Report Child Poverty and the Social Safety Net in California By Caroline Danielson, Sarah Bohn Sep 29, 2014 Because economic hardship is associated with a host of adverse outcomes, particularly for children, policies that can give children a better start in life are especially important. This report focuses on measuring material hardship among children across the state. Using the California Poverty Measure—which accounts for both family earnings and safety net resources and adjusts for work expenses and housing costs—we find that one-quarter of California’s children are in poverty. An additional 26 percent of children live in households that are "near poor,” or somewhat above what is often referred to as the poverty line. In short, about half of California’s children are poor or near-poor. Poverty rates, earnings, and the role of safety net resources all vary by region. But most poor children live in "working poor” families, with one or more working adults. And, without resources from the social safety net—which includes the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, CalFresh (California’s food stamp program), CalWORKs (California’s welfare program), and housing subsidies—there would be far more children in poverty throughout California.
Report Evaluating State EITC Options for California By Thomas E. MaCurdy Mar 25, 2004 In recent years, California and other states have either considered or developed their own earned income tax credit (EITC) plans to supplement the federal EITC. A well-targeted state EITC can support various policy goals by supporting low-income families and increasing their incentives to work. This report lays out four distinct approaches to a state EITC and tests them against three criteria: their effects on work incentives, the distribution of benefits by family type, and cost. It finds that if California wishes to implement its own EITC, it should not simply “add on” to the federal plan. Rather, it should design a program that considers a family’s hourly wages as well as its earnings.
blog post California’s High Housing Costs Increase Poverty By Patricia Malagon, Caroline Danielson Aug 13, 2021 Many families across the state struggle to afford housing, and periods of rising home prices—such as the pandemic recession—can pose a particularly large challenge.
blog post Legislative District Data Offers Close-Up View of Poverty By Caroline Danielson, Tess Thorman, Sarah Bohn Jan 11, 2018 New data shows wide variation in poverty rates across California’s state assembly and senate districts and US congressional districts.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus May 31, 2015 Some findings of the current survey: Public concern about the drought is at a record high: 69 percent of Californians say their regional water supply is a big problem. A solid majority favor the governor’s budget (73%) and his state Earned Income Tax Credit proposal (60%). Californians are divided on extending Proposition 30 tax increases. A solid majority (70%) favor increasing cigarette taxes, but fewer than half support other tax proposals. Most California adults (67%) and public school parents (65%) say unvaccinated children should not attend public school. A large majority (87%) say vaccines are at least somewhat safe. Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [PDF] Governor Brown [PDF] California State Legislature [PDF] U.S. Congress [PDF] Time Trends of Job Approval Ratings: President Obama [XLS] Governor Brown [XLS] California State Legislature [XLS] U.S. Congress [XLS] Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [PDF] Economic Outlook for California [PDF] Time Trends for the Mood of Californians: General Direction of Things in California [XLS] Economic Outlook for California [XLS] This survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
blog post Pandemic Aid Helped Lower Poverty in California By Caroline Danielson Sep 24, 2021 Despite the economic disruptions resulting from COVID-19, poverty declined in California last year—though stark racial/ethnic disparities remain.
blog post Commentary: An Equitable Recovery for California Requires Two Key Strategies By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Vicki Hsieh Jan 25, 2021 The current economic downturn has had an outsized impact on low-wage workers, communities of color, and women, and threatens to widen inequality. The right short- and long-term policies could help those most affected while broadening economic opportunity.
event Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government Jun 4, 2015 About the ProgramPPIC president, CEO, and survey director Mark Baldassare will have a conversation with John Myers, senior editor of KQED's California politics and government desk, about the findings of PPIC’s latest survey. The survey looks at Californians' views of the drought and the state's response to it. It also gauges support for the governor's revised budget and his proposed state Earned Income Tax Credit, as well as several tax proposals. This research was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
