California is failing to protect its waters from pollution, partly because of a worsening problem with homelessness in large cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler outlined a series of alleged deficiencies in California's compliance with federal clean...
California Asks Trump for Housing Vouchers to Aid Homeless
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday asked President Donald Trump to approve more housing vouchers as Trump's administration weighs in on the state's massive homelessness problem. Members of the administration visited Los Angeles last week to view the city's sprawling homeless encampments after Trump told his staff to develop...
California Should Make Clear There Is a Right to Housing, Not Simply Shelter
There are two ways to tackle California’s greatest public safety, public health and humanitarian crisis: homelessness. One way is to marshal resources, build programs, replicate successes, and say, with some justification, that we have helped a lot of people, even if the overall situation isn’t much better. The other way...
Walters: Newsom's Housing Deal Just a Baby Step
Every Californian should be aware by now that the state’s housing shortage not only causes personal angst for millions of the state’s residents, but is a key factor in its economic future. The latter was underscored last month in an analysis of the state’s employment picture by Christopher Thornberg, founder...
California’s Housing Budget Is a Wrap. Here’s What's Inside.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders agreed to spend a fresh $2 billion to combat the state’s housing and homelessness woes. Democratic lawmakers and the new governor settled relatively quickly on the amount — which advocates say is the biggest in recent memory dedicated to housing. Ever since, they’ve been trying to resolve the...
Cities Pledge to Find Solutions to California’s Homeless Crisis
With homelessness worsening, Californians are rightly frustrated that our state, with its abundance of wealth and resources, has not made better progress in helping people get off the streets and into housing. There is plenty of blame to go around. Major contributing factors include the challenges lower- and middle- income...
California Lawmakers OK $213 Billion Budget. Here's What's Inside.
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers on Thursday approved a $214.8 billion operating budget, sending the plan to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk with a focus on expanding access to health insurance while spending billions of new money on homelessness and housing. Newsom will have 12 days to review the bill and is...
California Has Housing Crisis, Legislature Has No Fix Yet
SACRAMENTO — Crisis. Emergency. California lawmakers are describing the state’s housing crunch in dire terms. But few seem to agree on what to do about it. The political wrangling over the last few weeks around bills to cap rent increases, set new rules for evictions and cut red tape to...
5 Takeaways From Newsom’s Revised Budget Plan
Buoyed by California’s strong economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent state lawmakers a revised budget Thursday that boosts his already-hefty January proposal to $213.6 billion. Ka-ching! Public schools will reap most of the gains if the Democratic-controlled Legislature rolls with him. Newsom also upped his ante on the housing crisis with a proposed...
Newsom’s Budget Proposal Tackles Homelessness in California
SACRAMENTO — Calling it "a stain on the state of California," Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday vowed to use part of a historic budget surplus to tackle homelessness in the nation's most prosperous state. "This homeless issue is out of control," Newsom told reporters on as he unveiled his revised...