Domestic violence and homelessness: how each drives the other

Portrait of a Black unhoused woman standing in front of her gray SUV, elbow propped against a door

To solve one of California’s most pressing problems — homelessness — we must address one of its significant drivers: domestic violence. Also called intimate partner violence (IPV), it increases the risk of homelessness, especially for survivors with low incomes.

Photo credit: Sam Comen

 


Toward Safety: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence and Homelessness

JANUARY 2024

In California, more than 181,000 people experience homelessness on a given night — many of them fleeing violence. Blue Shield of California Foundation supported this January 2024 report from University of California, San Francisco’s Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, on Californians’ experiences of both homelessness and domestic violence.

Read the report

California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness

JUNE 2023

The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), conducted by the University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) and released in June 2023, 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.

Read the report


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