blog post Keeping Students Fed When School Is Out By Caroline Danielson Jun 8, 2023 The end of the academic year can increase food insecurity for California families that rely on free meals provided at school. Plans to permanently add a second mode of assistance—debit cards that can be used for groceries—aim to help families feed their children when school is out.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Jun 5, 2023 Californians name economic conditions, homelessness, and housing as the most important issues facing the state today. A majority of Californians favor changing state environmental regulations as a way to increase housing affordability.
Fact Sheet California’s Health Care Safety Net By Shannon McConville, Shalini Mustala May 26, 2023 Millions of low-income Californians rely on the health care safety net. More than 15 million are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program; about 3 million are uninsured. Core providers—including county hospitals, health clinics, and emergency departments—treat patients regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration status.
blog post How Is California’s Labor Market Doing amid Inflation Pressures? By Jenny Duan, Sarah Bohn May 25, 2023 Falling inflation has coincided with a slowdown in employment growth in California, though overall the state’s labor market still appears solid.
blog post Who Voted in the 2022 Election and What Does It Mean for 2024? By Eric McGhee May 24, 2023 While California turnout in last fall’s election was lower across the board compared to 2020—a presidential election year—the decline in voting was especially large among Asian Americans, Latinos, and women.
blog post College Gender Gap Starts Early and Extends across Races By Hans Johnson, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Marisol Cuellar Mejia May 23, 2023 Along every step of the educational pathway from 9th grade to college completion, women fare better than men. The college gender gap has far-reaching consequences for young men’s economic prospects, especially for those from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.
blog post A Large Proportion of Crime Goes Unsolved in California By Magnus Lofstrom May 11, 2023 California’s clearance rates—the shares of reported crimes for which police make an arrest and refer the arrestee to prosecution—are better than those nationwide. Still, statewide less than half of violent crimes and only one in ten property crimes are cleared.
blog post Public School Enrollment Declines Vary across Grade Levels By Julien Lafortune, Emmanuel Prunty May 4, 2023 California’s public school enrollment decreased slightly in 2022–23 and has now fallen for six years in a row. While the latest enrollment levels in grades 2 through 12 were close to projections, enrollment in earlier grades fell short.
blog post Financial Aid Applications for College Increase after New Law By Jacob Jackson May 3, 2023 Under a state law that aims to ensure graduating high school seniors seek financial aid, the number of potential first-time college students applying for assistance by the UC/CSU deadline increased 12% over the prior year.
blog post Pandemic-Era CalFresh Expansions Lifted Many Families Out of Poverty By Patricia Malagon, Tess Thorman May 2, 2023 Policy changes made during COVID broadened access to food assistance and increased benefit levels. We examine the impact on California families’ financial well-being.