Welcome to the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute
About the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute
RAND created the Gulf States Policy Institute in 2005 to support hurricane recovery and long-term economic development in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Today, RAND Gulf States provides objective analysis to federal, state, and local leaders in support of evidence-based policymaking and the well-being of individuals throughout the Gulf States region. With an office in New Orleans, Louisiana, RAND Gulf States is dedicated to answering the region's toughest questions related to a wide range of issues that include coastal protection and restoration, health care, and workforce development.
Established in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute tackles tough questions in the topic areas relevant to the region's long-term economic development and the well-being of its residents. For example: How to protect the coasts from future storms? How to provide housing and health care for a population in need? How to educate tomorrow's workforce? And how to ensure energy and transportation for a growing economy?
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Community resilience requires participation from the whole community to improve response and recovery, and to plan for disaster recovery over the long term. This is a lesson that the U.S. Gulf States have learned in the last decade, and their experiences are helping teach other communities across the nation how to become more resilient.
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The ViMM research approach aims to identify the values people use to organize beliefs and make decisions when faced with uncertainty. Due to climate risk and available mitigation strategies, New Orleans makes a useful case study to test this method.
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Most organizations that promote aging in place do not place a high priority on promoting disaster preparedness. And the resilience activities of public health departments are not focused on older adults. Tailoring existing activities to the needs of older adults could improve their disaster preparedness and resilience.
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People with criminal records are marginalized in the labor market. What policies might incentivize employers to hire them? Some options include tax credits and replacement guarantees if an ex-offender proves to be unsuitable once hired.
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Housing for Health provides permanent supportive housing to people in Los Angeles County with complex medical and behavioral health issues. Evaluation after one year revealed dramatic reductions in their use of public services, such as emergency medical care, resulting in a net cost savings of 20 percent.
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