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Homelessness

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RAND research on homelessness examines the challenges leading to or arising from it. These challenges can include mental illness, economic loss, substance abuse, and deteriorating physical health and lack of access to health care.

Report
Less Than One-Third of Unhoused People in L.A. Would Accept a Group Shelter
The number of unsheltered people in Los Angeles is growing. In a new survey in Skid Row, Venice, and Hollywood, most reported being continuously homeless for more than three years. Half had been offered housing, but cited the intake process, desires for privacy, and safety concerns as obstacles.
May 4, 2022
Essay
The Lives of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
The United States pledged in 2009 to end veteran homelessness. The numbers have fallen by nearly half since then, but there are still more than 37,000 veterans living in their cars, in temporary shelters, or in makeshift camps. Researchers followed 26 of them for one year to see how they live and what keeps them on the streets.
Feb 25, 2022

Explore Homelessness

Journal Article
Motivational Network Intervention to Reduce Substance Use and Increase Supportive Connections Among Formerly Homeless Emerging Adults Transitioning to Housing: Study Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
This article describes a pilot test of a brief motivational network intervention for youth experiencing homelessness transitioning to a housing program reduce their substance use and strengthen their prosocial supportive connections.
Jun 15, 2023
Journal Article
Feasibility of a Computer-Assisted Social Network Motivational Interviewing Intervention to Reduce Substance Use and Increase Supportive Connections Among Emerging Adults Transitioning from Homelessness to Housing
Results suggest that a substance use intervention using Motivational Interviewing and social network visualizations is acceptable to youth transitioning to housing from and can be feasibly delivered by case managers during case management sessions.
Jun 13, 2023
Blog
Extremism, Medicaid, Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on addressing domestic extremism, managing reductions in Medicaid enrollment, the effects of Florida's “Don't Say Gay” law, and more.
May 19, 2023
News Release
Workers at Homeless Services Agencies in L.A. Often Earn Salaries Below Living Wage Levels
Workers employed by nonprofit homeless services agencies in Los Angeles County often do not earn a living wage, creating stress for the workers and making it difficult to retain staff.
May 10, 2023
Report
Workers in Homeless Services Often Do Not Earn a Living Wage
Workers employed by nonprofit homeless services agencies in Los Angeles County, particularly frontline staff, often do not earn a living wage. Paying them higher wages could improve the quality of their work by boosting morale, easing stress, and reducing turnover.
May 10, 2023
News Release
U.S. Opioid Crisis Best Viewed as Connected Ecosystem; Changing Policymakers' Approach Can Aid Solutions
The nation's opioid crisis, which kills thousands of Americans annually, is best viewed as an ecosystem where all parts of the vexing problem are interconnected, underscoring the need for holistic solutions that address the broad needs of those with substance use disorders, their families, and the communities where they live.
Mar 16, 2023
Report
America's Opioid Ecosystem
Patterns and consequences of opioid use are changing dramatically. Researchers provide a nuanced assessment of America's opioid ecosystem, highlighting how leveraging system interactions can reduce addiction, overdose, suffering, and other harms.
Mar 16, 2023
Visualization
The Ecosystem Approach to Opioid Policy
RAND researchers created a tool to help federal, state, and local policymakers better understand issues surrounding opioids as an ecosystem—and explore innovative policy ideas.
Mar 16, 2023
Blog
Avoiding a Long War in Ukraine, Gun Violence, Migrant Surges: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the United States can help avoid a long war in Ukraine, responding to the gun violence crisis, limits on teachers’ instruction, and more.
Jan 27, 2023
News Release
Unhoused Population Increased by 18 Percent in Three High-Priority Neighborhoods in Los Angeles
A year-long count of unhoused people in three hot-spot neighborhoods in Los Angeles found that their numbers rose by an average of 18 percent over the period, despite periodic encampment cleanups and other efforts to address the problem.
Jan 26, 2023
Report
Unhoused Population Increased by 18 Percent in Three Hot-Spot L.A. Neighborhoods
RAND conducted a yearlong count of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in three high-priority neighborhoods in Los Angeles. These populations rose by an average of 18 percent over the period, despite encampment cleanups and other events.
Jan 26, 2023
Commentary
Measure ULA Reflects the Wrong Lessons from Proposition HHH
Los Angeles voters approved the so-called “mansion tax,” Measure ULA, which proponents suggested will raise funds for about 26,000 new units of affordable housing over the next decade. But a key labor provision casts doubt on that optimistic projection.
Nov 28, 2022
Blog
Racism and Patient Safety, Abortion After Dobbs, Homelessness: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss racism and patient safety, abortion in America after the Dobbs ruling, how to address homelessness in Los Angeles, and more.
Oct 28, 2022
Commentary
Los Angeles Mayoral Debate Misleads on Approaches to Homelessness
They may not mean to, but Los Angeles politicians continue to imply that there is a primary “fix” for homelessness, be it temporary shelters or permanent supportive housing. But those are just pieces of a very complex puzzle. The region needs a robust continuum of care. Although some efforts exist, they have not been scaled up to meet the need.
Oct 26, 2022
Brochure
Housing and Homelessness Research Résumé
This short film provides a brief summary of the RAND Corporation's rich contribution to research in the area of housing and homelessness on a national level.
Oct 25, 2022
Tool
Permanent Supportive Housing in Los Angeles County: A Map-Based Tool
This tool is a comprehensive attempt to combine financing data, land use, and service operation records for permanent supportive housing projects in Los Angeles County into a publicly available map-based database.
Sep 27, 2022
Journal Article
Restructuring Personal Networks with a Motivational Interviewing Social Network Intervention to Assist the Transition Out of Homelessness: A Randomized Control Pilot Study
This study is the first pilot test of a Social Network Intervention (MI-SNI) customized for assisting the transition out of homelessness to test for personal network changes.
Sep 8, 2022
Blog
Homelessness in L.A., Russia's Military Woes, Educator Morale: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on breaking the cycle of incarceration and homelessness, Russia’s ongoing military struggles, NATO expansion, and more.
Aug 19, 2022
News Release
L.A. Program to Divert Homeless from Jail into Supportive Housing Decreases Use of County Services
A program that diverts some people with a history of homelessness from Los Angeles County jails into permanent supportive housing can significantly lower taxpayer spending on services such as hospital care and shelter use.
Aug 16, 2022
Research Brief
Supportive Housing Program Broke the Jail-to-Homeless Cycle and Mostly Paid for Itself
The Just in Reach Pay for Success program diverted people with a history of homelessness from Los Angeles County jails into permanent supportive housing. It achieved a one-year housing stability rate of 82 percent. And most of its costs were offset by a reduction in the use of other county services.
Aug 16, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Homelessness

Topic Synonyms:
Internally Displaced Families

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Mallika Bhandarkar

Policy Analyst

Mallika Bhandarkar (she/her) is a policy analyst at RAND. She has experience in technical assistance, program implementation, and evaluation in a variety of settings, and demonstrated expertise in collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing qualitative data with community members, program staff,…
Sarah B. Hunter

Director, RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness in Los Angeles

Sarah Hunter is director of the RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness in Los Angeles, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Hunter's primary areas of interest are improving services for vulnerable populations; building…

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