blog post Homeownership Trends in California By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Julien Lafortune, Cesar Alesi Perez Jun 14, 2022 California’s homeownership rate is among the lowest in the nation, but varies widely across the state. The share of families owning the home they live in has changed little in the past 60 years.
blog post The Challenges of Using Less Water in the Southern San Joaquin Valley By Sarah Bardeen Jun 13, 2022 As the San Joaquin Valley grapples with the twin challenges of groundwater overdraft and land subsidence, we spoke with two experts about how programs like multi-benefit farmland repurposing are helping the region adapt.
blog post Early Evidence of Shifts in Local Homeless Populations during the Pandemic By Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Joseph Herrera, Hans Johnson Jun 7, 2022 Recently released figures from several California counties suggest that some were able to reduce their unsheltered homeless populations by increasing capacity in hotel and motel rooms and other alternatives to large-group settings.
blog post Commentary: Klamath Basin Dam Removal Needs a Science-driven Oversight Plan By Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle May 31, 2022 The whole world is watching the Klamath Dam removal project. Jeffrey Mount and Peter Moyle argue that a robust science and monitoring program is essential to ensuring the project’s success—and will help guide future similar dam removals around the world.
Report Understanding the Effects of School Funding By Julien Lafortune May 18, 2022 Funding for California’s K–12 public schools has reached record highs, but gaps in student outcomes remain. Understanding the benefits of additional funds, and how to distribute those funds, are key concerns for policymakers. This report offers insights from a robust body of research on the extent to which higher spending improves outcomes.
blog post Video: Setting the Stage for Universal Preschool By Vicki Hsieh May 17, 2022 PPIC researcher Emmanuel Prunty presents new findings on access to Transitional Kindergarten (TK) across diverse student groups, and an expert panel discusses how to ensure an equitable expansion of TK.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Tracking Where Water Goes in a Changing Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta By Greg Gartrell, Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak May 16, 2022 The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta supplies water to roughly 30 million Californians, over 6 million acres of farmland, and countless ecosystems. But the watershed’s climate is changing: recent decades have seen record warmth, higher evaporation, and declining snowpack. We track where the water is going—and how to adapt.
blog post Maximizing Benefits of Solar Development in the San Joaquin Valley By Annabelle Rosser, Mitchelle De Leon May 9, 2022 Solar development offers one promising way to soften the economic blow as more irrigated farmland comes out of production in the San Joaquin Valley. We met with a diverse range of stakeholders to discuss how to maximize benefits—and mitigate potential harm.
event Building California’s Future Apr 26, 2022 How can we leverage recent investments in infrastructure to build a brighter future for all Californians? Join PPIC vice president and senior fellow Lande Ajose for a conversation with state and local leaders about the critical role of infrastructure in promoting opportunity, equity, and sustainability for the state’s diverse communities.
blog post Helping K–12 Students Recover from the Pandemic By Laura Hill, Niu Gao, Julien Lafortune Mar 10, 2022 Increased state and federal resources will play a key role as California helps students overcome learning disruptions of the past two years, though longer-term challenges remain.
