blog post Video: California School Districts and the Emergency Connectivity Fund By Chansonette Buck Jul 18, 2024 PPIC researcher Joseph Hayes presents new findings on the role of federal pandemic funds in helping close California's digital divide and discusses prospects for sustaining momentum now that this funding has ended.
blog post How Has Poverty in California Changed over Time? By Caroline Danielson Jun 24, 2024 As part of an ongoing series commemorating PPIC's 30th anniversary, senior fellow Caroline Danielson reflects on key poverty trends and how the California Poverty Measure has shed light on prospects for addressing economic hardship.
blog post New FAFSA Form May Trigger Drop in College Enrollment By Selina Gomez, Kevin Cook Jun 3, 2024 Amid problems with the implementation of a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), far fewer California high school graduates have completed this key step to obtaining aid. This could affect college access and affordability in the coming year, especially among low-income students and students of color.
blog post Inflation Has Affected Family Spending By Sarah Bohn, Jenny Duan May 23, 2024 What has stubbornly high inflation meant for California families? Although wage gains have partly offset the impact of higher prices, Californians—especially lower-income households—are confronting higher spending levels for food, transportation, and other necessities.
Fact Sheet California’s Cash-Based Safety Net By Caroline Danielson May 20, 2024 Cash assistance helps keep low-income Californians out of poverty. Tax credits help those with low—and sometimes no—incomes, while several programs provide monthly assistance to children and other targeted populations.
blog post The End of Affordable Connectivity? By Joseph Hayes, Eric Assan May 15, 2024 This month marks the end of a federal program that helped low-income households afford internet access. Nearly 3 million California households—half of those eligible—were enrolled.
blog post Taking Stock of California’s Capacity to House Its Homeless Population By Cesar Alesi Perez May 1, 2024 By expanding the supply of permanent housing as well as emergency shelter beds, federal pandemic aid boosted the capacity of California's homeless housing programs. Yet despite this promising growth, these programs are not meeting an increased need.
blog post Testimony: Enhancing California’s Wage Data Can Help Improve Its Economic Future By Sarah Bohn Apr 30, 2024 At a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Career Technology and the New Economy, PPIC researcher Sarah Bohn discussed how improvements in the state's collection of wage data could inform strategies for promoting economic growth and opportunity.
Fact Sheet California’s Nutrition Safety Net By Tess Thorman, Patricia Malagon Apr 24, 2024 Millions of Californians participate in more than 15 programs designed to help them access nutritious food; these programs also reduce poverty. CalFresh, the largest nutrition program, provides low-income families with monthly food-buying resources. Other large programs serve pregnant Californians, young children, and K–12 students.
blog post California’s Medi-Cal Expansion Is Lowering Poverty among Undocumented Immigrants By Patricia Malagon Apr 18, 2024 At the beginning of this year, California broadened Medi-Cal eligibility to include all undocumented immigrants regardless of age. We examine how the state-funded expansion of coverage could reduce poverty among non-citizens and their families.
