Housing

A jogger runs past a large sand berm built to protect low-lying homes from winter storms along the Peninsula neighborhood of Long Beach on Dec. 23, 2019. Photo by Scott Varley, The Orange County Register via AP

Housing

My house or my beach? How California’s housing crisis could weaken its coastal protections

The California Coastal Commission has broad authority to protect the state's shoreline. Now, some want to curtail its power over affordable housing proposals.

By

Ben Christopher

• July 6, 2023

The City of LA relocated a large homeless camp in the Beverly Grove area, next to Beverly Hills on May 11, 2023. Photo by Ted Soqui, SIPA USA via Reuters

Homelessness

A California city was making a difference on homelessness. Then the money ran out

Gov. Gavin Newsom poured ‘unprecedented’ money into homelessness, but providers say his use of one-time grants does not allow for long-term solutions to the state’s biggest crisis.

By

Marisa Kendall

• July 3, 2023

A small homeless encampment in Houston, Texas on May 5, 2023. Photo by Jordan Vonderhaar for CalMatters

Housing

How Texas shrank its homelessness population — and what it can teach California

Texas recorded a 28% drop in homelessness since 2012, while California’s homeless population grew by 43%. What's behind the diverging trends, and what can California learn from programs in Houston, Austin and San Antonio?

By

Marisa Kendall

• June 28, 2023

An aerial view of Community First! Village in Austin, Texas on May 12, 2023. Photo by Jordan Vonderhaar for CalMatters.

Housing

Inside a Texas homeless village that inspires California replicas: Art, movies and a fishing pond

California cities looking for homeless solutions are visiting a quirky tiny home village in Austin, Texas. They like what they see, but can they replicate the community it provides?

By

Marisa Kendall

• June 28, 2023

Carlos Parra, 44, delivers cold beverages and ice to his unhoused neighbors in an industrial part of Los Angeles during a heat wave on Sept. 4, 2022. “For us homeless, it is a little harder to deal with this heat," said Parra. Photo by Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters

Housing

California can’t — or won’t — match Texas’ approach to homelessness. Here are 4 reasons why

The homeless population fell by a third in Texas over the past decade as it surged in California. The cost of living is a big reason Texas is doing a better job at alleviating homelessness.

By

Marisa Kendall

• June 28, 2023

Volunteers prepare for sleeping arrangements at Haven for Hope in San Antonio, Texas on June 26, 2023. The community kitchen sleeps on average 200 clients. Photo by Chris Stokes for CalMatters

Housing

A Texas city shelters nearly all homeless residents in one place. It’s turning heads in California

San Antonio’s Haven for Hope offers a place to sleep for anyone in need. Some in California would love to replicate its scale, but its strict rules have others questioning its approach.

By

Marisa Kendall

• June 28, 2023

Ojai City Councilmember Suza Francina in her 140-square-foot temporary home provided by a friend after she became homeless in Ojai on June 13, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for Cal Matters

Politics

She lost her home. She doesn’t want to lose her city council seat

An Ojai City Councilmember moved out of her district after losing her home and is in danger of losing her seat. She and her supporters say it’s a dramatic demonstration of California’s affordable housing crisis.

By

Alexei Koseff

• June 22, 2023

Neighborhood resource coordinators Gustavo, center and Jawid Sharifi, right, meet with unhoused residents at a homeless encampment on W Street and Alhambra Boulevard in Sacramento on April 11, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

Mental Health

Newsom is proposing a boost in mental health funding. Why children’s advocates are worried

The spending change would prioritize housing for homeless people, which children's mental health advocates fear will cut their funding.

By

Kristen Hwang

• June 20, 2023

A man starts a fire while his wife sleeps inside their makeshift tent along a barbed wire fence near Highway 99 in southwest Fresno on Feb. 11, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Housing

The biggest survey of homeless Californians in decades shows why so many are on the streets

The largest survey of homeless Californians in decades aims to dispel myths about what drives that state’s most pressing crisis. It found that addiction and mental health conditions rarely cause homelessness.

By

Marisa Kendall

• June 20, 2023

University of California, Berkeley students search for apartments in Berkeley on March 29, 2022. Photo by Eric Risberg, AP Photo

Housing

Rents soared 151%. Under California’s new law, tenants are getting a refund

Tenants complained about steep rent increases from a Silicon Valley landlord. Now, 20 of them will get a refund under a state rent control law.

By

Ben Christopher

• June 14, 2023