Report How Hospital Discharge Data Can Inform State Homelessness Policy By Shannon McConville, Hemal Kanzaria, Renee Hsia, Maria Raven Sep 19, 2022 Discharge data from emergency departments provide information on where people experiencing homelessness go for hospital care and on the conditions for which they are treated. If linked with data from homeless assistance programs and safety net services, this information can help policymakers make targeted investments and evaluate outcomes.
blog post Basic Needs Centers at California Colleges Can Help Fight Student Hunger By Eliana Blachman, Caroline Danielson Sep 19, 2022 California’s community colleges, which serve a large number of low-income students, are using basic needs centers to increase students’ access to CalFresh food assistance.
blog post Inflation Is Undercutting Pandemic-Era Increases in Food Assistance By Tess Thorman, Eliana Blachman Aug 18, 2022 Rising food prices have substantially eroded the value of recent increases to CalFresh benefits. Participants should see some relief in October, when benefit levels are adjusted for inflation.
Report Employment Patterns for CalFresh Adults By Tess Thorman, Caroline Danielson Jul 13, 2022 CalFresh provides food assistance to about 4.5 million low-income Californians. While many adults who access CalFresh are working, their jobs may be temporary or unstable. Understanding changes in employment before, during, and after adults enroll in CalFresh can help policymakers and administrators better align the program with workers’ needs.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Employment Patterns for CalFresh Adults By Tess Thorman, Caroline Danielson, Stephanie Barton Jul 13, 2022 Most CalFresh participants work, but unemployment and job instability are common. CalFresh assistance may help some stay connected to the workforce; however, work patterns may affect the length and impact of benefits. Policymakers and administrators should ensure that processes for getting and keeping benefits accommodate workers.
blog post How Did the Pandemic Transform California’s Safety Net? By Caroline Danielson Mar 11, 2022 Government investments and service innovations reduced the economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The impact of these approaches can inform safety net policy beyond the pandemic.
Report Keeping College Affordable for California Students By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson Dec 1, 2021 California’s financial aid programs reduce tuition for most students. But the state and its higher education institutions can improve college access and success by providing additional aid to lower-income students, addressing growing non-tuition costs, and eliminating barriers that increase the time it takes to earn a degree.
blog post Expansions to Food Assistance Could Reduce Child Poverty By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman Oct 1, 2021 Long-term commitments to expand CalFresh and school meals, two of California’s largest food assistance programs, could lift an estimated 90,000 children out of poverty.
blog post California’s High Housing Costs Increase Poverty By Patricia Malagon, Caroline Danielson Aug 13, 2021 Many families across the state struggle to afford housing, and periods of rising home prices—such as the pandemic recession—can pose a particularly large challenge.
