“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.

📢 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

“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

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.

What does it take for domestic violence survivors to find safety? Our research shows that once homeless: ➡️ 95% of survivors can’t afford housing ➡️ Violence continues & many are found by abusers Safe, stable housing lets survivors leave—and helps them stay safe. buff.ly/wHS8Yzn #DVAM2025

Healthcare has a crucial role to play in homelessness responses, but it's not enough. "Treating illness against a background of homelessness feels like a no-win situation," says Dr. Maria Raven, who has cared for patients experiencing homelessness for two decades. Learn more:

Many pediatric readmissions are linked to housing + transportation insecurity, but standard data undercounts these risks. UCSF research shows combining structured + unstructured data gives better insights + tools for care. buff.ly/j8ki4ad #SDOH #NLP

“What is new here is the option of the oversize vehicle buy back,...” says BHHI Director Margot Kushel. “It recognized...that people would not trade in their most valuable asset for something that felt less stable and safe (...congregate shelter...short-term housing voucher).” buff.ly/J9CwdKj

“They tended to be working poor people who were doing their best, then something happened,” says BHHI Director Dr. Margot Kushel. “People think it is all about substance use or mental health, but often it is affordability, health, or loss of support.” buff.ly/S7w2n7A #Aging #RV #homeless

Without stable housing, everything is harder—seeing a doctor, working, staying connected—all take a back seat to survival. Housing is the foundation that makes health, work, and community possible. For some, housing is the full answer. For others, it’s not. But it’s where solutions begin for all.

Systemic barriers—from discrimination and documentation challenges to family separation—make Latine Californians vulnerable to homelessness. #HispanicHeritageMonth is a reminder that equity must guide solutions. Learn more: buff.ly/bh7NmWT

Another example of cities leading the way by following the research! Key to this #encampment resolution: 💵 $ for RVs preserves value from biggest asset 🛏️ Private rooms provide safety & autonomy 🩷 Flexibility keeps loved ones + pets together When offers meet needs, people say yes. buff.ly/viwyY8G

The gap between wages and housing prices is pushing more and more workers into homelessness, BHHI Director Dr. Margot Kushel told Fox News in Sept. "People want to be in the labor market...but housing is the root of all safety and security. Without housing, everything else falls apart." Watch ⬇️

✅ Many cities are making progress on homelessness by following the research. One example: ➡️ Homelessness in Sonoma County is down 23% from last year, due in part to the 400 permanent housing units they added. Federal funding cuts may undo this progress.

People experiencing homelessness have poor health, struggle to access care & face high ER and hospitalization rates—despite high rates of insurance. What happens when Medicaid cuts make things worse? Explore current challenges: buff.ly/atxK3fU Stay tuned for our expanded report—coming soon!

Imagine finally having a safe place to live after years without one—yet still feeling deeply alone. Nearly 40% of #olderadults with homelessness histories report #loneliness, vs 25% overall. Housing alone isn’t enough—people need support for healing & connection. New BHHI Study: buff.ly/Dr4VxKa

New report by @naehomelessness.bsky.social: ➡️ Low incomes, lack of affordable housing & weak safety nets continue to drive record-high rates of homelessness. ➡️ We don't have enough housing/services to keep up. ➡️ Homelessness is solvable—if we invest in research-backed solutions. buff.ly/Y1i3erT

Housing costs are squeezing Latinas in CA: over half are rent-burdened, and 1 in 4 spend more than half their income on rent. @calbudgetcenter.org warns federal housing cuts would make this even harder. Learn more about #homelessness among #Latine communities: buff.ly/CscB0so

Our research—from the largest homelessness study in decades— found only 37% of people experiencing homelessness used drugs regularly in the past 6 months. Many want treatment but can’t get it—housing is key to recovery. Read more: buff.ly/YttYvL7 @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social #RecoveryMonth

On #GrandparentsDay, we celebrate the love and wisdom of older generations. Yet too many older adults face homelessness, with health challenges far beyond their years. Everyone deserves a safe home to age with dignity. Learn about their unique challenges + data-backed solutions: buff.ly/yyTcph3

"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

Research shows that people living in RVs want permanent housing but don't want to give up their biggest asset for a temporary shelter stay. Berkeley is testing another path—RV buybacks + private rooms that allow people to bring loved ones & pets. Early results: 56 people indoors.