blog post California’s Medi-Cal Expansion Is Lowering Poverty among Undocumented Immigrants By Patricia Malagon Apr 18, 2024 At the beginning of this year, California broadened Medi-Cal eligibility to include all undocumented immigrants regardless of age. We examine how the state-funded expansion of coverage could reduce poverty among non-citizens and their families.
blog post Video: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being By Vicki Hsieh Nov 23, 2021 Twenty months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Californians have mixed reviews of the state’s economy and most say the gap between rich and poor is growing.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: The Impact of Health Insurance on Poverty in California By Caroline Danielson, Patricia Malagon, Shannon McConville, Mary Severance Mar 27, 2023 The Affordable Care Act has helped millions of Californians gain health insurance over the past decade. In addition to improving access to care, the ACA has enhanced financial well-being. This work focuses on the significant contribution of publicly funded health coverage—particularly Medi-Cal—to family resources across the state.
Report Reducing Child Poverty in California: A Look at Housing Costs, Wages, and the Safety Net By Sarah Bohn, Caroline Danielson Nov 14, 2017 Nearly a quarter of young children in California live in poverty—a fact that has profound educational, health, and economic repercussions now and in the long term. High housing costs and low wages are key barriers to reducing the prevalence of child poverty. Lawmakers have taken action to address these issues: the minimum wage is slated to increase to $15 an hour by 2022, and recently enacted laws aim to ease the state’s housing crisis.
Report Do California’s Enterprise Zones Create Jobs? By David Neumark, Jed Kolko Jun 10, 2009 California’s enterprise zone program was established to spur business and job creation in economically distressed areas. Offering tax credits and other incentives to businesses throughout the state, it is California’s largest economic development program. But does it work? This report finds that enterprise zones have no overall effect on job growth. There are some positive findings: for example, the program raises employment more in zones with smaller manufacturing shares, and marketing and outreach efforts seem to be helpful. But the report’s main finding calls into question the wisdom of investing in the program as it stands.
