Homeless Populations

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Camping Bans and Group Shelters Unlikely to Solve Homelessness Crisis

Should Los Angeles continue to direct most resources toward creating permanent housing with services? Or should it try to rapidly add more group shelters and shared tiny homes which would allow the city to enforce camping bans in certain areas? There are compelling arguments for both approaches.

Sarah B. Hunter, Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

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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.

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On Veterans Day, There Are Still Thousands of Homeless Vets in L.A. We Followed 26 to Find Out Why

An estimated 3,900 veterans live unhoused in Los Angeles. The city has the largest VA medical center in the nation. There are federal housing programs exclusively for veterans. So why hasn't Los Angeles been able to make a dent?

Sarah B. Hunter

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Restoring Public Trust, COVID-19 and Thanksgiving, Vaccinating Teachers: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how the Biden-Harris administration can restore public trust, the risk of Thanksgiving becoming a super-spreader event, why teachers should be among the first to get a COVID19 vaccination, and more.

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Unaccompanied Women Become an Official Homeless Subpopulation in LA County

Unaccompanied homeless women are more likely than other subgroups to be chronically homeless, to have mental illness, and to have work limitations. Los Angeles County is now recognizing these women as a subgroup in the official homeless count. An assessment will also be conducted to identify this group's unique needs.

Alicia Revitsky Locker, Sierra Smucker, et al.

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Health Care Price Transparency, COVID-19 Vaccinations, Gun Laws: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on what private health plans pay compared to what Medicare pays, when COVID-19's global spread really began, laws that could reduce firearm deaths, and more.

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Access to Mobile Technology Could Help to Alleviate LA's Homelessness Crisis

The vast majority of people experiencing homelessness have cell phones, which often serve as their lifelines. Providing technological supports, such as Wi-Fi access and opportunities to charge devices, could result in better access to social services and, ultimately, better quality of life and outcomes.

Sarah B. Hunter, Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, et al.

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Emergency Homeless Services During the COVID-19 Crisis

The recently passed $2 trillion stimulus package includes a suite of measures designed to support households that are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. But policymakers may want to consider what protections the package offers to a particularly high-risk group: people experiencing homelessness.

Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg, Sarah B. Hunter, et al.

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Sniping: Homeless Youths' High-Risk Smoking Practice

Any intervention to help homeless youth quit smoking must also address 'sniping.' This high-risk activity involves scavenging cigarette butts and filters to make a 'new' cigarette.

Joan S. Tucker, William G. Shadel

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Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Vulnerable Populations

June is National PTSD Awareness Month and June 27th is PTSD Awareness Day, providing an opportunity to recognize the challenges faced by survivors of trauma who live with PTSD symptoms. RAND research is helping increase awareness about the disorder and inform policy about how to prevent and address it.

Lisa S. Meredith