Housing

A row of colorful stucco houses in San Francisco with garage doors at street level, closely lined up in a uniform architectural style. One house in the foreground is painted teal with a matching garage door, while others are in shades of olive green, blue, tan, and beige. Trimmed boxy shrubs sit in front of some houses, and cars are parked in the narrow driveways. Overhead utility lines stretch across the scene under a gray, overcast sky.

Housing

How bad is California’s housing shortage? It depends on who’s doing the counting

56,000. 2.7 million. 840,000. Why is one of California’s most pressing policy problems so hard to measure?

By

Ben Christopher

• September 26, 2025

A person holds up a blue jacket while sorting through a pile of clothes in front of them that was left behind by other people experiencing homelessness at a park.

Homelessness

Homelessness is dropping in California counties. But funding cuts could derail that progress

Experts worry liberal California will be blacklisted from federal homelessness dollars, effectively counteracting recent progress.

By

Marisa Kendall

• September 24, 2025

A gray train passes through train tracks near a row of single-family homes.

Housing

California Legislature overrides local zoning to boost transit-oriented development

The bill, among the most controversial housing proposals in recent memory, overcame opposition from local governments, organized labor unions and many legislative Democrats.

By

Ben Christopher

• September 12, 2025

A lawmaker, with brown hair and wearing a tan blazer with a red blouse, stands on the side of a lectern and listens to another person speak during a press conference.

Politics

Budget carveout appears to stymie apartment construction in powerful Democrat’s district

A bill released in the final days of the legislative session creates a carve-out from more permissive building rules and appears to target just one project: a proposed apartment building in Sen. Monique Limón's district.

By

Ben Christopher

• September 9, 2025

California Gov. Gavin Newsom looks forward with a serious expression during a rally. People stand behind him holding blue and white signs that read “Defend Democracy” and “Election Bigotry Response Act.

Homelessness

A California city tried to ban homeless shelters. It’s giving up after Newsom’s lawsuit

Norwalk backed down from its ban on homeless shelters after Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Southern California city. A Los Angeles judge must approve the settlement.

By

Marisa Kendall

• September 5, 2025

A bulldozer on the corner of 7th Street and Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica on May 24, 2023. Photo by Zaydee Sanchez for CalMatters

Housing

Breakthrough on California housing could put taller buildings in single-family neighborhoods

A powerful California construction union is no longer fighting a bill that would ease barriers to the construction of tall apartment buildings near train and bus stations.

By

Ben Christopher

• September 5, 2025

Mental Health

6 things to know about how Gov. Newsom’s CARE Court is working so far

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court was supposed to help the sickest people living on California’s streets. We took a look at data from around the state. Here’s what we found.

By

Marisa Kendall

,

Jocelyn Wiener

and

Erica Yee

• September 3, 2025

A worker in a reflective vest loads a dusty RV, marked with an orange X, onto a AAA tow truck during the Columbus Park sweep.

Homelessness

New enforcement targets people living in cars, RVs on California streets

Some cities are ramping up efforts to ticket and tow vehicles that shelter homeless Californians.

By

Marisa Kendall

• September 2, 2025

Mental Health

Newsom promised real progress on mental health with CARE Court. Here’s what the numbers show

In the most-comprehensive look yet at whether people are using Gov. Gavin Newsom's CARE Court, we found that far fewer Californians are enrolled in the mental health program than he projected.

By

Marisa Kendall

,

Jocelyn Wiener

and

Erica Yee

• September 2, 2025

A worker in a white protective suit and neon safety vest bends over to collect belongings at a street encampment. Cardboard pieces and a yellow tent are visible beside the railing, with city trucks and police nearby.

Homelessness

Gov. Newsom launches new task force to clear California homeless encampments

The task force, made up of six different state agencies, is the latest effort by the Newsom administration to remove homeless encampments from California’s streets.

By

Marisa Kendall

• August 29, 2025