Youth homelessness down in CA, for now

From CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall:

Youth homelessness has declined by nearly a quarter since 2019 in California, according to a new report that offers a bright spot amid the state’s ongoing struggle to bring people off the streets.

Last year’s homeless census counted about 9,900 unhoused Californians under age 24 — a 24% reduction from 2019, according to a report by John Burton Advocates for Youth. The number of young people sleeping on the street (not in a shelter) declined 42%.

That progress hasn’t been universal. Overall homelessness in California increased 24% during that time. Nationwide, youth homelessness increased 11%. 

So why are things getting better for young people in California?

More money, according to the report. Starting in the 2018-19 fiscal year, California launched a new homeless housing and services grant and reserved 5% of those funds for young people. By the 2021-22 fiscal year, the overall grant had reached $1 billion, of which 10% was dedicated to young people.

State funding cuts on the horizon threaten to derail California’s progress. The 2025-26 budget includes no new Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention funding (a cut that won’t be felt until next year, due to the delayed nature of the funding program). Legislators have proposed $500 million for the 2026-27 budget, which would be a 50% cut from last year’s budget.

Jovenes, Inc., which serves homeless young people in Southeast Los Angeles County, relies on that state money to fund its housing subsidy program, according to the report. Traditional homelessness programs tend to prioritize older people with disabilities and chronic illnesses who have lived on the street for a long time, which can make it hard for young people to get a bed. 

• Andrea Marchetti, executive director of Jovenes: “That’s 219 slots going away. The bottom line is that there’s already not much out there for (transition-aged youth), and if the funding is not renewed, we’re leaving thousands of young people without support.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff was indicted Wednesday on multiple counts of fraud, allegedly committed during her time working for the governor, reports CalMatters’ Maya C. Miller.

Dana Williamson, along with three co-conspirators, were indicted as “the result of three years of relentless investigative work,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel, in a statement.

The indictment alleges that from 2022 to 2024, Williamson worked with a Sacramento lobbyist; Sean McCluskie, the former chief of staff to former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra; and two other unnamed co-conspirators to funnel away $225,000 from a dormant Becerra campaign account to McCluskie for personal use.

The indictment also accuses Williamson of claiming more than $1.7 million in false tax returns, which she used to buy luxury handbags, chartered jets and more.

Becerra, who is running for governor in 2026, said Wednesday that he did not know about the scheme and that he is cooperating with the U.S. Department of Justice. Meanwhile, Newsom’s office is distancing the governor from Williamson.

• Izzy Gardon, a Newsom spokesperson: “While we are still learning details of the allegations, the governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity.”

Read more here.

With parts of California experiencing frequent mudslides, floods and other natural disasters, the ability to reliably contact emergency services remains vital for residents. But for years AT&T has been trying to retire its copper landline service and bow out of its legal obligation to be the state’s “carrier of last resort,” report CalMatters’ Yue Stella Yu and Malena Carollo.

AT&T provides 75% of the state’s last-resort phone service, covering about 500,000 Californians. This year, it poured at least $4.5 million to pass a bill, which ultimately stalled, that would have allowed it to cut its copper services in certain areas of the state in exchange for agreeing to expand its fiber services.

It costs AT&T at least a billion dollars a year to maintain landline service in California, and state and federal subsidies for doing so have waned in recent decades. Still, the company is in the black, with $9.7 billion in reported profits so far this year. 

But critics say landline alternatives have their drawbacks: Fiber optic lines require backup power, and cellphone services aren’t as reliable. They also argue that AT&T wants to line shareholders’ pockets at the expense of communities that rely on landlines during emergencies. More than one million 911 calls in California are made each year over landlines. 

Read more here.

California and six other Western states that rely on the Colorado River blew through a federal deadline Tuesday to reach a broad agreement on how to cut back their water usage from the overtapped river. Negotiations now continue through the next February deadline. Read more from CalMatters’ Rachel Becker.