Report Geography of Child Poverty in California By Caroline Danielson, Sarah Bohn Feb 22, 2017 One-quarter of young children across the state live in poverty. In inland regions, reducing child poverty requires efforts to improve job opportunities. In many coastal regions, increasing access to affordable housing will help.
Report Anticipating Changes in Regional Demand for Nursing Homes By Laurel Beck, Landon Gibson Nov 2, 2016 California’s nursing homes provide a major source of personal and medical care for the state’s most vulnerable residents—the elderly and the disabled. By 2030 the state’s 65-and-over population will grow by 87 percent. The number of people requiring skilled nursing care could increase by 32,000, far outstripping current capacities. We find that there will be significant disparities in regional growth rates across racial/ethnic groups and in regions’ abilities to absorb higher numbers of patients. Specifically: The Bay Area and the Inland Empire have the largest discrepancies between existing nursing home capacity and projected demand in 2030; Los Angeles and Northern California (excluding the Bay Area) have the smallest. Regional growth rates in the 65-and-over population vary widely within racial/ethnic groups. For example, rates among Latinos range from 159 percent on the state’s Southern Border (Imperial and San Diego Counties) to 193 percent in the Inland Empire; among Asians they range from 93 percent in the Central Coast to 212 percent in Northern California (excluding the Bay Area). In order to meet the growing and changing demands for senior care at the statewide and regional levels, policymakers will need to address ways to increase nursing home capacity. These solutions must also include recruiting and training health workers who can provide effective, culturally competent care, whether in skilled nursing facilities or home- and community-based settings.
blog post Regional Higher Education Gap Grows By Sarah Bohn Jul 28, 2016 Just as income gaps have grown across California’s regions, so too have disparities in levels of education.
blog post Income and Inequality Vary Widely Across California By Caroline Danielson, Sarah Bohn, Monica Bandy Jun 6, 2016 Both income and income inequality vary substantially across California.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post Don’t Count on El Niño to End the Drought By Jeffrey Mount, Daniel Cayan Jul 9, 2015 El Niño is an unreliable predictor of winter storminess; better to prepare for ongoing drought.
Report Paying for Water in California By Ellen Hanak, Dean Misczynski, Jay Lund, Brian Gray ... Mar 12, 2014 California faces serious funding gaps in five key areas of water management—including safe drinking water in small, disadvantaged communities; flood protection; management of stormwater and other polluted runoff; aquatic ecosystem management; and integrated water management. These gaps amount to $2 billion to $3 billion a year. But bold efforts by state and local leaders can pave the way to sustainable solutions for California’s critical water resources. This research is supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the California Water Foundation, an initiative of the Resources Legacy Fund. Technical Appendices Appendix A. The Legal Framework External Resource: Hastings Law Journal, Vol. 65: p 1603, Paying for Water: The Legal Framework Appendix B. Estimates of Water Sector Expenditures, Revenues, and Needs Appendix C. State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water Appendix D. Using the Water Fee Model to Assess Funding Alternatives Appendix E. Local Ballot Measures to Fund the Water System Data Sets Data Set: State General Obligation Bond Spending on Water Data Set: Local Water-Funding Ballot Measure
