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Shelter to Stability: Four Insights from CCRE's Expert Panel on Homelessness
At CCRE’s panel on December 4, Shelter to Stability: Housing’s Role in Ending Homelessness, moderator Lisa Halverstadt, Senior Investigative Reporter for Voice of San Diego, guided a conversation with leading experts on the drivers of homelessness in California and the solutions showing the greatest impact.
The panel featured:
Dr. Margot Kushel, Director, UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative
Dr. Sarah Hunter, Director, RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness
Deacon Jim Vargas, President & CEO, Father Joe’s Villages
Dhakshike Wickrema, Deputy Secretary for Homelessness, California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency
Together, these leaders offered research insights, policy perspectives, and on-the-ground experience that shaped the central takeaways from the discussion.
Homelessness is rising because housing is scarce and increasingly unaffordable.
California’s homelessness crisis is fundamentally tied to its severe housing shortage and widening affordability gap. Deputy Secretary Dhakshike Wickrema outlined the magnitude of the problem. Nearly 80% of extremely low-income Californians are rent-burdened, paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs.
Meanwhile, median rents have increased 40% since 2000, while median renter incomes have grown only 9%. Also, many households now spend more than half their income on rent. She emphasized that “a renter in California would need to make three times the minimum wage to [afford] the asking rent,” describing how these pressures leave families “on the brink of not being able to pay.”
Rental vouchers are one of the most effective tools for ending homelessness yet remain drastically unavailable to those who need them.
Housing vouchers were repeatedly identified as a proven intervention. As Dr. Margot Kushel stated, “There’s a lot of good evidence… that having a rental voucher is the single best way to end someone’s homelessness.”
However, these vouchers are available to far too few Californians who qualify. Building on this, Dr. Sarah Hunter underscored how structurally insufficient the system remains. She noted that vouchers do not operate like universal entitlement programs such as Medicaid: “Only about one in five or six households that are eligible for the program… actually receives a housing subsidy or housing voucher.”
This scarcity intensifies the consequences of high rents and limited unit availability, leaving thousands exposed to housing instability. Long waiting lists — often 8 to 10 years — further constrain access, and even when families obtain vouchers, high rents and limited landlord participation make them difficult to use.
Housing must be paired with comprehensive services to support long-term stability for certain homeless populations.
Panelists emphasized that housing alone is not enough for many people exiting homelessness, particularly those with behavioral health needs or chronic conditions. Deacon Jim Vargas highlighted the essential connection between housing and care, emphasizing, “Housing is what breaks the cycle of homelessness, and then the comprehensive services that go along with it.”
Supportive housing, case management, and access to health and recovery services can transform long-term outcomes, yet providers across the state face growing demand, constrained resources, and increasingly complex client needs. Without sustained investment in these wraparound services alongside housing, panelists noted, California will struggle to achieve durable reductions in homelessness.
REALTORS® and housing partners play a crucial role in expanding solutions.
A recurring theme was the importance of community partners — including REALTORS®, landlords, and local leaders — in advancing housing solutions and reducing barriers. Wickrema underscored how essential community support is to advancing housing solutions, urging Californians to engage directly with local providers and to champion new housing in their neighborhoods. She emphasized the importance of collective action, stating, “Be part of the coalition of the willing who want to see more affordable housing, more supportive housing, more behavioral health clinics in your neighborhood.”
Her remarks highlight a central theme of the discussion: durable progress depends on aligning policy, services, and community leadership with expanded housing opportunities across the state. REALTORS® and housing partners play a critical role in fostering that alignment, from supporting voucher acceptance to helping shape community dialogue around welcoming affordable and supportive housing.
To learn more about the role of housing to address homelessness, watch the full discussion.