Executive Summary - While 7% of California’s population identifies as Black, Black Californians represent more than a quarter of the state’s homeless population.

To better understand the experiences of Black Californians experiencing homelessness, the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) examined the experience of Black Californians within the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH), the largest representative study of homelessness since the mid-1990s. [...] ▛ A higher proportion of Black Californians WHO EXPERIENCES HOMELESSNESS experiencing homelessness are cis-gender men, IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY compared to other racial groups. [...] We review demo- to 64% of white Californians and 68% of those from graphic characteristics of Black Californians other racial groups. [...] experiencing homelessness, their histories of ▛ Black Californians were more likely to have a homelessness, and their lifetime experiences history of incarceration in prison than other racial of trauma. [...] ▛ Black Californians experiencing homelessness Eight in ten (82%) Black Californians experiencing had a higher prevalence of severe mental health homelessness noted housing costs as a barrier to symptoms during homelessness compared to returning to housing.