RAND Review – Help for the Homeless
October 8, 2019
Hundreds of people make their homes on the streets of Santa Monica, Calif. The city has taken a unique approach to helping its most chronically, and costly, homeless residents—one that RAND found has paid off, even if it hasn’t broken even.
The city created a street team to find the highest-cost homeless people, gain their trust, and work with them to get housing and other services. The team includes full-time specialists in housing, wellness, and substance abuse, as well as part-time support from a doctor and psychiatrist.