UC San Diego opening large-scale research hub on homelessness

UC San Diego is opening an information hub centered completely on homelessness, meant to function a non-partisan middle for analysis, training, coverage and motion.

The Homelessness Hub at UC San Diego might be beneath the umbrella of the La Jolla college’s Division of City Research and Planning. Philanthropist {couples} Phyllis and Dan Epstein and Hanna and Mark Gleiberman donated $1 million every to the college to determine the hub.

“Phyllis, Dan, Hanna and Mark share a typical conviction that society’s largest challenges require centered efforts and sources to unravel,” UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla mentioned in a press release. “The Homelessness Hub at UC San Diego has the potential to make a big influence in understanding and addressing the components that result in homelessness.”

Final 12 months, the Regional Process Power on Homelessness estimated that the variety of first-time homeless individuals in San Diego County grew from 2,326 in 2019 to 4,152 in 2020, a 79 p.c improve.

“Homelessness has remained a long-term downside in San Diego, and we should always flip to the most effective researchers we have now to determine considerate options,” Dan Epstein mentioned. “The College of California will play a constructive position in that regard.”

“That is about getting individuals not solely a spot to stay however every part that goes together with it,” he added. “UC San Diego can determine what individuals want and the way finest to supply providers, after which the actual work begins.”

The Homelessness Hub is meant to deal with the difficulty by “bringing collectively and drawing upon the knowledge of researchers, service suppliers, civic leaders and unhoused San Diegans to conduct essential analysis, synthesize and talk findings, in addition to inform native coverage and motion to deal with homelessness,” in accordance with a press release from the college.

“Think about, for instance, if we may optimize San Diego’s winter shelter community,” mentioned Mirle Rabinowitz Bussell, a UCSD professor and director of undergraduate research within the Division of City Research and Planning. “The place ought to we find shelters? What providers must be supplied? For the way lengthy? For the way many individuals? How can we hyperlink secure in a single day parking to assist forestall homelessness within the first place?

“Now, via the Homelessness Hub at UC San Diego, we have now the chance to collaborate with nonprofit leaders and elected officers to make choices that transfer us towards the objective of eliminating homelessness.”

For extra info, go to hhubsandiego-ucsdonline.hub.arcgis.com.

— La Jolla Mild workers contributed to this report. ◆