blog post Ensuring Safe Drinking Water for California’s Native American Communities By Joy Collins, Caitrin Chappelle Jun 22, 2021 California’s tribes frequently lack access to safe drinking water—and lack the funds to fix aging infrastructure. A new state program may help improve the situation.
Fact Sheet Paying for California’s Water System By Caitrin Chappelle, Ellen Hanak, Annabelle Rosser May 26, 2021 Most funding for California’s water system comes from local water bills and taxes. During droughts and recessions, revenues decline, making it harder for water agencies to keep up with needed investments.
blog post Tackling Regional Disparities in Economic Opportunity By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Vicki Hsieh, Julien Lafortune Dec 8, 2020 Economic opportunity varies across California, and COVID-19 could worsen these disparities. Public policies that aim to increase opportunity should seek to address differing conditions and needs across regions.
blog post Addressing Water Affordability in Urban California By Caitrin Chappelle Nov 30, 2020 In the midst of the pandemic and recession, the cost of delivering safe drinking water continues to rise across California. We talked to Robert Shaver of the California Urban Water Agencies about this issue.
blog post Recession Safety Net Needed for State’s Small Water Systems By Caitrin Chappelle, Lori Pottinger Oct 6, 2020 California has many small water systems that serve economically disadvantaged communities, which were already struggling before the pandemic and recession hit. We talked to experts at the State Water Board about what can be done to keep them from falling off a financial cliff.
blog post How Much Do California Cities Spend on Policing? By Brandon Martin, Alexandria Gumbs Oct 2, 2020 On a per resident basis, cities’ spending on policing ranges from less than $100 to several thousand dollars, with the vast majority spending between $150 and $450.
blog post When a Lack of Air Conditioning is a Public Health Threat By Lori Pottinger Aug 17, 2020 California is getting hotter, which is leading to public health inequities caused by a lack of air conditioning. We talked to Kelly Sanders of the University of Southern California about addressing “air conditioning deserts."
blog post For California’s Homeless, CalFresh Is Essential Part of Safety Net By Caroline Danielson Jun 19, 2020 CalFresh food assistance is a key support for people confronting homelessness, and efforts to expand access to CalFresh are critical.
Report California’s Political Geography 2020 By Eric McGhee Feb 24, 2020 California still leans Democratic overall, but independents are leaning Republican in many areas of the state. A closer look suggests that registering all eligible residents to vote could moderate more partisan places. Views on specific issues also follow their own geographic patterns.