RAND Housing Center Publications

Research

Oct 8, 2026

Housing Restrictions for People with Criminal Records

This entry explores the multifaceted challenges people with criminal records experience, with a focus on how gender relates to those experiences, and identifies promising solutions.

Sarah B. Hunter, Alex Sizemore, Alex R. Dopp
Research

Oct 1, 2026

What Do Recent Economic and Social Trends Reveal About Santa Monica’s Fortunes?

Santa Monica has faced scrutiny for its post-pandemic struggles. RAND researchers compared the city’s outcomes over the past decade with nearby peer cities and found that Santa Monica has experienced steeper declines in retail and tourism, with challenges concentrated downtown; however, crime trends largely reflect broader regional patterns.

Jason M. Ward, Roland Neil, Lizhong Liu
Tool

Sep 22, 2026

Interactive Map: Unsheltered Populations in Los Angeles

This tool provides data on unsheltered populations in three Los Angeles neighborhoods: Hollywood, Skid Row, and Venice. Originally published in 2024, the tool was recently updated to include data through January 2026.

Colleen M. McCullough, Jason M. Ward, Michelle Bongard, Rick Garvey, Sarah B. Hunter
Commentary

Aug 10, 2026

Why L.A.'s Homelessness Numbers No Longer Tell the Full Story

By removing the easiest-to-count subpopulation—tent dwellers—while missing the rise in hidden rough sleepers and vehicles, the L.A. Homeless Services Authority count metrics have obscured the true scale of the crisis.

Sarah B. Hunter
Commentary

Jun 30, 2026

Los Angeles' Homelessness Strategy Needs a Next Act

Four years ago, outreach workers in Hollywood knew where to find their unsheltered clients. Most lived in clusters of tents that workers could visit weekly, delivering services and building trust to help ultimately move people inside. But now, more people are living in vehicles and sleeping rough.

Louis Abramson
Research

Jun 24, 2026

Understanding How Impact Fees Shape Housing Development

As California cities face growing pressure to build more housing, high development costs remain a major barrier. RAND researchers examines whether reducing impact fees could help make more housing projects financially viable in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palo Alto.

Lizhong Liu, Jason M. Ward
Research

Jun 8, 2026

Household Income, Veterans’ Benefits, and Housing Insecurity

Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, researchers examine how veterans’ housing cost burden changes when different income sources are counted, comparing private income, non-VA public benefits, and VA benefits.

Daniel Schwam, Rajeev Ramchand
Research

Jun 8, 2026

Addressing Issues with Housing for Those Who Have Served in Our Military

Introduces a symposium on veteran housing stability, noting more than a 55% reduction in veteran homelessness since 2009 and presenting three studies on VA benefits, disability, and rapid rehousing.

Jack Tsai, Sarah B. Hunter
Research

May 28, 2026

The Hidden Costs of the Measure ULA (United to House LA) Transfer Tax

While Los Angeles’s Measure ULA tax has raised $1.2 billion for affordable housing, it has also sharply reduced high-value property sales and new apartment construction—costing the region thousands of homes and millions in lost revenue. Targeted reform could address most of these unintended consequences while maintaining over 70 percent of current ULA revenue.

Jason M. Ward, Lizhong Liu, Elizabeth Selby, Phoebe Rose Levine
Research

May 21, 2026

Annual Trends Among the Unsheltered in Three Los Angeles Neighborhoods

The overall number of unsheltered people in Hollywood, Skid Row, and Venice remained flat in 2025. But rough sleeping—sleeping without a tent, vehicle, or other shelter—rose by 20 percent, its highest level in four years.

Louis Abramson, Sarah B. Hunter, Rick Garvey, Cyril Cherian, Jason M. Ward
Research Summary

Apr 30, 2026

How the Breaking Barriers Program Is Building Pathways to Housing in Los Angeles

Researchers evaluating the housing program for justice-involved individuals and families found that while external factors may limit progress, the program met or exceeded goals, with more than half of the participants obtaining housing through the program.

Maya Buenaventura, Alex Sizemore, Austin Smidt, Sarah B. Hunter
Research

Apr 30, 2026

Breaking Barriers Rapid Rehousing Program for Justice-Involved Individuals in Los Angeles County: Local Evaluation Report

Justice-involved individuals often face significant challenges securing stable housing and employment. The authors of this report examine a program designed to help justice-involved individuals improve housing and employment outcomes.

Maya Buenaventura, Alex Sizemore, Austin Smidt, Sarah B. Hunter

First
Previous
Page 1 of 8
Next
Last

Research and Commentary

Featured

What Do Recent Economic and Social Trends Reveal About Santa Monica’s Fortunes?

Interactive Map: Unsheltered Populations in Los Angeles

Why L.A.'s Homelessness Numbers No Longer Tell the Full Story

Los Angeles' Homelessness Strategy Needs a Next Act

Housing Research and Commentary

Error

Housing Restrictions for People with Criminal Records

What Do Recent Economic and Social Trends Reveal About Santa Monica’s Fortunes?

Interactive Map: Unsheltered Populations in Los Angeles

Why L.A.'s Homelessness Numbers No Longer Tell the Full Story

Los Angeles' Homelessness Strategy Needs a Next Act

Understanding How Impact Fees Shape Housing Development

Household Income, Veterans’ Benefits, and Housing Insecurity

Addressing Issues with Housing for Those Who Have Served in Our Military

The Hidden Costs of the Measure ULA (United to House LA) Transfer Tax

Annual Trends Among the Unsheltered in Three Los Angeles Neighborhoods

How the Breaking Barriers Program Is Building Pathways to Housing in Los Angeles

Breaking Barriers Rapid Rehousing Program for Justice-Involved Individuals in Los Angeles County: Local Evaluation Report

Oops! An unexpected error has occurred.

RAND Headquarters