Policy Brief Policy Brief: How Did Pandemic Recovery Funding Support California Community Colleges? By Olga Rodriguez, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Kevin Cook, Chansonette Buck May 8, 2024 Much of the pandemic recovery funding went directly to students—even that earmarked for institutional support. Investments reported to enhance student equity, success, and enrollment include making college more affordable, expanding student supports and services, and increasing flexibility in course modality.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Policies for Creating and Keeping Jobs in California By David Neumark, Emma Wohl, Stephanie Barton Dec 13, 2023 California offers 21 programs intended to add jobs or grow employment. Which policies work and how well? Three programs show strong evidence for creating jobs or increasing employment; others show mixed evidence or are too new to be evaluated. The state should consider expanding effective programs and build features to better evaluate the others.
blog post How Did California’s Economy Recover from COVID—and What Comes Next? By Sarah Bohn Mar 9, 2022 As part of PPIC’s blog series reflecting on two years of COVID-19 in California, we examine how the state’s labor market has bounced back from the economic downturn and explore key racial/ethnic and regional disparities.
Report California Cities and the Local Sales Tax By Paul Lewis, Elisa Barbour Jul 1, 1999 In California, local sales tax revenues accrue to the jurisdiction in which the sale occurs. This gives cities an incentive to promote the location of retail businesses within their boundaries. Although sales taxes account for only a modest portion of total city revenues, cities regard them highly because they represent a major share of their discretionary income. This study focuses on two crucial questions related to cities' pursuit of these revenues. First, how does the sales tax affect land-use decisions? If cities are systematically favoring retail development over other types of growth, this may negatively affect overall economic development in the state. Second, which types of communities are doing better or worse in the quest for these revenues?
Report Cities Under Pressure: Local Growth Controls and Residential Development Policy By Paul Lewis, Max Neiman Jan 1, 2002 Some critics have argued that local growth controls are a major cause of the state’s housing shortfalls and affordability problems. In Cities Under Pressure: Local Growth Controls and Residential Development Policy, Paul Lewis and Max Neiman probe this argument by examining the residential development policies of California’s cities. Focusing on local efforts to control the amount, type, and location of new housing, the authors use a variety of data sources--including a detailed survey of almost 300 city planning officials in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Central Valley--to investigate which communities adopt growth controls and why. Their findings indicate that most growth management policies are understandable responses to the cross-pressures experienced by city officials.
Report Who Pays for Development Fees and Exactions? By Steven M. Sheffrin, Marla Dresch Jun 1, 1997 Exactions are payments made by a developer to local governments for the right to proceed with a project. Exactions can include development fees, the dedication of public land, the construction or maintenance of public infrastructure, or the provision of public services. Developers complain that exactions have become excessive, stifling economic growth. Local government officials argue that these levies are essential to growth: Without them, local government could not provide the infrastructure necessary for new development. Although California leads the nation in imposing fees on new residential development, surprisingly little is known about the nature and effects of these fees—for example, the extent to which they are passed on to consumers in the form of higher home prices. This volume presents the results of an econometric analysis of development fees in Contra Costa County—a county in the San Francisco Bay area that has experienced rapid growth in recent decades.
blog post Video: A Conversation with Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis By Stephanie Barton Feb 10, 2021 Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis talks with PPIC’s Mark Baldassare about state efforts to combat COVID-19 and address the economic impact of the pandemic.
