New Report on Causes of Homelessness

The Coalition on Homelessness released a dramatic new study that – unlike most reports on the unhoused – relies on data collected directly from the people on the streets. The study, backed by researchers at academic institutions including UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Santa Clara University, surveyed a total of 584 unique individuals.

The study shows that 25 percent of the people who are homeless today had a place to live in San Francisco within the past year. Most of them lost their housing because they couldn’t afford to pay for it. Access to shelters is complex and difficult.

The policy recommendations start with the concept of preventing people from losing their housing – which means changing state laws.

Fully repeal the Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act, a California measure that was passed in 1994 that limits municipalities’ ability to implement vacancy control in rental units. This will reduce landlord incentives to displace existing tenants and prevent rents from spiking when a tenant moves or is forced out.

Support local and statewide measures that expand tenant protections and expand rent control.

Support a California constitutional amendment recognizing the Fundamental Human Right to Housing in California.

Fully repeal the Ellis Act, a statewide measure that allows landlords to evict entire buildings.

This is critical: The real-estate lobby has outsized influence in Sacramento, and while everyone from the governor on down talks about addressing homelessness, the first step has to be defying that lobby and keeping people in their homes.

https://48hills.org/2020/09/a-dramatic-new-report-sheds-real-light-on-homeless-policies