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Essay
Why Are U.S. Military Families Experiencing Food Insecurity?
Around a quarter of active-duty service members qualify as “food insecure.” But what's causing that, how to fix it—even what it means—is not clear. Food insecurity is a multifaceted problem that needs multifaceted solutions.
Nov 6, 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

Explore Poverty

Report
What Is the Housing Cost Burden Among U.S. Veterans?
Fewer veteran households than nonveteran ones are financially burdened by housing costs. Veterans are more likely to be homeowners than nonveterans are, and have lower housing costs than nonveteran homeowners. Veterans who are younger, are female, live in high-cost housing markets, or rent are the ones most in need of housing support.
Oct 12, 2023
Tool
Exploring the Feasibility of Building a Housing Stock Tool to Address Homelessness in Los Angeles
The authors describe the process of combining data from various agencies to develop a housing stock tool and discuss the context of their work from interviews conducted with relevant stakeholders.
Oct 3, 2023
Report
Food Insecurity Among Veterans
Veterans experiencing food insecurity are less likely than nonveterans to be enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. What factors affect this? And how might policymakers address the problem?
Sep 20, 2023
Research Brief
Reducing Policy Barriers to SNAP Participation by Food-Insecure Veterans
Food-insecure veterans are consistently less likely than their nonveteran peers to be enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but there are opportunities to improve policies and boost veterans’ program participation.
Sep 20, 2023
Journal Article
Somewhere to Exist: Understanding the Landscape of Daytime Services for People Experiencing Homelessness in Los Angeles County
The study, undertaken between November 2022 and April 2023, reviewed Los Angeles County’s landscape of daytime services for people experiencing homelessness to inform UWGLA’s investment strategy in this sector.
Aug 30, 2023
Journal Article
Addressing Homelessness Among People With Justice Involvement: Los Angeles County's Just in Reach Pay for Success Demonstration Project
This article provides an overview of the implementation and outcomes of Los Angeles County’s first Pay for Success (PFS) initiative.
Aug 10, 2023
Journal Article
Teachers and Coaches in Adolescent Social Networks Are Associated With Healthier Self-Concept and Decreased Substance Use
We surveyed 1270 students who applied to high-performing public charter schools in low-income minority communities in Los Angeles. Evidence suggests that school environments can improve risky behaviors for low-income minority adolescents.
Jul 20, 2023
Journal Article
Do the Joneses Help You Keep Up? A Natural Experiment in Exposure to Nonpoor Neighbors
We interviewed 453 public housing residents about their social networks. Adults who lived in scattered public housing vs. clustered reported a lower proportion of low-socioeconomic status social ties and neighbors in their social networks.
Jul 13, 2023
Journal Article
Predisposing, Enabling and Need Correlates of Mental Health Treatment Utilization Among Homeless Men
This study examines factors associated with mental health care utilization among men experiencing homelessness. Need (PTSD/depression), predisposing and enabling factors were associated with recent mental health care utilization.
Jul 11, 2023
Journal Article
Couples' Diminished Social and Financial Capital Exacerbate the Association Between Maladaptive Attributions and Relationship Satisfaction
A study of the social networks of 462 ethnically diverse newlywed spouses living with low incomes (231 couples, with 30% Black and 50% Latinx). The link between relationship satisfaction and communication depends on network characteristics.
Jun 21, 2023
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
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

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Ryan K. McBain

Senior Policy Researcher

Ryan K. McBain is a policy researcher at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He focuses on the design and evaluation of health policies and programs meant to reach vulnerable populations—including those coping with mental health conditions, HIV/AIDS,…
Cristina Glave

Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Policy Researcher, RAND

Cristina Glave (she/her) is an assistant policy researcher at RAND and a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She has an M.Phil. in development studies from the University of Cambridge and a B.Sc. in economics from Pontificia Universidad…

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