blog post Commentary: How Better Data Can Help California Avoid a Drinking Water Crisis By Alvar Escriva-Bou, Rich Pauloo Jun 14, 2021
Fact Sheet Poverty in California By Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson, Sara Kimberlin, Patricia Malagon Oct 18, 2023 With the end of many pandemic relief programs, poverty rates—especially for children—have gone up in the last two years.
blog post Building a Better Water Safety Net By Lori Pottinger Oct 21, 2015 California’s poor rural communities have been hard hit by the drought. We interviewed Laurel Firestone about our water inequities, and ways to solve them.
Fact Sheet California’s Nutrition Safety Net By Tess Thorman, Patricia Malagon Apr 24, 2024 Millions of Californians participate in more than 15 programs designed to help them access nutritious food; these programs also reduce poverty. CalFresh, the largest nutrition program, provides low-income families with monthly food-buying resources. Other large programs serve pregnant Californians, young children, and K–12 students.
California Economic Policy, Report Broadband for All? Gaps in California’s Broadband Adoption and Availability By Jed Kolko Jul 10, 2007 California has consistently led the rest of the country in the average number of households with access to the high-speed Internet connection known as broadband. Yet within the state broadband availability and adoption vary dramatically. Some rural areas have no access at all. In others, households cannot afford it. Recognizing the advantages more broadband could bring to its citizenry and its economies, local and state government agencies have initiated a number of programs to increase availability and adoption. Using new data and techniques, this issue of California Economic Policy examines the current broadband landscape and the potential effects and deficiencies of these new initiatives.
Fact Sheet Water Use in California By Jeffrey Mount, Ellen Hanak, Caitlin Peterson Apr 19, 2023 To understand California’s water, start here. Water use in California varies dramatically between wet and dry years: learn who’s using California’s water, where, and how much.
blog post Reducing Drought Risks in Rural Communities By Alvar Escriva-Bou Jan 10, 2019 California’s rural communities are disproportionately exposed to drinking water shortages during drought. Improved planning efforts can help.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post Video: Bridging California’s Digital Divide By Vicki Hsieh Jul 27, 2023 How can unprecedented public investments in broadband be leveraged to close the digital divide? PPIC convened a series of three expert panels to explore how California can ensure equity in internet access as well as in the use of digital connectivity.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Achieving Universal Broadband in California By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao, Darriya Starr, Amy Gong Liu Mar 29, 2023 The COVID-19 pandemic spurred historic federal and state investments in broadband. Achieving universal broadband in California will require coordinated efforts among service providers, municipalities, and community organizations to overcome existing barriers and leverage funding opportunities.
