Housing

UCSF Launches New Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative with $30 Million Gift

Published

7 years ago

May 2, 2019

Marc and Lynne Benioff’s Donation Will Create First-of-Its-Kind Initiative to Research Causes of Homelessness, Identify Evidence-based Solutions

Made possible by a $30 million gift from Marc and Lynne Benioff, UC San Francisco on Wednesday announced the launch of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, a new center in San Francisco that will conduct groundbreaking research on the root causes of homelessness and identify evidence-based solutions to prevent and end homelessness. Margot Kushel, MD, professor of medicine at UCSF and director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations (CVP), will lead the initiative.

The Benioffs’ gift is the largest-ever private donation to fund homelessness research.

San Francisco, along with countless cities across the country, is experiencing a homelessness crisis. According to the 2017 annual Homelessness Point-in-Time report, approximately 7,500 people are homeless in San Francisco, 58 percent of whom are unsheltered. Rising housing costs and income inequality are leading to more people, including families and older adults, entering homelessness for the first time.

The first-of-its-kind initiative, which will be part of the CVP, will convene experts from various fields to conduct rigorous academic research on homelessness and housing issues, identify evidence-based solutions and train the next generation of homelessness researchers. The initiative will complement and integrate research being conducted by faculty and researchers across the university.

The initiative will also democratize this world-class academic research, making it an easily accessible resource for policy makers and community leaders across the country seeking solutions to end homelessness in their own neighborhoods.

Comments on the Initiative

“The world needs a North Star for truth on homelessness. The UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative will be that North Star, providing the latest research, data and evidence-based solutions to ensure we’re investing in programs that will help solve the homelessness crisis.”

—Marc Benioff

“There is no medicine as powerful as housing. But the problem is complex. We know a lot about how to end homelessness, but that knowledge doesn’t always reach policymakers and is often not properly targeted. We have far more to learn about designing the most effective ways to prevent and end homelessness.”

—Margot Kushel, MD, initiative director

“We have designed this initiative to have real-world impact, first in San Francisco, then statewide and, ultimately we hope, on a national scale. We intend to be a resource for everyone who has a genuine interest in solving homelessness, whether they are elected officials, policymakers, advocates, concerned citizens or people who have experienced homelessness themselves.”

—Joshua Bamberger, MD, MPH, initiative associate director

“Despite all the wealth in this country, especially in our own region, perhaps the gravest threats to health are due to poverty, discrimination, and particularly homelessness. Here at UCSF, we have many dedicated researchers who have devoted their careers to addressing these health inequities. The Benioffs’ continued leadership on these issues, exemplified by this generous new gift, will further energize our efforts, and strengthen our links to communities in need at the local, state and national levels.”

—UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood, MBBS

“Homelessness isn’t just a Bay Area issue – it touches every community in California. Our entire state and nation have much to gain from this work. Marc and Lynne have been leaders in this space, and this generous investment will help fuel the search for solutions and further develop best practices to help those who are homeless improve their lives.”

—California Governor Gavin Newsom

“Preventing and ending homelessness requires innovative solutions that can be replicated regionally, statewide, and nationally. No one city alone can address homelessness, which is why this initiative by Lynne and Marc Benioff and UC San Francisco will be a great tool for helping us here in San Francisco and in cities all over confront one of our greatest challenges.”

—San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed

“Marc and Lynne Benioff’s empathy and commitment to our most vulnerable residents should serve as inspiration for everyone working to end homelessness. Their relentless effort and passion has already uplifted countless lives, and this latest investment will help all of us understand the root causes that lead to homelessness as well as potential solutions. On behalf of a community who will greatly benefit from Marc and Lynne’s generous gift, Oakland looks forward to partnering with the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative.”

—Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf

Gifts to Homelessness Issues, Children’s Health

With this new gift to UCSF, Marc and Lynne Benioff have now pledged $66 million to prevent and end homelessness in San Francisco. Most recently, they pledged $6.1 million to renovate the Bristol Hotel to add 58 units of housing in San Francisco. The Benioffs also donated $11.5 million to Hamilton Families’ Heading Home Campaign, co-founded Star Community Home, and supported other organizations including Raphael House, Larkin Street Youth Services and Catholic Charities. They also contributed $2 million to the “Yes on C” campaign to pass Proposition C in San Francisco, which will earmark up to $300 million in new tax revenues to address homelessness.

In addition to their work on homelessness, the Benioffs have a long history of supporting children’s health care. Since 2005, the couple has pledged more than $389 million to UCSF, including $200 million in support of the Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland and $50 million to launch the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Preterm Birth Initiative in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Of this total giving, they recently allocated $15 million to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland to address the acute shortage of mental health services for children and adolescents in Oakland and the East Bay.

Laura Kurtzman, UCSF News

Posts by Laura Kurtzman, UCSF News

Activism

As California Hits Aging Milestone, State Releases Its Fifth Master Plan for Aging

“California’s Master Plan for Aging started a powerful movement that is shaping the future of aging in our state for generations to come,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement, calling the initiative a “future-forward” model delivering real results for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

On Jan. 27, California released its Fifth Master Plan for Aging Annual Report,titled “Focusing on What Matters Most,” outlining the state’s progress and priorities as its population rapidly grows older.

The report, issued by the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), provides updates on the Master Plan for Aging’s “Five Bold Goals”: housing, health, inclusion and equity, caregiving, and affordability.

The report comes as Californians aged 60 and older now outnumber those under 18 for the first time, a demographic shift expected to accelerate over the next decade.

Launched in 2021, the Master Plan for Aging takes a “whole-of- government” and “whole-of-society” approach, coordinating state agencies, local governments, community organizations, and private partners. The annual report highlights significant milestones, including more than 100 California communities joining AARP’s Age-Friendly Network and $4 million in state funding awarded to local organizations to develop aging and disability action plans in 30 communities statewide.

The report also underscores California’s leadership at the national level, noting that dozens of states have followed its example and that federal legislation inspired by the plan was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate in December 2025.

CalHHS Secretary Kim Johnson emphasized the plan’s focus on equity and resilience amid ongoing challenges.

“The Master Plan for Aging continues to provide a vision, a focus, and a platform for collaboration,” Johnson said. “Equity is at the center of all that we do.”

Looking ahead, the report notes that by 2030, one in four Californians will be age 60 or older, positioning the Master Plan for Aging as a central framework for meeting the state’s long-term social, economic, and health needs.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Can You Afford a Mortgage but Not the Down Payment? Dream For All Offers Up to $150K

Duvernay-Smith’s journey exemplifies the transformative potential of Dream For All, a program designed to help first-generation homebuyers across California. Applications will open on Feb. 24, and close on March 16. The program uses a random selection process to ensure equitable access, and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office has directed that a minimum of 10% of funds go to applicants in Qualified Census Tracts — communities that historically faced discriminatory or unfair barriers to home ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Tiffany Duvernay-Smith.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

Tiffany Duvernay-Smith went from knowing the harsh realities of homelessness to owning her first home – made possible by the California Housing Finance Agency’s (CalHFA) Dream For All program, which is reopening applications this month with up to $150,000 in down payment assistance for first-generation buyers.

“I feel like I was the least likely person,” says Duvernay-Smith, who is Coordinator for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s Lived Experience Board, a published journalist, artist and outspoken advocate for unhoused people, people living with disabilities and domestic violence survivors.

“I didn’t know my story would change from homeless to homeowner,” she added. “But if there’s a house with your name on it, nothing can stop you.”

Duvernay-Smith’s journey exemplifies the transformative potential of Dream For All, a program designed to help first-generation homebuyers across California. Applications will open on Feb. 24 and close on March 16. The program uses a random selection process to ensure equitable access, and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office has directed that at least 10% of funds be allocated to applicants in Qualified Census Tracts—communities that have historically faced discriminatory or unfair barriers to homeownership.

For eligible participants, the program provides up to 20% of the home’s purchase price or appraised value as down payment assistance, capped at $150,000.

CalHFA expects to make $150 million to $200 million available in 2026, potentially helping 1,000 to 1,500 families, with a total of approximately 2,000 households supported through the 2025–26 budget allocation of $300 million.

The program is particularly impactful for Black Californians, who continue to face the highest rates of homelessness across the state and significant barriers to homeownership due to decades of discriminatory housing policies and wealth inequities.

“Black Californians continue to face some of the widest homeownership gaps in the state,” says Regina Brown Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media. “Programs like Dream For All are critical because they directly address generational inequities.”

Wilson spoke during an online news briefing on Jan. 30 that featured Eric Johnson, information officer in CalHFA’s Marketing and Communications Division, and Shonta Clark, senior loan consultant and CalHFA program educator, home counselor, and broker in Southern California.

“There are a lot of people in California with steady jobs, good incomes, and strong credit scores – but who haven’t been able to save the five or even six figures needed for a down payment on a home,” says Johnson. “That’s exactly what Dream For All is designed to address.

Eligibility requirements focus on first-generation homebuyers—those who have not owned a home in the past seven years and whose parents do not currently own one. CalHFA defines a “first-time homebuyer” as someone who has not owned and lived in their own home in the past three years. Foster youth are automatically considered first-generation homebuyers, reflecting the program’s commitment to reaching Californians who have faced systemic barriers, CalHFA says.

Applicants must work with CalHFA-approved lenders and provide standard documentation such as government-issued IDs and parental information.

Johnson encourages applicants to remain optimistic.

“Take the first step. Despite high interest rates and high prices, it is still possible to buy your first home in California. Believe in yourself and know that homeownership is meant for you,” says Johnson.

Oakland Post

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Community

Candidates Vying for Governor’s Seat Debate at Ruth Williams–Bayview Opera House in San Francisco

The gubernatorial debate participants included Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor; Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor; Betty Yee, former California state controller; Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and attorney general of California; Steve Hilton, political commentator and political adviser; Tom Steyer, entrepreneur, and Tony Thurmond, California’s superintendent of public instruction.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

The gubernatorial debate was hosted by KTVU’s Greg Lee, KTTV’s Marla Tellez and KTVU’s Andre Senior. The candidates are (l.-r.): Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Betty Yee.

By Carla Thomas

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, seven candidates took the stage at the historic Ruth Williams–Bayview Opera House in San Francisco for the gubernatorial debate, hosted by the Black Action Alliance (BAA) in partnership with KTVU and sister station KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles.

For many voters, it marked a first opportunity to hear directly from several candidates seeking to lead the nation’s most populous state.

Crucial topics and issues addressed throughout the debate included housing, crime, immigration, climate change, health care and homelessness.

The debate was moderated by KTVU political reporter Greg Lee alongside KTVU’s Andre Senior and KTTV Fox 11’s Marla Tellez.

Candidates also addressed inflation and the rising costs across the state, impacting everything from groceries to childcare and health care.

Thurmond vowed to generate 2.3 million units of housing by placing 12 units on each parcel of available land in the 58 counties of California. Steyer agreed that billionaires should pay their fair share of taxes.

Hilton wanted to cut taxes, help working-class families, and end the Democrats “climate crusade and insane regulations.”

Yee offered a more transparent governmental approach with accountability, given the state’s debt.

Gonzalez said, “This debate was a great way to see who has great ideas and who has substance.”

“It’s important to have the debate within a community that requires the most,” said business leader Linda Fadekye.

Attendees included State Controller Malia Cohen, representatives of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the National Coalition of 100 Black Men, the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce, and Black Women Organized for Political Action, among others.

Event host, the Black Action Alliance (BAA) was established to amplify the voices of the Bay Area’s Black community, whose perspectives have too often been overlooked in politics and public policy.

Loren Taylor, CEO of BAA, said it was important to bring the event to the Bayview in San Francisco and shared his organization’s mission.

“The Black Action Alliance (BAA) stands for practical, community-driven solutions that strengthen public safety, address homelessness, support small businesses, expand affordable housing, and ensure access to quality education—issues at the heart of the Black experience in the Bay Area,” said Taylor.

California’s primary election will take place on June 2 and the general election will take place on Nov. 3.