California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness

The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), conducted by The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI), is the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s. The study provides a comprehensive look at the causes and consequences of homelessness in California and recommends policy changes to shape programs in response. #CAHomelessnessStudy

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Towards a New Understanding

Designed to be representative of all adults 18 years and older experiencing homelessness in California, CASPEH includes nearly 3,200 administered questionnaires and 365 in-depth interviews with adults experiencing homelessness in eight regions of the state, representing urban, rural, and suburban areas. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish, with interpreters for other languages. In partnership with a wide array of community stakeholders, the UCSF BHHI team collected data between October 2021 and November 2022. CASPEH was funded by UCSF BHHI, the California Health Care Foundation, and Blue Shield of California Foundation.

Special Reports

Topic Brief
Pregnancy and Homelessness
July 25, 2024
This topic brief examines who experiences pregnancy during homelessness, how they lost their housing, their experiences during homelessness, and barriers to regaining housing. The findings highlight t...
Reports
Toward Dignity: Understanding Older Adult Homelessness
May 23, 2024
To better understand the experiences of older adults experiencing homelessness, the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative examined findings from the California Statewide Study of People Exp...
Reports
Toward Equity: Understanding Black Californians’ Experiences of Homelessness
February 21, 2024
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 Cali...
Reports
Toward Safety: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence and Homelessness
January 16, 2024
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...

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Novel Methods to Construct a Representative Sample for Surveying California’s Unhoused Population: The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness
American Journal of Epidemiology
September 11, 2024
Existing literature on people experiencing homelessness (PEH) draws on non-representative samples from service providers, populations with comorbidities, or areas with disproportionately high sheltere...
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The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Homelessness and Returns to Housing: A Qualitative Analysis From the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
July 15, 2024
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for people experiencing homelessness. Few studies have examined the interplay between IPV, homelessness, and housing. Researchers purposefully sampled ...
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A Mereological Qualitative Study Protocol for Understanding the Lived Experience of Homelessness in California
Annals of Anthropological Practice
October 3, 2023
This paper describes the qualitative component of a large mixed method study, the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness. The qualitative study consisted of seven sub-studies a...

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