with no protection from extreme heat, smoke, or displacement. Stronger emergency planning, better outreach, and expanded shelter options are essential to closing these gaps before the next crisis. https://lnkd.in/gS3ajvi2

⏳ One week to go! How do homelessness and behavioral health challenges shape each other — and what does research show can help strengthen systems and improve outcomes? Join us on March 20 for a webinar exploring findings from our upcoming Behavioral Health Report, with reflections from experts across homelessness and behavioral health systems. Speakers include: ✅ Margot Kushel MD, Director, BHHI ✅ Marc Dones, Policy Director, BHHI (Moderator) ✅ Claudine S. Sipili, Lived Experience & Innovation Director, Destination Home ✅ Stephanie Welch, MSW: Deputy Secretary of Behavioral Health, California Health & Human Services Agency ✅ Darrell Steinberg, JD, Founder, Steinberg Institute; Former Sacramento Mayor; Former California State Senate President Pro Tem 📅 Thursday, March 20, 2025 🕦 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM PDT 💻 Virtual (Zoom) 🔗 Register for the webinar: https://lnkd.in/gs9hCWEt ✉️ Want to get the Behavioral Health Report as soon as it’s released? ➡️ Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gmcZP3jn https://lnkd.in/g879GdBu

BHHI Director Margot Kushel MD will provide an overview of how homelessness impacts people's health at tomorrow's briefing. Attend in person or via zoom! ⬇️

“The vast majority [of people experiencing homelessness] do not want to be outside,” says BHHI Policy Director Marc Dones. Yet, no region in California has enough shelter for everyone in need. 90% of people experiencing homelessness want permanent housing. 68% of unsheltered people want shelter but can’t access it—shelters are full, don’t meet their needs, or feel unsafe. While shelter and housing remain scarce, some available beds go unused because they don’t meet people’s needs. “When a jurisdiction has underutilized space...have we looked into why people say no?” asks Dones. Are there concerns about violence? Safety? Family separation? Sometimes these are easy fixes, and then we get people saying yes and those beds fill up. Citing and arresting people doesn’t solve homelessness—it prolongs it. “When we cite people...they lose the things they need to get into housing,” says Dones. Fines pile up, belongings are lost, and access to medication is disrupted, making stability even harder. Dones breaks it down and offers research-backed solutions on Fox 2: https://buff.ly/KFhwaJW

📍New reporting from CalMatters offers a detailed look at what’s happening on the ground in California cities where encampment sweeps have become routine. Eight months after the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision allowed cities to clear encampments and cite or arrest people for sleeping outside — even when no shelter is available — the challenges documented in research are becoming increasingly visible. Research shows that enforcement-based approaches, when not paired with adequate outreach, housing and services, rarely lead to lasting reductions in homelessness. Instead, these approaches often displace people, increase the risk of losing critical belongings like identification and medications, and make it harder for outreach teams to provide consistent support. Jenni Wilkens, who manages a street health program in San Diego, explained: "We always knew where we could find them. Follow-up was much, much easier. Since the camping ordinance passed... we have not been able to provide that quality follow-up care... just because everybody is moving." BHHI’s research is clear: lasting reductions in unsheltered homelessness require permanent housing, tailored outreach, and services that meet people’s needs. Without those, sweeps don’t solve homelessness — they only push it out of view. For evidence-based approaches and best practices, see BHHI’s Unsheltered Homelessness Brief and Encampment Resolution Guide: https://lnkd.in/gn4eUwte 🔗 Read the full CalMatters investigation: https://lnkd.in/guqBU3aZ #HomelessnessResearch #EncampmentResolution #UnshelteredHomelessness