“Mental illness. Substance abuse. Homelessness. These are all existential crises we have to address with urgency.” That was Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to a key legislative committee on Tuesday passing his controversial proposal to allow courts to compel people with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders into treatment — the state’s latest attempt to […]
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Posted inCalifornia Divide
California legislators want to help you buy a house with down payment, ‘shared equity’
Legislators propose a $1-billion-a-year down payment program for first-time buyers, given the high cost of housing and rising mortgage interest rates, in exchange for a partial stake.
Posted inEnvironment
Slow burn: Cal Fire has failed to fight PTSD, heavy workloads
About 10% of Cal Fire’s workforce quit the agency last year. “We are at critical mass, guaranteed,” one Cal Fire captain said. Workers’ comp cases for PTSD are routinely denied, and many crews are fatigued from working weeks at a time with no time off.
Posted inCommentary
Push state leaders to pass a budget that boosts homeownership
There are growing calls to promote equity for those working Californians who, as a result of this state and nation’s history of discrimination, have higher levels of economic and housing insecurity and limited, if any, intergenerational wealth. California Realtors, Habitat for Humanity and the California Building Industry Association — a housing coalition — echoes those […]
Posted inCommentary
Equipment tax is hobbling state’s manufacturers
Assembly Bill 1951 would attract new producers by easing the high cost of scaling up production in California.
Posted inHousing
California has a new law on eviction protections. What does it mean for tenants?
State lawmakers rushed this week to extend California eviction protections for hundreds of thousands of tenants waiting for rent relief. It was signed into law on Thursday. But some advocacy groups for landlords and tenants alike are unhappy with the bill.
Posted inPolitics
What one thing do Republican recall candidates blame for California’s housing crisis?
Challengers in the Newsom recall election are making CEQA a villain. But experts say that the landmark environmental law is only one of many tools used to block housing.
Posted inWhatMatters
How both sides weaponize California unemployment rate in recall
Is California (a) leading the nation in job creation (b) home to the country’s second-highest unemployment rate or (c) all of the above?
Posted inCommentary
Why it’s not easy to build affordable housing in California
While Gov. Gavin Newsom renews his pledge to attack California’s housing crisis, a bureaucratic mess and labor union demands are impediments to construction.
Posted inWhatMatters
Vaccines for all 16+ in 3 weeks, Newsom says
Good morning, California. It’s Friday, March 26. Statewide network incomplete All Californians 16 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in three weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday. Under the state’s new guidelines, Californians 50 and older — a group that includes Newsom himself — will become eligible on April 1, with those […]