Homelessness

In 2021, President Biden recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday and the state of California followed suit last year. But many state workers were on the job Monday, and the Legislature was in session. So what gives? The answer, in short, is that Juneteenth is not one of the 11 paid holidays that all state […]

Local governments in the Los Angeles area declared a state of emergency on homelessness this year to spur action and marshal resources. But there are drawbacks to applying an emergency label to this issue.

Thousands of Californians who lost work during the pandemic are struggling with debt. A new settlement makes COVID rent relief available to tens of thousands of tenants.

A bill would hold security deposits to one month’s rent, not three. The California Apartment Association says it could drive up rents, making it harder to find a home.

With California experiencing a serious budget deficit and the fiscal squeeze tightening, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators also face demands for billions of more dollars for troubled vital services.

If passed, Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 would give California voters the opportunity to enshrine housing as a fundamental right in the state constitution. The amendment could dramatically reshape how the state confronts the housing crisis.

From Jeanne Kuang of CalMatters’ California Divide team: Low wages and unpredictable hours make fast food the industry with the highest percentage of homeless workers in the state, according to a new union-sponsored report that is sure to stoke debate this year amid the latest contentious legislation over the industry’s labor practices.  The report released […]

California cities of every size lack shelter beds for the state’s growing homeless population. A new bill would force local governments to do more, and punish ones that don't plan housing for homeless Californians.

Now that California has opted to phase out diesel trucking, the state will find out in the years to come which was right: the aspirations of environmentalists or the warnings of the trucking industry.  On Friday the California Air Resources Board unanimously voted to ban the sale of new diesel big rigs, delivery and garbage […]

At the direction of a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, the state auditor will complete a detailed audit of spending on California homelessness programs. The number of unhoused has grown, even as spending has increased.