A KQED series exploring the creative extremes and quiet compromises we make to continue living in the Bay Area and California. Follow along with our newsletter.
Even in a Hot Rental Market, What Renters Shouldn’t Settle on When Looking for a New Home
Desperate Tenants in SF Face Scams, Substandard Rentals
These 9 Bay Area Restaurants Are Asking You to Pay What You Can
San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods
Is Your Kid Maybe a Baseball Prodigy? That’ll Cost Thousands of Dollars
California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts
San Francisco Is Expanding Access to Free or Discounted Childcare. How Do Families Sign Up?
Remember Your Mom’s ‘Tanda’? Young Latinos Are Giving It a Tech-Savvy Twist
Redwood City to Vote on Rent Control in November
How to Watch Bay Area Baseball on a Budget
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looking for a rental property in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> is not for the faint of heart — a fact Beyond Deng has come to understand very well.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 26-year-old policy researcher has a few days left to find a new home, after his landlord sold the Mission District apartment Deng shares with two friends. To stay in the city, Deng is now searching for a new home in one of the country’s hottest rental markets. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the sky-high prices and intense competition weren’t even the biggest surprises, he said: “It was how \u003cem>little \u003c/em>I would get for so much that I would have to pay.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1391\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2250030108-scaled-e1789077751622.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078788\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An apartment-for-rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building on Dec. 4, 2025, in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fueled in part by the AI boom, rents in San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/04/oakland-artificial-intelligence-ai-housing-rents-san-francisco/\">have risen\u003c/a> this year faster than anywhere else in the country — bringing with them \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095536/after-the-18000-scam-how-can-bay-area-renters-protect-themselves\">a new breed of scams\u003c/a> — and the rest of the Bay Area is also \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-price-apartment-oakland-22329281.php\">feeling the heat\u003c/a>. The few remaining options on the market, however, are forcing many renters to scale down their expectations \u003cem>even more\u003c/em> to find a home in the region.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One spot Deng considered was a \u003ca href=\"https://www.zillow.com/b/1000-1010-bush-street-san-francisco-ca-CkNrCG/\">110-square-foot room\u003c/a> with only a sink and a closet. The kitchen and bathroom were shared by more than a dozen other residents. Monthly rent for the property was listed at $1,400. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If I’m going to pay that much, let me just gather all my things, go back down South and try to find a whole house,” Houston-raised Deng joked.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A compromise too far?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other renters are looking into homes where tenants are already jostling for limited amenities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Álvaro Galván, a data scientist who just found a new rental spot, recalled visiting a three-bedroom home in the Excelsior District shared by seven people during his own search. When he asked about the TV in the living room, Galván said the existing tenants told him, “That’s our TV.” Meaning: “They could use the TV — but me, as their subtenant — could not,” he recalled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>High prices and endless competition may encourage you to look for fewer amenities than you’d like, said San Francisco-based attorney and tenants’ rights advocate Joshua Ezrin. But there are actually “basic state rules governing habitability,” he warned.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12051134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in San Francisco’s Nob Hill on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And you should be very careful, he added, “about entering into any type of lease with a landlord that is knowingly renting a unit that is violating these basic state rules.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Think you could hypothetically live in a rented room with no natural lighting — and where the bathroom is located \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco/comments/1ss42dp/is_there_a_place_to_warn_fellow_renters_of_bad/\">in a different building\u003c/a>? The law says something different, said Ora Prochovnick, director of litigation for the San Francisco renters’ rights group, Eviction Defense Collaborative. “You \u003cem>do \u003c/em>have rights and protections as a tenant,” she stressed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what legal experts recommend tenants should remember when looking for a new rental home in California — especially when a limited budget and a tight market might be forcing you to limit your expectations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the law say homes in California need to have?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are several laws that detail what all living spaces — “dwelling” is the official term used —in California must have. These rules apply when you own the home you live in, or when you are renting a house, apartment or an individual room.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The home “has to be fit for a human being to live in,” said Prochovnick from Eviction Defense Collaborative. “It’s a pretty low bar to meet — but it is a requirement.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One law \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=17920.3.\">requires\u003c/a> all dwellings (including hotel rooms) to have the following:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>sink\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A working \u003cstrong>heating system\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>toilet\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Shower \u003c/strong>or \u003cstrong>bathtub\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Electricity\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>ventilation system\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Some form of \u003cstrong>natural light\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1941.1.\">another law\u003c/a> specific to rental agreements goes even further: landlords have an \u003cem>immediate \u003c/em>obligation to comply with the standards above if they expect individuals to live in this home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of this year, California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067581/in-2026-all-rental-homes-in-california-will-need-to-have-these-2-things\">also requires\u003c/a> rental homes to have a \u003cstrong>fridge \u003cem>and \u003c/em>a stove \u003c/strong>— and property owners must repair or replace them if they stop working.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the home didn’t have a heater or fridge when you moved in, you can still ask your landlord to meet the state’s obligations after you’ve begun living there, as there’s no time limit on invoking these rights.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tenants don’t waive their rights if there are problems when they move in,” Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you are renting an individual room in a house or large building but that room does not include its own private bathroom or kitchen, your landlord must grant you access to the bathroom and kitchen of that property. You have access to the shared amenities even if the space you are paying for does not explicitly include them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can you flag problems \u003cem>before \u003c/em>you move in?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Renters absolutely have a right to ask property owners to follow state regulations even if they haven’t signed a lease yet, Prochovnick said. But she also acknowledged that some people may feel unsure — to put it mildly — about bringing issues up with a landlord during an interview or a crowded open house.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Yes, there’s a lot of competition for every unit, and you don’t want the landlord to think you’re a troublemaker from day one,” she said. “But this is something we have to weigh: How bad are the problems that you want to point them out now — or later?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And how a property owner responds to you asking a question about what the apartment has — or lacks — can also be an opportunity for you to learn how they may deal with future needs, added Ezrin, the San Francisco-based attorney.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign on a house in San Francisco’s Mission District on March 31, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Are these going to be folks that will be responsive to your repair and maintenance requests?” he questioned.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ezrin recommended that you get a record — in writing — from a prospective landlord outlining what problems will be fixed: “either in the lease itself, in a lease addendum or in some separate side agreement before you execute the lease.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why is this important? So you have something in writing verifying the problem actually exists, Ezrin explained. This also means you’re putting the landlord “on notice of the issue,” he said, so that they can move forward with necessary repairs before you move into the home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are folks who have no other options based on financial limitations and what the market has available,” he acknowledged. “So sometimes you’re going to concede points that you might not want to.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nonetheless, “you should be very careful about entering into any type of lease with a landlord that knowingly is renting a unit that is violating the basic state rules governing habitability,” Ezrin warned.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How small is \u003cem>too\u003c/em> small?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another thing many Bay Area tenants might grudgingly sacrifice to find a place that’s in their budget: space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Craigslist, there are hundreds of \u003ca href=\"http://craigslist.org/search/city/san-francisco-ca?cat=roo&max_price=1500&min_price=0&postal=94110&radius=10#search=2~gallery~27\">Bay Area listings\u003c/a> for homes with three or more people already sharing the space — and of course, some San Franciscans are even paying $700 per month for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080289/700-a-month-sleeping-pods-make-sf-more-affordable-but-at-what-cost\">a bunk bed\u003c/a> in a room with 30 other adults.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even in a very crowded home, state law requires minimum physical requirements for those inhabitants. The ceiling height must be at least 7 feet, 6 inches. “You have to be able to stand up straight without bumping your head,” said Prochovnick.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building in San Francisco’s Nob Hill on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State law also \u003ca href=\"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-87716\">dictates\u003c/a> that every dwelling must be a minimum of 70 square feet, she said — which includes bedrooms. And if you’re renting just a bed in a room that’s shared with other people, the room where you all sleep in must be bigger than 70 square feet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You also have a right to privacy within the space that you are paying for. Even if you are renting a room in a friend or family member’s home, they cannot enter your bedroom without a proper reason and proper notice, Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of those reasons could be that you have invited your landlord to enter your room, or there’s an emergency. Otherwise, your landlord can \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1954.&lawCode=CIV\">come in only\u003c/a> to:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Make necessary or agreed-upon repairs.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Inspect the room’s condition at the start or end of your lease.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Show the space to a potential tenant.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if any of these conditions apply, your landlord still needs to let you know — in writing — that they’ll be entering at least 24 hours in advance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Knowing what the state requires can help you understand what your privacy would look like in any rental home you’re looking at.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Think ahead of time: What will be your private space?” said Prochovnick. If you’ve rented only a bedroom in the landlord’s home, your right to privacy applies \u003cem>only \u003c/em>to that bedroom, she added. “The landlord doesn’t have to give you notice if they’re coming in the garage or the stairway.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you feel that a home you’re looking to rent already has a lot of people living in it, have a clear understanding of who you have a lease with — is it the landlord or another tenant? If it’s another tenant, check what the main (or “original”) lease says about the maximum number of occupants in the home, Prochovnick advised.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You might feel like bringing in a roommate is just bringing in a roommate,” she said. “But legally that’s subletting, and that could be a violation of your lease if you’re not doing it with prior written consent from the landlord.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Looking for a rental property in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> is not for the faint of heart — a fact Beyond Deng has come to understand very well.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The 26-year-old policy researcher has a few days left to find a new home, after his landlord sold the Mission District apartment Deng shares with two friends. To stay in the city, Deng is now searching for a new home in one of the country’s hottest rental markets. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the sky-high prices and intense competition weren’t even the biggest surprises, he said: “It was how \u003cem>little \u003c/em>I would get for so much that I would have to pay.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fueled in part by the AI boom, rents in San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/04/oakland-artificial-intelligence-ai-housing-rents-san-francisco/\">have risen\u003c/a> this year faster than anywhere else in the country — bringing with them \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095536/after-the-18000-scam-how-can-bay-area-renters-protect-themselves\">a new breed of scams\u003c/a> — and the rest of the Bay Area is also \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-price-apartment-oakland-22329281.php\">feeling the heat\u003c/a>. The few remaining options on the market, however, are forcing many renters to scale down their expectations \u003cem>even more\u003c/em> to find a home in the region.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One spot Deng considered was a \u003ca href=\"https://www.zillow.com/b/1000-1010-bush-street-san-francisco-ca-CkNrCG/\">110-square-foot room\u003c/a> with only a sink and a closet. The kitchen and bathroom were shared by more than a dozen other residents. Monthly rent for the property was listed at $1,400. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One spot Deng considered was a \u003ca href=\"https://www.zillow.com/b/1000-1010-bush-street-san-francisco-ca-CkNrCG/\">110-square-foot room\u003c/a> with only a sink and a closet. The kitchen and bathroom were shared by more than a dozen other residents. Monthly rent for the property was listed at $1,400. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If I’m going to pay that much, let me just gather all my things, go back down South and try to find a whole house,” Houston-raised Deng joked.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other renters are looking into homes where tenants are already jostling for limited amenities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Álvaro Galván, a data scientist who just found a new rental spot, recalled visiting a three-bedroom home in the Excelsior District shared by seven people during his own search. When he asked about the TV in the living room, Galván said the existing tenants told him, “That’s our TV.” Meaning: “They could use the TV — but me, as their subtenant — could not,” he recalled.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Álvaro Galván, a data scientist who just found a new rental spot, recalled visiting a three-bedroom home in the Excelsior District shared by seven people during his own search. When he asked about the TV in the living room, Galván said the existing tenants told him, “That’s our TV.” Meaning: “They could use the TV — but me, as their subtenant — could not,” he recalled.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>High prices and endless competition may encourage you to look for fewer amenities than you’d like, said San Francisco-based attorney and tenants’ rights advocate Joshua Ezrin. But there are actually “basic state rules governing habitability,” he warned.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>High prices and endless competition may encourage you to look for fewer amenities than you’d like, said San Francisco-based attorney and tenants’ rights advocate Joshua Ezrin. But there are actually “basic state rules governing habitability,” he warned.\u003c/p>\n"
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"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12051134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in San Francisco’s Nob Hill on July 29, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12051134\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in San Francisco’s Nob Hill on July 29, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And you should be very careful, he added, “about entering into any type of lease with a landlord that is knowingly renting a unit that is violating these basic state rules.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And you should be very careful, he added, “about entering into any type of lease with a landlord that is knowingly renting a unit that is violating these basic state rules.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Think you could hypothetically live in a rented room with no natural lighting — and where the bathroom is located \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco/comments/1ss42dp/is_there_a_place_to_warn_fellow_renters_of_bad/\">in a different building\u003c/a>? The law says something different, said Ora Prochovnick, director of litigation for the San Francisco renters’ rights group, Eviction Defense Collaborative. “You \u003cem>do \u003c/em>have rights and protections as a tenant,” she stressed.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Think you could hypothetically live in a rented room with no natural lighting — and where the bathroom is located \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco/comments/1ss42dp/is_there_a_place_to_warn_fellow_renters_of_bad/\">in a different building\u003c/a>? The law says something different, said Ora Prochovnick, director of litigation for the San Francisco renters’ rights group, Eviction Defense Collaborative. “You \u003cem>do \u003c/em>have rights and protections as a tenant,” she stressed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what legal experts recommend tenants should remember when looking for a new rental home in California — especially when a limited budget and a tight market might be forcing you to limit your expectations. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what legal experts recommend tenants should remember when looking for a new rental home in California — especially when a limited budget and a tight market might be forcing you to limit your expectations. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What does the law say homes in California need to have?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the law say homes in California need to have?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the law say homes in California need to have?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are several laws that detail what all living spaces — “dwelling” is the official term used —in California must have. These rules apply when you own the home you live in, or when you are renting a house, apartment or an individual room.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>There are several laws that detail what all living spaces — “dwelling” is the official term used —in California must have. These rules apply when you own the home you live in, or when you are renting a house, apartment or an individual room.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The home “has to be fit for a human being to live in,” said Prochovnick from Eviction Defense Collaborative. “It’s a pretty low bar to meet — but it is a requirement.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The home “has to be fit for a human being to live in,” said Prochovnick from Eviction Defense Collaborative. “It’s a pretty low bar to meet — but it is a requirement.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One law \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=17920.3.\">requires\u003c/a> all dwellings (including hotel rooms) to have the following:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One law \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=17920.3.\">requires\u003c/a> all dwellings (including hotel rooms) to have the following:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>sink\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>sink\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>A working \u003cstrong>heating system\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>A working \u003cstrong>heating system\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"blockName": "core/list-item",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>toilet\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>toilet\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Shower \u003c/strong>or \u003cstrong>bathtub\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Shower \u003c/strong>or \u003cstrong>bathtub\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Electricity\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Electricity\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>ventilation system\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>ventilation system\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Some form of \u003cstrong>natural light\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Some form of \u003cstrong>natural light\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1941.1.\">another law\u003c/a> specific to rental agreements goes even further: landlords have an \u003cem>immediate \u003c/em>obligation to comply with the standards above if they expect individuals to live in this home. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1941.1.\">another law\u003c/a> specific to rental agreements goes even further: landlords have an \u003cem>immediate \u003c/em>obligation to comply with the standards above if they expect individuals to live in this home. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As of this year, California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067581/in-2026-all-rental-homes-in-california-will-need-to-have-these-2-things\">also requires\u003c/a> rental homes to have a \u003cstrong>fridge \u003cem>and \u003c/em>a stove \u003c/strong>— and property owners must repair or replace them if they stop working.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As of this year, California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067581/in-2026-all-rental-homes-in-california-will-need-to-have-these-2-things\">also requires\u003c/a> rental homes to have a \u003cstrong>fridge \u003cem>and \u003c/em>a stove \u003c/strong>— and property owners must repair or replace them if they stop working.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the home didn’t have a heater or fridge when you moved in, you can still ask your landlord to meet the state’s obligations after you’ve begun living there, as there’s no time limit on invoking these rights.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If the home didn’t have a heater or fridge when you moved in, you can still ask your landlord to meet the state’s obligations after you’ve begun living there, as there’s no time limit on invoking these rights.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tenants don’t waive their rights if there are problems when they move in,” Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Tenants don’t waive their rights if there are problems when they move in,” Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you are renting an individual room in a house or large building but that room does not include its own private bathroom or kitchen, your landlord must grant you access to the bathroom and kitchen of that property. You have access to the shared amenities even if the space you are paying for does not explicitly include them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you are renting an individual room in a house or large building but that room does not include its own private bathroom or kitchen, your landlord must grant you access to the bathroom and kitchen of that property. You have access to the shared amenities even if the space you are paying for does not explicitly include them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How can you flag problems before you move in?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can you flag problems \u003cem>before \u003c/em>you move in?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can you flag problems \u003cem>before \u003c/em>you move in?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Renters absolutely have a right to ask property owners to follow state regulations even if they haven’t signed a lease yet, Prochovnick said. But she also acknowledged that some people may feel unsure — to put it mildly — about bringing issues up with a landlord during an interview or a crowded open house.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Renters absolutely have a right to ask property owners to follow state regulations even if they haven’t signed a lease yet, Prochovnick said. But she also acknowledged that some people may feel unsure — to put it mildly — about bringing issues up with a landlord during an interview or a crowded open house.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Yes, there’s a lot of competition for every unit, and you don’t want the landlord to think you’re a troublemaker from day one,” she said. “But this is something we have to weigh: How bad are the problems that you want to point them out now — or later?”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Yes, there’s a lot of competition for every unit, and you don’t want the landlord to think you’re a troublemaker from day one,” she said. “But this is something we have to weigh: How bad are the problems that you want to point them out now — or later?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And how a property owner responds to you asking a question about what the apartment has — or lacks — can also be an opportunity for you to learn how they may deal with future needs, added Ezrin, the San Francisco-based attorney.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And how a property owner responds to you asking a question about what the apartment has — or lacks — can also be an opportunity for you to learn how they may deal with future needs, added Ezrin, the San Francisco-based attorney.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign on a house in San Francisco’s Mission District on March 31, 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040031\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign on a house in San Francisco’s Mission District on March 31, 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Are these going to be folks that will be responsive to your repair and maintenance requests?” he questioned.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Are these going to be folks that will be responsive to your repair and maintenance requests?” he questioned.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ezrin recommended that you get a record — in writing — from a prospective landlord outlining what problems will be fixed: “either in the lease itself, in a lease addendum or in some separate side agreement before you execute the lease.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Ezrin recommended that you get a record — in writing — from a prospective landlord outlining what problems will be fixed: “either in the lease itself, in a lease addendum or in some separate side agreement before you execute the lease.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Why is this important? So you have something in writing verifying the problem actually exists, Ezrin explained. This also means you’re putting the landlord “on notice of the issue,” he said, so that they can move forward with necessary repairs before you move into the home.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Why is this important? So you have something in writing verifying the problem actually exists, Ezrin explained. This also means you’re putting the landlord “on notice of the issue,” he said, so that they can move forward with necessary repairs before you move into the home.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are folks who have no other options based on financial limitations and what the market has available,” he acknowledged. “So sometimes you’re going to concede points that you might not want to.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“There are folks who have no other options based on financial limitations and what the market has available,” he acknowledged. “So sometimes you’re going to concede points that you might not want to.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nonetheless, “you should be very careful about entering into any type of lease with a landlord that knowingly is renting a unit that is violating the basic state rules governing habitability,” Ezrin warned.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Nonetheless, “you should be very careful about entering into any type of lease with a landlord that knowingly is renting a unit that is violating the basic state rules governing habitability,” Ezrin warned.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How small is too small?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How small is \u003cem>too\u003c/em> small?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How small is \u003cem>too\u003c/em> small?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another thing many Bay Area tenants might grudgingly sacrifice to find a place that’s in their budget: space. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another thing many Bay Area tenants might grudgingly sacrifice to find a place that’s in their budget: space. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Craigslist, there are hundreds of \u003ca href=\"http://craigslist.org/search/city/san-francisco-ca?cat=roo&max_price=1500&min_price=0&postal=94110&radius=10#search=2~gallery~27\">Bay Area listings\u003c/a> for homes with three or more people already sharing the space — and of course, some San Franciscans are even paying $700 per month for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080289/700-a-month-sleeping-pods-make-sf-more-affordable-but-at-what-cost\">a bunk bed\u003c/a> in a room with 30 other adults.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Craigslist, there are hundreds of \u003ca href=\"http://craigslist.org/search/city/san-francisco-ca?cat=roo&max_price=1500&min_price=0&postal=94110&radius=10#search=2~gallery~27\">Bay Area listings\u003c/a> for homes with three or more people already sharing the space — and of course, some San Franciscans are even paying $700 per month for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080289/700-a-month-sleeping-pods-make-sf-more-affordable-but-at-what-cost\">a bunk bed\u003c/a> in a room with 30 other adults.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even in a very crowded home, state law requires minimum physical requirements for those inhabitants. The ceiling height must be at least 7 feet, 6 inches. “You have to be able to stand up straight without bumping your head,” said Prochovnick.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But even in a very crowded home, state law requires minimum physical requirements for those inhabitants. The ceiling height must be at least 7 feet, 6 inches. “You have to be able to stand up straight without bumping your head,” said Prochovnick.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building in San Francisco’s Nob Hill on July 29, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building in San Francisco’s Nob Hill on July 29, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State law also \u003ca href=\"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-87716\">dictates\u003c/a> that every dwelling must be a minimum of 70 square feet, she said — which includes bedrooms. And if you’re renting just a bed in a room that’s shared with other people, the room where you all sleep in must be bigger than 70 square feet.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State law also \u003ca href=\"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-87716\">dictates\u003c/a> that every dwelling must be a minimum of 70 square feet, she said — which includes bedrooms. And if you’re renting just a bed in a room that’s shared with other people, the room where you all sleep in must be bigger than 70 square feet.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You also have a right to privacy within the space that you are paying for. Even if you are renting a room in a friend or family member’s home, they cannot enter your bedroom without a proper reason and proper notice, Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You also have a right to privacy within the space that you are paying for. Even if you are renting a room in a friend or family member’s home, they cannot enter your bedroom without a proper reason and proper notice, Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of those reasons could be that you have invited your landlord to enter your room, or there’s an emergency. Otherwise, your landlord can \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1954.&lawCode=CIV\">come in only\u003c/a> to:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of those reasons could be that you have invited your landlord to enter your room, or there’s an emergency. Otherwise, your landlord can \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1954.&lawCode=CIV\">come in only\u003c/a> to:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Inspect the room’s condition at the start or end of your lease.\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if any of these conditions apply, your landlord still needs to let you know — in writing — that they’ll be entering at least 24 hours in advance.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if any of these conditions apply, your landlord still needs to let you know — in writing — that they’ll be entering at least 24 hours in advance.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Knowing what the state requires can help you understand what your privacy would look like in any rental home you’re looking at.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Think ahead of time: What will be your private space?” said Prochovnick. If you’ve rented only a bedroom in the landlord’s home, your right to privacy applies \u003cem>only \u003c/em>to that bedroom, she added. “The landlord doesn’t have to give you notice if they’re coming in the garage or the stairway.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Think ahead of time: What will be your private space?” said Prochovnick. If you’ve rented only a bedroom in the landlord’s home, your right to privacy applies \u003cem>only \u003c/em>to that bedroom, she added. “The landlord doesn’t have to give you notice if they’re coming in the garage or the stairway.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you feel that a home you’re looking to rent already has a lot of people living in it, have a clear understanding of who you have a lease with — is it the landlord or another tenant? If it’s another tenant, check what the main (or “original”) lease says about the maximum number of occupants in the home, Prochovnick advised.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you feel that a home you’re looking to rent already has a lot of people living in it, have a clear understanding of who you have a lease with — is it the landlord or another tenant? If it’s another tenant, check what the main (or “original”) lease says about the maximum number of occupants in the home, Prochovnick advised.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You might feel like bringing in a roommate is just bringing in a roommate,” she said. “But legally that’s subletting, and that could be a violation of your lease if you’re not doing it with prior written consent from the landlord.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You might feel like bringing in a roommate is just bringing in a roommate,” she said. “But legally that’s subletting, and that could be a violation of your lease if you’re not doing it with prior written consent from the landlord.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Less space, natural light and, sometimes, no bathroom — many Bay Area renters are seeing fewer homes within their budget. But legal experts say there are some compromises you shouldn’t have to make, even if you're desperate to secure a spot.\n",
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"title": "Even in a Hot Rental Market, What Renters Shouldn’t Settle on When Looking for a New Home | KQED",
"description": "Less space, natural light and, sometimes, no bathroom — many Bay Area renters are seeing fewer homes within their budget. But legal experts say there are some compromises you shouldn’t have to make, even if you're desperate to secure a spot.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Looking for a rental property in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> is not for the faint of heart — a fact Beyond Deng has come to understand very well.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The 26-year-old policy researcher has a few days left to find a new home, after his landlord sold the Mission District apartment Deng shares with two friends. To stay in the city, Deng is now searching for a new home in one of the country’s hottest rental markets. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the sky-high prices and intense competition weren’t even the biggest surprises, he said: “It was how \u003cem>little \u003c/em>I would get for so much that I would have to pay.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1391\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/GettyImages-2250030108-scaled-e1789077751622.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078788\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An apartment-for-rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building on Dec. 4, 2025, in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fueled in part by the AI boom, rents in San Francisco \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/04/oakland-artificial-intelligence-ai-housing-rents-san-francisco/\">have risen\u003c/a> this year faster than anywhere else in the country — bringing with them \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095536/after-the-18000-scam-how-can-bay-area-renters-protect-themselves\">a new breed of scams\u003c/a> — and the rest of the Bay Area is also \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-price-apartment-oakland-22329281.php\">feeling the heat\u003c/a>. The few remaining options on the market, however, are forcing many renters to scale down their expectations \u003cem>even more\u003c/em> to find a home in the region.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One spot Deng considered was a \u003ca href=\"https://www.zillow.com/b/1000-1010-bush-street-san-francisco-ca-CkNrCG/\">110-square-foot room\u003c/a> with only a sink and a closet. The kitchen and bathroom were shared by more than a dozen other residents. Monthly rent for the property was listed at $1,400. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If I’m going to pay that much, let me just gather all my things, go back down South and try to find a whole house,” Houston-raised Deng joked.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A compromise too far?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other renters are looking into homes where tenants are already jostling for limited amenities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Álvaro Galván, a data scientist who just found a new rental spot, recalled visiting a three-bedroom home in the Excelsior District shared by seven people during his own search. When he asked about the TV in the living room, Galván said the existing tenants told him, “That’s our TV.” Meaning: “They could use the TV — but me, as their subtenant — could not,” he recalled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>High prices and endless competition may encourage you to look for fewer amenities than you’d like, said San Francisco-based attorney and tenants’ rights advocate Joshua Ezrin. But there are actually “basic state rules governing habitability,” he warned.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12051134\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/018_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in San Francisco’s Nob Hill on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And you should be very careful, he added, “about entering into any type of lease with a landlord that is knowingly renting a unit that is violating these basic state rules.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Think you could hypothetically live in a rented room with no natural lighting — and where the bathroom is located \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco/comments/1ss42dp/is_there_a_place_to_warn_fellow_renters_of_bad/\">in a different building\u003c/a>? The law says something different, said Ora Prochovnick, director of litigation for the San Francisco renters’ rights group, Eviction Defense Collaborative. “You \u003cem>do \u003c/em>have rights and protections as a tenant,” she stressed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what legal experts recommend tenants should remember when looking for a new rental home in California — especially when a limited budget and a tight market might be forcing you to limit your expectations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the law say homes in California need to have?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are several laws that detail what all living spaces — “dwelling” is the official term used —in California must have. These rules apply when you own the home you live in, or when you are renting a house, apartment or an individual room.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The home “has to be fit for a human being to live in,” said Prochovnick from Eviction Defense Collaborative. “It’s a pretty low bar to meet — but it is a requirement.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One law \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=17920.3.\">requires\u003c/a> all dwellings (including hotel rooms) to have the following:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>sink\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A working \u003cstrong>heating system\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>toilet\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Shower \u003c/strong>or \u003cstrong>bathtub\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Electricity\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A \u003cstrong>ventilation system\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Some form of \u003cstrong>natural light\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1941.1.\">another law\u003c/a> specific to rental agreements goes even further: landlords have an \u003cem>immediate \u003c/em>obligation to comply with the standards above if they expect individuals to live in this home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of this year, California \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067581/in-2026-all-rental-homes-in-california-will-need-to-have-these-2-things\">also requires\u003c/a> rental homes to have a \u003cstrong>fridge \u003cem>and \u003c/em>a stove \u003c/strong>— and property owners must repair or replace them if they stop working.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the home didn’t have a heater or fridge when you moved in, you can still ask your landlord to meet the state’s obligations after you’ve begun living there, as there’s no time limit on invoking these rights.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tenants don’t waive their rights if there are problems when they move in,” Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you are renting an individual room in a house or large building but that room does not include its own private bathroom or kitchen, your landlord must grant you access to the bathroom and kitchen of that property. You have access to the shared amenities even if the space you are paying for does not explicitly include them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can you flag problems \u003cem>before \u003c/em>you move in?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Renters absolutely have a right to ask property owners to follow state regulations even if they haven’t signed a lease yet, Prochovnick said. But she also acknowledged that some people may feel unsure — to put it mildly — about bringing issues up with a landlord during an interview or a crowded open house.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Yes, there’s a lot of competition for every unit, and you don’t want the landlord to think you’re a troublemaker from day one,” she said. “But this is something we have to weigh: How bad are the problems that you want to point them out now — or later?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And how a property owner responds to you asking a question about what the apartment has — or lacks — can also be an opportunity for you to learn how they may deal with future needs, added Ezrin, the San Francisco-based attorney.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12040031\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_RentStrike_03312020_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign on a house in San Francisco’s Mission District on March 31, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Are these going to be folks that will be responsive to your repair and maintenance requests?” he questioned.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ezrin recommended that you get a record — in writing — from a prospective landlord outlining what problems will be fixed: “either in the lease itself, in a lease addendum or in some separate side agreement before you execute the lease.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why is this important? So you have something in writing verifying the problem actually exists, Ezrin explained. This also means you’re putting the landlord “on notice of the issue,” he said, so that they can move forward with necessary repairs before you move into the home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are folks who have no other options based on financial limitations and what the market has available,” he acknowledged. “So sometimes you’re going to concede points that you might not want to.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nonetheless, “you should be very careful about entering into any type of lease with a landlord that knowingly is renting a unit that is violating the basic state rules governing habitability,” Ezrin warned.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How small is \u003cem>too\u003c/em> small?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another thing many Bay Area tenants might grudgingly sacrifice to find a place that’s in their budget: space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Craigslist, there are hundreds of \u003ca href=\"http://craigslist.org/search/city/san-francisco-ca?cat=roo&max_price=1500&min_price=0&postal=94110&radius=10#search=2~gallery~27\">Bay Area listings\u003c/a> for homes with three or more people already sharing the space — and of course, some San Franciscans are even paying $700 per month for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080289/700-a-month-sleeping-pods-make-sf-more-affordable-but-at-what-cost\">a bunk bed\u003c/a> in a room with 30 other adults.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even in a very crowded home, state law requires minimum physical requirements for those inhabitants. The ceiling height must be at least 7 feet, 6 inches. “You have to be able to stand up straight without bumping your head,” said Prochovnick.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A for-rent sign hangs outside of an apartment building in San Francisco’s Nob Hill on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State law also \u003ca href=\"https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-87716\">dictates\u003c/a> that every dwelling must be a minimum of 70 square feet, she said — which includes bedrooms. And if you’re renting just a bed in a room that’s shared with other people, the room where you all sleep in must be bigger than 70 square feet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You also have a right to privacy within the space that you are paying for. Even if you are renting a room in a friend or family member’s home, they cannot enter your bedroom without a proper reason and proper notice, Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of those reasons could be that you have invited your landlord to enter your room, or there’s an emergency. Otherwise, your landlord can \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1954.&lawCode=CIV\">come in only\u003c/a> to:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Make necessary or agreed-upon repairs.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Inspect the room’s condition at the start or end of your lease.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Show the space to a potential tenant.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if any of these conditions apply, your landlord still needs to let you know — in writing — that they’ll be entering at least 24 hours in advance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Knowing what the state requires can help you understand what your privacy would look like in any rental home you’re looking at.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Think ahead of time: What will be your private space?” said Prochovnick. If you’ve rented only a bedroom in the landlord’s home, your right to privacy applies \u003cem>only \u003c/em>to that bedroom, she added. “The landlord doesn’t have to give you notice if they’re coming in the garage or the stairway.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you feel that a home you’re looking to rent already has a lot of people living in it, have a clear understanding of who you have a lease with — is it the landlord or another tenant? If it’s another tenant, check what the main (or “original”) lease says about the maximum number of occupants in the home, Prochovnick advised.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You might feel like bringing in a roommate is just bringing in a roommate,” she said. “But legally that’s subletting, and that could be a violation of your lease if you’re not doing it with prior written consent from the landlord.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-francisco-child-care-free-elfa-discount-subsidies-how-to-apply-who-qualifies",
"title": "San Francisco Is Expanding Access to Free or Discounted Childcare. How Do Families Sign Up?",
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"headTitle": "San Francisco Is Expanding Access to Free or Discounted Childcare. How Do Families Sign Up? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069711/san-francisco-expands-child-care-subsidies-to-tackle-affordability-issues\">widening access to early childhood education\u003c/a> and care for children from birth to 5 years old — by offering families financial aid.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A few years ago, the city began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11948690/business-tax-provides-crucial-funding-for-early-childhood-education-and-care-in-san-francisco\">using revenue from a local business tax\u003c/a>, plus state and federal dollars, to fund free childcare and preschool for families with low and moderate incomes. Starting this summer, higher-income families can apply for a 50% tuition discount.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The expansion is expected to take some financial pressure off young families in the city as they grapple with the \u003ca href=\"https://tootris.com/edu/blog/parents/cost-of-child-care-in-california-by-city-age-and-type-of-care-provider/\">highest childcare costs in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there’s a catch: financial aid is only available to families who enroll in any of the approximately 560 early learning programs participating in the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/early-learning-for-all\">Early Learning For All, also known as ELFA,\u003c/a> network. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what San Francisco families need to know about the system and how they can sign up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who qualifies for San Francisco’s financial aid for childcare?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Free tuition\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Free tuition is available for families who live in San Francisco and earn up to\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>110% of the Area Median Income, or AMI. That means a single parent with a child, who makes up to $142,650 per year — or a couple with one child earning $160,500 per year — would qualify for free tuition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Full tuition credit\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families earning between 111% and 150% of the AMI (that’s up to $194,550 for a family of two, and up to $218,850 for a family of three) can get full tuition credit to pay for \u003cem>most \u003c/em>of the cost of childcare or preschool. The subsidy goes directly to the provider, but families might need to cover a co-pay and any extra hours of care.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lyuba Shkolnik teaches children how to bake muffins at her in-home childcare business called Daycare Bumblebee in San Francisco on Jan. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, a branch of the city’s government, sets the rates it will reimburse to providers in the ELFA network. \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/Early_Learning_For_All_Rates_FY_26-27_uwckwsW.pdf\">For the 2026-27 fiscal year\u003c/a>, which began July 1, families can save the following amounts in childcare per month for each child in these age categories:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Infants (0 to 24 months): $3,027 per month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $2,306 per month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): $2,115 per month\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">50% tuition discount\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families earning between 151% and 200% of the AMI (that’s up to $259,400 for a family of two, and up to $291,800 for a family of three) can apply for 50% off the reimbursement rates — but they must pay the rest of the tuition costs set by the provider and any extra hours of care or fees. Here’s how much families can save in childcare per month for children in these age categories:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli> Infants (0 to 24 months): $1,514 per month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $1,153 per month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): $1,058 per month\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How is income eligibility determined?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The AMI is based on gross income, which is the amount you earn \u003cem>before \u003c/em>any taxes or other deductions are taken out of your paycheck. Families can submit tax documents from the previous year or their most recent pay stubs. Eligibility is determined based on the documentation provided and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/eligibility-for-free-or-low-cost-preschool-and-child-care\">the family’s household size\u003c/a>, said Jonathan Rubinsky, a spokesman for the Department of Early Childhood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I sign up for San Francisco childcare subsidies?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can sign up yourself on the \u003ca href=\"https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait3/sfdec/service\">Department of Early Childhood’s online portal\u003c/a> — or you can contact these \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/early-learning-for-all\">three Childcare Resource and Referral agencies \u003c/a>who can help you apply. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also contact a preschool or childcare program in the ELFA network and their staff will help you apply for the subsidy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I choose among the hundreds of childcare programs and preschools in the ELFA network? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families can browse through a \u003ca href=\"https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait3/sfdec/service/search/list?near=San%20Francisco,%20CA\">centralized list\u003c/a> of childcare and preschool programs in the ELFA network to learn about their locations, hours, prices, available spaces and educational approaches, such as immersing children in specific languages or in a Montessori or play-based curriculum. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also click on the provider’s state license number to look up details of their health and safety records, state regulators’ inspections of their facilities, and any citations or complaints they received. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with long, black braids and a brown hoodie plays with a baby in a sunhat in the backyard on a sunny day.\" class=\"wp-image-11957186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A little over 50% of family childcare providers in California are 50 years old or older, yet less than a quarter of them have any retirement savings, according to research from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Programs based in the provider’s home and licensed to serve up to 14 children are categorized as “Family Child Care.” Larger programs with multiple classrooms and staff are categorized as “centers.” Some families prefer a home environment for their children, while others prefer larger centers — and you can request a tour of the facility to inform your decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Parents of 4-year-olds can also opt for a school-based program called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989955/what-to-expect-when-enrolling-your-child-in-transitional-kindergarten\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>. The pre-kindergarten program is taught at San Francisco Unified School District elementary schools or early education centers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I really want to enroll my child in a certain program, but they don’t have any openings. What can I do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some childcare homes or centers have waitlists because the demand for a space in their program is driven by parental choice, according to Meenoo Yashar, deputy director of early learning at the city’s Department of Early Childhood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said parents can contact the provider to find out when they might have an opening and get on their waitlist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s the quality of these programs?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of these programs meet the state’s minimum health and safety standards for licensed centers and family childcare homes. These include:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Passing staff background checks\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Receiving staff training in pediatric CPR and First Aid\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Maintaining specific staff-to-child ratios\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Ensuring safe indoor and outdoor physical space\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To join the Early Learning For All network, they also must meet the Department of Early Childhood’s \u003ca href=\"https://provider.sfdec.org/wp-content/uploads/Quality-Standard_Updated_6_8_26_ENG.pdf\">quality standards\u003c/a>, which are higher than state and federal requirements, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/ca-upk-mixed-delivery-systems-report\">analysis by the Learning Policy Institute\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00146_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076655\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00146_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00146_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00146_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Victoria Golobordko walks a child at Daycare Bumblebee in San Francisco on Jan. 30, 2026. San Francisco is expanding access to childcare by offering 50% discounts to middle- and upper-middle-income earners in an effort to tackle affordability issues in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Daycare Bumblebee is trying to get approval to enter the city’s Early Learning For All system. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yashar said those expectations include providing a “welcoming, culturally responsive environment” to parents, where there are multiple communication channels to tell them what’s going on in the classroom and how their children are developing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yashar said members must also provide a “rich learning environment with lots of opportunities for children to do exploratory play.” That means early educators are providing a variety of hands-on learning materials, and they’re also interacting meaningfully with children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To join ELFA, educators get assessed on the way they engage with children, Yashar said. “Are they asking open-ended questions? Are there opportunities where children are talking to each other, or are they just being talked to?” she said. “We’re looking to see, are the teachers also helping the children understand what’s going to happen in their day?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Providers in the ELFA network must also provide data regularly to the Department of Early Childhood. In return, they receive wage supplements for the teaching staff and funding to improve their facilities, including outdoor play areas. Teachers also receive professional development, coaching and access to mental health consultants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The department also covers tuition for educators who want to complete their degrees in early childhood education at local colleges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This work has to do with optimizing brain development during a critical time, and so we want our educators to have access to higher education and understand the latest research and methodology for working with young kids,” Yashar said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Higher pay has helped stabilize staffing in a sector plagued by workplace burnout due to low wages and lack of support and benefits. Last year, a study by \u003ca href=\"https://cscce.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/state-of-ece-san-francisco-2025-updated-jan2026.pdf\">UC Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment\u003c/a> found that the turnover rate for teachers and assistant teachers in San Francisco was 17%, which is 23% to 35% lower than in other places in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re getting better paid, hopefully you’re going to stay in your job,” Yashar said. A stable staff is a marker of quality, she said, because it allows children to strengthen relationships with their educator. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069711/san-francisco-expands-child-care-subsidies-to-tackle-affordability-issues\">widening access to early childhood education\u003c/a> and care for children from birth to 5 years old — by offering families financial aid.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069711/san-francisco-expands-child-care-subsidies-to-tackle-affordability-issues\">widening access to early childhood education\u003c/a> and care for children from birth to 5 years old — by offering families financial aid.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A few years ago, the city began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11948690/business-tax-provides-crucial-funding-for-early-childhood-education-and-care-in-san-francisco\">using revenue from a local business tax\u003c/a>, plus state and federal dollars, to fund free childcare and preschool for families with low and moderate incomes. Starting this summer, higher-income families can apply for a 50% tuition discount.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A few years ago, the city began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11948690/business-tax-provides-crucial-funding-for-early-childhood-education-and-care-in-san-francisco\">using revenue from a local business tax\u003c/a>, plus state and federal dollars, to fund free childcare and preschool for families with low and moderate incomes. Starting this summer, higher-income families can apply for a 50% tuition discount.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The expansion is expected to take some financial pressure off young families in the city as they grapple with the \u003ca href=\"https://tootris.com/edu/blog/parents/cost-of-child-care-in-california-by-city-age-and-type-of-care-provider/\">highest childcare costs in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The expansion is expected to take some financial pressure off young families in the city as they grapple with the \u003ca href=\"https://tootris.com/edu/blog/parents/cost-of-child-care-in-california-by-city-age-and-type-of-care-provider/\">highest childcare costs in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But there’s a catch: financial aid is only available to families who enroll in any of the approximately 560 early learning programs participating in the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/early-learning-for-all\">Early Learning For All, also known as ELFA,\u003c/a> network. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But there’s a catch: financial aid is only available to families who enroll in any of the approximately 560 early learning programs participating in the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/early-learning-for-all\">Early Learning For All, also known as ELFA,\u003c/a> network. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s what San Francisco families need to know about the system and how they can sign up. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here’s what San Francisco families need to know about the system and how they can sign up. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Who qualifies for San Francisco’s financial aid for childcare?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who qualifies for San Francisco’s financial aid for childcare?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"text": "Free tuition"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Free tuition\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Free tuition is available for families who live in San Francisco and earn up to\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>110% of the Area Median Income, or AMI. That means a single parent with a child, who makes up to $142,650 per year — or a couple with one child earning $160,500 per year — would qualify for free tuition.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Free tuition is available for families who live in San Francisco and earn up to\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>110% of the Area Median Income, or AMI. That means a single parent with a child, who makes up to $142,650 per year — or a couple with one child earning $160,500 per year — would qualify for free tuition.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "Full tuition credit"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Full tuition credit\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Full tuition credit\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Families earning between 111% and 150% of the AMI (that’s up to $194,550 for a family of two, and up to $218,850 for a family of three) can get full tuition credit to pay for \u003cem>most \u003c/em>of the cost of childcare or preschool. The subsidy goes directly to the provider, but families might need to cover a co-pay and any extra hours of care.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Families earning between 111% and 150% of the AMI (that’s up to $194,550 for a family of two, and up to $218,850 for a family of three) can get full tuition credit to pay for \u003cem>most \u003c/em>of the cost of childcare or preschool. The subsidy goes directly to the provider, but families might need to cover a co-pay and any extra hours of care.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lyuba Shkolnik teaches children how to bake muffins at her in-home childcare business called Daycare Bumblebee in San Francisco on Jan. 30, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076653\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lyuba Shkolnik teaches children how to bake muffins at her in-home childcare business called Daycare Bumblebee in San Francisco on Jan. 30, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, a branch of the city’s government, sets the rates it will reimburse to providers in the ELFA network. \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/Early_Learning_For_All_Rates_FY_26-27_uwckwsW.pdf\">For the 2026-27 fiscal year\u003c/a>, which began July 1, families can save the following amounts in childcare per month for each child in these age categories:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, a branch of the city’s government, sets the rates it will reimburse to providers in the ELFA network. \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/Early_Learning_For_All_Rates_FY_26-27_uwckwsW.pdf\">For the 2026-27 fiscal year\u003c/a>, which began July 1, families can save the following amounts in childcare per month for each child in these age categories:\u003c/p>\n"
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"Infants (0 to 24 months): $3,027 per month",
"Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $2,306 per month",
"Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): $2,115 per month"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Infants (0 to 24 months): $3,027 per month\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Infants (0 to 24 months): $3,027 per month\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $2,306 per month\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $2,306 per month\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): $2,115 per month\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): $2,115 per month\u003c/li>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "50% tuition discount"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">50% tuition discount\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">50% tuition discount\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Families earning between 151% and 200% of the AMI (that’s up to $259,400 for a family of two, and up to $291,800 for a family of three) can apply for 50% off the reimbursement rates — but they must pay the rest of the tuition costs set by the provider and any extra hours of care or fees. Here’s how much families can save in childcare per month for children in these age categories:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Families earning between 151% and 200% of the AMI (that’s up to $259,400 for a family of two, and up to $291,800 for a family of three) can apply for 50% off the reimbursement rates — but they must pay the rest of the tuition costs set by the provider and any extra hours of care or fees. Here’s how much families can save in childcare per month for children in these age categories:\u003c/p>\n"
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" Infants (0 to 24 months): $1,514 per month",
"Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $1,153 per month",
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli> Infants (0 to 24 months): $1,514 per month\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli> Infants (0 to 24 months): $1,514 per month\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $1,153 per month\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): $1,058 per month\u003c/li>\n",
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How is income eligibility determined?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How is income eligibility determined?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The AMI is based on gross income, which is the amount you earn \u003cem>before \u003c/em>any taxes or other deductions are taken out of your paycheck. Families can submit tax documents from the previous year or their most recent pay stubs. Eligibility is determined based on the documentation provided and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/eligibility-for-free-or-low-cost-preschool-and-child-care\">the family’s household size\u003c/a>, said Jonathan Rubinsky, a spokesman for the Department of Early Childhood.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The AMI is based on gross income, which is the amount you earn \u003cem>before \u003c/em>any taxes or other deductions are taken out of your paycheck. Families can submit tax documents from the previous year or their most recent pay stubs. Eligibility is determined based on the documentation provided and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/eligibility-for-free-or-low-cost-preschool-and-child-care\">the family’s household size\u003c/a>, said Jonathan Rubinsky, a spokesman for the Department of Early Childhood.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How do I sign up for San Francisco childcare subsidies?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I sign up for San Francisco childcare subsidies?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can sign up yourself on the \u003ca href=\"https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait3/sfdec/service\">Department of Early Childhood’s online portal\u003c/a> — or you can contact these \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/early-learning-for-all\">three Childcare Resource and Referral agencies \u003c/a>who can help you apply. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can sign up yourself on the \u003ca href=\"https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait3/sfdec/service\">Department of Early Childhood’s online portal\u003c/a> — or you can contact these \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/early-learning-for-all\">three Childcare Resource and Referral agencies \u003c/a>who can help you apply. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also contact a preschool or childcare program in the ELFA network and their staff will help you apply for the subsidy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can also contact a preschool or childcare program in the ELFA network and their staff will help you apply for the subsidy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How do I choose among the hundreds of childcare programs and preschools in the ELFA network? ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I choose among the hundreds of childcare programs and preschools in the ELFA network? \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Families can browse through a \u003ca href=\"https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait3/sfdec/service/search/list?near=San%20Francisco,%20CA\">centralized list\u003c/a> of childcare and preschool programs in the ELFA network to learn about their locations, hours, prices, available spaces and educational approaches, such as immersing children in specific languages or in a Montessori or play-based curriculum. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Families can browse through a \u003ca href=\"https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait3/sfdec/service/search/list?near=San%20Francisco,%20CA\">centralized list\u003c/a> of childcare and preschool programs in the ELFA network to learn about their locations, hours, prices, available spaces and educational approaches, such as immersing children in specific languages or in a Montessori or play-based curriculum. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also click on the provider’s state license number to look up details of their health and safety records, state regulators’ inspections of their facilities, and any citations or complaints they received. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can also click on the provider’s state license number to look up details of their health and safety records, state regulators’ inspections of their facilities, and any citations or complaints they received. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with long, black braids and a brown hoodie plays with a baby in a sunhat in the backyard on a sunny day.\" class=\"wp-image-11957186\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A little over 50% of family childcare providers in California are 50 years old or older, yet less than a quarter of them have any retirement savings, according to research from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Programs based in the provider’s home and licensed to serve up to 14 children are categorized as “Family Child Care.” Larger programs with multiple classrooms and staff are categorized as “centers.” Some families prefer a home environment for their children, while others prefer larger centers — and you can request a tour of the facility to inform your decision. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some childcare homes or centers have waitlists because the demand for a space in their program is driven by parental choice, according to Meenoo Yashar, deputy director of early learning at the city’s Department of Early Childhood. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To join the Early Learning For All network, they also must meet the Department of Early Childhood’s \u003ca href=\"https://provider.sfdec.org/wp-content/uploads/Quality-Standard_Updated_6_8_26_ENG.pdf\">quality standards\u003c/a>, which are higher than state and federal requirements, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/ca-upk-mixed-delivery-systems-report\">analysis by the Learning Policy Institute\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yashar said those expectations include providing a “welcoming, culturally responsive environment” to parents, where there are multiple communication channels to tell them what’s going on in the classroom and how their children are developing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Providers in the ELFA network must also provide data regularly to the Department of Early Childhood. In return, they receive wage supplements for the teaching staff and funding to improve their facilities, including outdoor play areas. Teachers also receive professional development, coaching and access to mental health consultants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This work has to do with optimizing brain development during a critical time, and so we want our educators to have access to higher education and understand the latest research and methodology for working with young kids,” Yashar said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Higher pay has helped stabilize staffing in a sector plagued by workplace burnout due to low wages and lack of support and benefits. Last year, a study by \u003ca href=\"https://cscce.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/state-of-ece-san-francisco-2025-updated-jan2026.pdf\">UC Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment\u003c/a> found that the turnover rate for teachers and assistant teachers in San Francisco was 17%, which is 23% to 35% lower than in other places in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you’re getting better paid, hopefully you’re going to stay in your job,” Yashar said. A stable staff is a marker of quality, she said, because it allows children to strengthen relationships with their educator. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "San Francisco is the first U.S. city to offer a robust early childhood education program for children under 5. Here’s how families can opt into its Early Learning For All system. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069711/san-francisco-expands-child-care-subsidies-to-tackle-affordability-issues\">widening access to early childhood education\u003c/a> and care for children from birth to 5 years old — by offering families financial aid.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A few years ago, the city began \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11948690/business-tax-provides-crucial-funding-for-early-childhood-education-and-care-in-san-francisco\">using revenue from a local business tax\u003c/a>, plus state and federal dollars, to fund free childcare and preschool for families with low and moderate incomes. Starting this summer, higher-income families can apply for a 50% tuition discount.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The expansion is expected to take some financial pressure off young families in the city as they grapple with the \u003ca href=\"https://tootris.com/edu/blog/parents/cost-of-child-care-in-california-by-city-age-and-type-of-care-provider/\">highest childcare costs in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there’s a catch: financial aid is only available to families who enroll in any of the approximately 560 early learning programs participating in the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/early-learning-for-all\">Early Learning For All, also known as ELFA,\u003c/a> network. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s what San Francisco families need to know about the system and how they can sign up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who qualifies for San Francisco’s financial aid for childcare?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Free tuition\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Free tuition is available for families who live in San Francisco and earn up to\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>110% of the Area Median Income, or AMI. That means a single parent with a child, who makes up to $142,650 per year — or a couple with one child earning $160,500 per year — would qualify for free tuition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Full tuition credit\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families earning between 111% and 150% of the AMI (that’s up to $194,550 for a family of two, and up to $218,850 for a family of three) can get full tuition credit to pay for \u003cem>most \u003c/em>of the cost of childcare or preschool. The subsidy goes directly to the provider, but families might need to cover a co-pay and any extra hours of care.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076653\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00137_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lyuba Shkolnik teaches children how to bake muffins at her in-home childcare business called Daycare Bumblebee in San Francisco on Jan. 30, 2026. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, a branch of the city’s government, sets the rates it will reimburse to providers in the ELFA network. \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/Early_Learning_For_All_Rates_FY_26-27_uwckwsW.pdf\">For the 2026-27 fiscal year\u003c/a>, which began July 1, families can save the following amounts in childcare per month for each child in these age categories:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Infants (0 to 24 months): $3,027 per month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $2,306 per month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): $2,115 per month\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">50% tuition discount\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families earning between 151% and 200% of the AMI (that’s up to $259,400 for a family of two, and up to $291,800 for a family of three) can apply for 50% off the reimbursement rates — but they must pay the rest of the tuition costs set by the provider and any extra hours of care or fees. Here’s how much families can save in childcare per month for children in these age categories:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli> Infants (0 to 24 months): $1,514 per month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Toddlers (24 to 36 months): $1,153 per month\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): $1,058 per month\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How is income eligibility determined?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The AMI is based on gross income, which is the amount you earn \u003cem>before \u003c/em>any taxes or other deductions are taken out of your paycheck. Families can submit tax documents from the previous year or their most recent pay stubs. Eligibility is determined based on the documentation provided and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/eligibility-for-free-or-low-cost-preschool-and-child-care\">the family’s household size\u003c/a>, said Jonathan Rubinsky, a spokesman for the Department of Early Childhood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I sign up for San Francisco childcare subsidies?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can sign up yourself on the \u003ca href=\"https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait3/sfdec/service\">Department of Early Childhood’s online portal\u003c/a> — or you can contact these \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/early-learning-for-all\">three Childcare Resource and Referral agencies \u003c/a>who can help you apply. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also contact a preschool or childcare program in the ELFA network and their staff will help you apply for the subsidy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I choose among the hundreds of childcare programs and preschools in the ELFA network? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Families can browse through a \u003ca href=\"https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait3/sfdec/service/search/list?near=San%20Francisco,%20CA\">centralized list\u003c/a> of childcare and preschool programs in the ELFA network to learn about their locations, hours, prices, available spaces and educational approaches, such as immersing children in specific languages or in a Montessori or play-based curriculum. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also click on the provider’s state license number to look up details of their health and safety records, state regulators’ inspections of their facilities, and any citations or complaints they received. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with long, black braids and a brown hoodie plays with a baby in a sunhat in the backyard on a sunny day.\" class=\"wp-image-11957186\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/08/RS64819_015_KQED_EachOneTeachOneChildCare_04262023-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A little over 50% of family childcare providers in California are 50 years old or older, yet less than a quarter of them have any retirement savings, according to research from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Programs based in the provider’s home and licensed to serve up to 14 children are categorized as “Family Child Care.” Larger programs with multiple classrooms and staff are categorized as “centers.” Some families prefer a home environment for their children, while others prefer larger centers — and you can request a tour of the facility to inform your decision. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Parents of 4-year-olds can also opt for a school-based program called \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989955/what-to-expect-when-enrolling-your-child-in-transitional-kindergarten\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>. The pre-kindergarten program is taught at San Francisco Unified School District elementary schools or early education centers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I really want to enroll my child in a certain program, but they don’t have any openings. What can I do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some childcare homes or centers have waitlists because the demand for a space in their program is driven by parental choice, according to Meenoo Yashar, deputy director of early learning at the city’s Department of Early Childhood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said parents can contact the provider to find out when they might have an opening and get on their waitlist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s the quality of these programs?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of these programs meet the state’s minimum health and safety standards for licensed centers and family childcare homes. These include:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Passing staff background checks\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Receiving staff training in pediatric CPR and First Aid\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Maintaining specific staff-to-child ratios\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Ensuring safe indoor and outdoor physical space\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To join the Early Learning For All network, they also must meet the Department of Early Childhood’s \u003ca href=\"https://provider.sfdec.org/wp-content/uploads/Quality-Standard_Updated_6_8_26_ENG.pdf\">quality standards\u003c/a>, which are higher than state and federal requirements, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/ca-upk-mixed-delivery-systems-report\">analysis by the Learning Policy Institute\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00146_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12076655\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00146_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00146_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260130-sfchildcareaccess00146_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Victoria Golobordko walks a child at Daycare Bumblebee in San Francisco on Jan. 30, 2026. San Francisco is expanding access to childcare by offering 50% discounts to middle- and upper-middle-income earners in an effort to tackle affordability issues in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Daycare Bumblebee is trying to get approval to enter the city’s Early Learning For All system. (Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yashar said those expectations include providing a “welcoming, culturally responsive environment” to parents, where there are multiple communication channels to tell them what’s going on in the classroom and how their children are developing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yashar said members must also provide a “rich learning environment with lots of opportunities for children to do exploratory play.” That means early educators are providing a variety of hands-on learning materials, and they’re also interacting meaningfully with children. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To join ELFA, educators get assessed on the way they engage with children, Yashar said. “Are they asking open-ended questions? Are there opportunities where children are talking to each other, or are they just being talked to?” she said. “We’re looking to see, are the teachers also helping the children understand what’s going to happen in their day?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Providers in the ELFA network must also provide data regularly to the Department of Early Childhood. In return, they receive wage supplements for the teaching staff and funding to improve their facilities, including outdoor play areas. Teachers also receive professional development, coaching and access to mental health consultants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The department also covers tuition for educators who want to complete their degrees in early childhood education at local colleges. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This work has to do with optimizing brain development during a critical time, and so we want our educators to have access to higher education and understand the latest research and methodology for working with young kids,” Yashar said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Higher pay has helped stabilize staffing in a sector plagued by workplace burnout due to low wages and lack of support and benefits. Last year, a study by \u003ca href=\"https://cscce.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/state-of-ece-san-francisco-2025-updated-jan2026.pdf\">UC Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Child Care Employment\u003c/a> found that the turnover rate for teachers and assistant teachers in San Francisco was 17%, which is 23% to 35% lower than in other places in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re getting better paid, hopefully you’re going to stay in your job,” Yashar said. A stable staff is a marker of quality, she said, because it allows children to strengthen relationships with their educator. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "how-to-watch-bay-area-baseball-on-a-budget",
"title": "How to Watch Bay Area Baseball on a Budget",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/baseball\">baseball\u003c/a> fans may say that watching your team play at their home field, surrounded by fans buzzing with excitement before first pitch — is priceless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But others will tell you that living here is only getting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">much more expensive\u003c/a> — and that they’ll gladly find ways to save while supporting their team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the start of July, we’re roughly halfway through the regular Major League Baseball season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Bay Area baseball fans are still mourning the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12006567/photos-fans-flood-coliseum-to-bid-emotional-farewell-at-as-last-game-in-oakland\">loss of the A’s\u003c/a> (based in West Sacramento for now before their move to Las Vegas in 2028), there are teams all over the region to root for — including the San Francisco Giants, of course.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We dived into the numbers — and asked the experts — to learn the best strategies for enjoying baseball in person with family and friends while keeping costs down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#CosteffectivealternativestowatchingtheGiants\">Cost-effective alternatives to watching the Giants\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12046979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250521-BaseballPsychology-50-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250521-BaseballPsychology-50-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250521-BaseballPsychology-50-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250521-BaseballPsychology-50-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski runs to first base after hitting the ball during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Oracle Park on May 21, 2025. Off the field, he advocates for mental health awareness in professional sports.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cutting down on costs for SF Giants tickets\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Giants may be having a rough season — it’s tough to see them so far from the Dodgers and Padres in league standings — but fans are still snatching up good seats. A Giants spokesperson shared four different ways with us to save on tickets this season:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fan Value Games\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/fan-value-games\">select games\u003c/a> this season, you can get tickets in either the 300 section (the “nosebleed” seats) or the bleachers (behind left field, so no views of the Bay) starting at $16.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep in mind that the cheapest tickets in the 300 section run out pretty quickly and some games only have bleacher seats left — so you may have better luck at finding 300 section seats for games scheduled later this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summer Brews & Baseball\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For July home games (which include games against the Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers), you can buy \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/beer\">discounted Summer Brews & Baseball tickets\u003c/a> which will also include a voucher for a Coors Light beer or another concession item up to $17 in value.[aside postID=news_12089221 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-614276824.jpg']As of this story’s publication, some games still have seats starting at $19, but others are seeing the cheaper tickets go much faster — so be quick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Special ticket offers for certain fans\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Giants offer up to a 40% discount for students, educators, healthcare workers, seniors and military members. Friday games usually have the biggest discounts — but you will have to buy tickets online through the official Giants ticket platform to confirm you qualify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students, for example, will have to confirm their university and school-provided email, while healthcare workers will need to upload a photo of their work-issued ID or another confirming document.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Weekend Four Packs\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/weekend-offer\">discounted ticket packs\u003c/a> that come with a $20 voucher for food or drink purchases at the stadium. They’re only available for Friday and weekend games, and while the Giants advertise that a four-ticket pack starts at $139 (roughly $35 per ticket), what you end up paying depends on available seats. For some games, individual tickets that qualify for this offer range from $67 to $150.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Other ways to save at an SF Giants game\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Get creative with your seats\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember, if you want tickets for less than $100, you’ll most likely have to stick to higher seats in the 300 section of the stadium. But longtime fans say that even if seats are far away from the action on the field, you’re still going to have a good time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With Giants games, you don’t have to feel stressed out about buying an expensive ticket in the 100 section,” San Francisco baseball fan Max Fisher said. “If you get the cheapest ticket and sit in the 300 section, you look out at the Bay, the boats going by and Treasure Island. It’s just really beautiful no matter where you sit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11993353\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11993353\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A white man wearing a black baseball cap and woman wearing a white hat clap in their seats.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clark Hancock, 73, claps during a Celebration of Life for Willie Mays, the San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer, at Oracle Park in San Francisco on July 8, 2024. Hancock traveled from Vegas for the celebration. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Want to try your luck at catching a foul ball? You still have a slim chance of doing so in the first ten rows of the 300 section, Fisher said. “Which is fun — at least for people who think they have a chance to do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you end up in the bleachers facing away from the Bay, you’ll be in one of the most energized areas of the stadium. “The bleachers are super lively and a ton of fun to hang out with a lot of the local die-hard fans,” Fisher said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for the more adventurous, you can also consider \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12039317/watch-sf-giants-kayak-rental-mccovey-cove-this-season\">renting a kayak\u003c/a> and watching the game while floating on the Bay. A three-hour reservation can range from $89 to $120 (additional fees not included) per person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bring your own food \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While you may be craving pretzels or chicken tenders while watching the game, one way to save money at Oracle Park is by bringing in your own food. You can bring outside food as long as it’s stored in a container that follows \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark/information/permitted-items\">stadium guidelines\u003c/a> (meaning: no coolers or massive backpacks). The same goes for water, as long as it’s brought in a reusable bottle. Outside alcoholic beverages, however, are not permitted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Look for free merch\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are a bunch of free merch days on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/promotions\">Giants schedule\u003c/a>: when the first few thousand fans at a game can receive a free bobblehead or special themed merch. But be ready, these giveaways can be \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/sf-giants-fans-furious-latest-giveaway-debacle-20368800.php\">quite competitive\u003c/a> — many fans waited for hours before a game against the Atlanta Braves last year just to get a Hello Kitty jersey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11745841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11745841\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Some of the many bobbleheads the Giants have produced since 1999 include musical legends Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Carlos Santana.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the many bobbleheads the Giants have produced since 1999 include musical legends Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Carlos Santana. \u003ccite>(Ryan Levi/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>(Going with young kids and worried that your budget won’t cover regular merch? Take them for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@steph.l.harris/video/7219723813364256042\">walk around the stadium\u003c/a> to keep them entertained. Walk to the left field bleachers to the Coca-Cola slide, get a selfie with the biggest baseball glove in the world and hit some whiffle balls in the 50-by-50 foot replica of Oracle Park.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Save on parking\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you \u003cem>really\u003c/em> need to drive but want to save on parking, you can book a spot at a parking lot near Oracle Park ahead of time with booking website SpotHero. A three-hour reservation in the Mission Bay neighborhood can range from $10 up to $26 in the pricier Chase Center parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re trying to avoid paying for a spot entirely, some fans recommend parking near Mission and 16th Street and taking the 22 Muni bus straight to Oracle Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Take public transit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are plenty of public transportation options available near Oracle Park to save on gas and parking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Coming in from San Mateo County and downtown San José? \u003c/em>Take Caltrain to 4th and King station. Adult ticket prices depend on how far you’re traveling: Coming from San José will cost $10.75, while a trip from Redwood City will be $6.25.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081645\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081645\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-TRANSITRIDERSHIPREBOUND00197_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-TRANSITRIDERSHIPREBOUND00197_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-TRANSITRIDERSHIPREBOUND00197_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-TRANSITRIDERSHIPREBOUND00197_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trains are stationed at the Caltrain station on King and Fourth streets in San Francisco on April 27, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Youth tickets (18 and under) are priced at $1, regardless of the distance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Coming in from the East Bay? \u003c/em>Take BART to Powell Street station, where you can transfer to either \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/maps/muni-metro-map\">Muni Metro\u003c/a>’s Judah or T Third line. While Muni fare is fixed (currently $2.85 per adult and free for youth 18 and under), BART will charge you based on how long your trip is.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"CosteffectivealternativestowatchingtheGiants\">\u003c/a>There’s a lot of baseball beyond Oracle Park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While you may love the Giants (or the view from Oracle Park), getting to San Francisco still means investing time and money. Luckily, you still have plenty of options in other parts of the Bay Area to enjoy a good ballgame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Oakland Ballers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In just its third season in existence, this East Bay team has already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12057075/ballers-bring-home-oaklands-first-baseball-title-since-1989\">claimed\u003c/a> one Pioneer League Championship — the Town’s first baseball championship since 1989, when the Athletics still called the Coliseum home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the Ballers’ home, that’s Raimondi Park: located about a 20-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride from West Oakland BART station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the A’s left the city in 2024, the Ballers sought to bring different parts of the Oakland identity into the field. Too $hort has performed at a game this season already, followed by a punk rock night a few weeks later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058699\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12058699\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251005_OaklandBallersParade_GC-29_qed.jpg\" alt='A Black woman wearing yellow clothing waves while holding a green sign that says \"Built by Oakland\" in a red vehicle.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251005_OaklandBallersParade_GC-29_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251005_OaklandBallersParade_GC-29_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251005_OaklandBallersParade_GC-29_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee attends the Oakland Ballers championship parade in Oakland on October 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cost: General admission seats behind first and third base usually go for less than $25. Seats behind the pitcher can range from $35 to $50. Fieldside seats are offered at $105. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Keep an eye out for deals specific to \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandballers.com/news/2026/04/10-things-to-know-about-2026\">\u003cem>the day of the week\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> as well. On Wednesday, for example, if you buy food at the game, you’ll get $15 off your first food order.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The San José Giants\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Single-A minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants plays at Excite Ballpark, south of San José’s downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many South Bay families, a San José Giants game is \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJose/comments/1bv1vzs/first_timer_at_sj_giants_game_any_tips/\">tradition\u003c/a>: churros from Olimpos (pretty big portions going for about $6), watching Gigante — one of the \u003cem>most\u003c/em> enthusiastic mascots in baseball — dance all over the field, and a spectacular fireworks show at the end of most games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029836\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San José Giants’ Ryan Lormand is tagged out at home by High Desert Mavericks catcher Travis Scott while trying to score on a fly ball in the third inning at Municipal Stadium, in San José, California, on July 9, 2009. \u003ccite>(Chris Talley/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cost: Seating behind the pitcher can range from $8 in the upper section to $35 in rows closest to the field. You can also reserve a picnic table that can sit up to eight guests (normally $23.50 per person) near first base.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San José National Adult Baseball Association teams\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Comprising dozens of teams located in the South Bay, the East Bay and the Peninsula, NABA welcomes college-level and former pro-level players.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most games are free and played at public parks or high schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The regular summer season for NABA’s three divisions lasts 12 weeks from March till the end of July. You can find the complete \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjnaba.org/teams/default.asp?u=SANJOSENABA&s=baseball&p=schedule&d=ALL&div=ALL\">schedule of upcoming games here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cost: Games are free and played across the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story includes reporting by KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/emanoukian\">Elize Manoukian\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Love baseball but trying to save money? Whether you’re trying to root for the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park or the Bay Area’s other baseball teams, there are ways for fans to keep a budget.",
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"title": "How to Watch Bay Area Baseball on a Budget | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some Bay Area \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/baseball\">baseball\u003c/a> fans may say that watching your team play at their home field, surrounded by fans buzzing with excitement before first pitch — is priceless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But others will tell you that living here is only getting \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">much more expensive\u003c/a> — and that they’ll gladly find ways to save while supporting their team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the start of July, we’re roughly halfway through the regular Major League Baseball season.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And while Bay Area baseball fans are still mourning the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12006567/photos-fans-flood-coliseum-to-bid-emotional-farewell-at-as-last-game-in-oakland\">loss of the A’s\u003c/a> (based in West Sacramento for now before their move to Las Vegas in 2028), there are teams all over the region to root for — including the San Francisco Giants, of course.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We dived into the numbers — and asked the experts — to learn the best strategies for enjoying baseball in person with family and friends while keeping costs down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#CosteffectivealternativestowatchingtheGiants\">Cost-effective alternatives to watching the Giants\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12046979\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250521-BaseballPsychology-50-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250521-BaseballPsychology-50-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250521-BaseballPsychology-50-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250521-BaseballPsychology-50-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski runs to first base after hitting the ball during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Oracle Park on May 21, 2025. Off the field, he advocates for mental health awareness in professional sports.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Cutting down on costs for SF Giants tickets\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Giants may be having a rough season — it’s tough to see them so far from the Dodgers and Padres in league standings — but fans are still snatching up good seats. A Giants spokesperson shared four different ways with us to save on tickets this season:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Fan Value Games\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/fan-value-games\">select games\u003c/a> this season, you can get tickets in either the 300 section (the “nosebleed” seats) or the bleachers (behind left field, so no views of the Bay) starting at $16.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep in mind that the cheapest tickets in the 300 section run out pretty quickly and some games only have bleacher seats left — so you may have better luck at finding 300 section seats for games scheduled later this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summer Brews & Baseball\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For July home games (which include games against the Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers), you can buy \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/beer\">discounted Summer Brews & Baseball tickets\u003c/a> which will also include a voucher for a Coors Light beer or another concession item up to $17 in value.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>As of this story’s publication, some games still have seats starting at $19, but others are seeing the cheaper tickets go much faster — so be quick.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Special ticket offers for certain fans\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Giants offer up to a 40% discount for students, educators, healthcare workers, seniors and military members. Friday games usually have the biggest discounts — but you will have to buy tickets online through the official Giants ticket platform to confirm you qualify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students, for example, will have to confirm their university and school-provided email, while healthcare workers will need to upload a photo of their work-issued ID or another confirming document.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Weekend Four Packs\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These are \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/specials/weekend-offer\">discounted ticket packs\u003c/a> that come with a $20 voucher for food or drink purchases at the stadium. They’re only available for Friday and weekend games, and while the Giants advertise that a four-ticket pack starts at $139 (roughly $35 per ticket), what you end up paying depends on available seats. For some games, individual tickets that qualify for this offer range from $67 to $150.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Other ways to save at an SF Giants game\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Get creative with your seats\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember, if you want tickets for less than $100, you’ll most likely have to stick to higher seats in the 300 section of the stadium. But longtime fans say that even if seats are far away from the action on the field, you’re still going to have a good time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With Giants games, you don’t have to feel stressed out about buying an expensive ticket in the 100 section,” San Francisco baseball fan Max Fisher said. “If you get the cheapest ticket and sit in the 300 section, you look out at the Bay, the boats going by and Treasure Island. It’s just really beautiful no matter where you sit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11993353\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11993353\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL.jpg\" alt=\"A white man wearing a black baseball cap and woman wearing a white hat clap in their seats.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/240708-WillieMaysCelebration-121-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clark Hancock, 73, claps during a Celebration of Life for Willie Mays, the San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer, at Oracle Park in San Francisco on July 8, 2024. Hancock traveled from Vegas for the celebration. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Want to try your luck at catching a foul ball? You still have a slim chance of doing so in the first ten rows of the 300 section, Fisher said. “Which is fun — at least for people who think they have a chance to do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you end up in the bleachers facing away from the Bay, you’ll be in one of the most energized areas of the stadium. “The bleachers are super lively and a ton of fun to hang out with a lot of the local die-hard fans,” Fisher said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And for the more adventurous, you can also consider \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12039317/watch-sf-giants-kayak-rental-mccovey-cove-this-season\">renting a kayak\u003c/a> and watching the game while floating on the Bay. A three-hour reservation can range from $89 to $120 (additional fees not included) per person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bring your own food \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While you may be craving pretzels or chicken tenders while watching the game, one way to save money at Oracle Park is by bringing in your own food. You can bring outside food as long as it’s stored in a container that follows \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/ballpark/information/permitted-items\">stadium guidelines\u003c/a> (meaning: no coolers or massive backpacks). The same goes for water, as long as it’s brought in a reusable bottle. Outside alcoholic beverages, however, are not permitted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Look for free merch\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are a bunch of free merch days on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.mlb.com/giants/tickets/promotions\">Giants schedule\u003c/a>: when the first few thousand fans at a game can receive a free bobblehead or special themed merch. But be ready, these giveaways can be \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/sf-giants-fans-furious-latest-giveaway-debacle-20368800.php\">quite competitive\u003c/a> — many fans waited for hours before a game against the Atlanta Braves last year just to get a Hello Kitty jersey.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11745841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11745841\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Some of the many bobbleheads the Giants have produced since 1999 include musical legends Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Carlos Santana.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/05/RS37014_IMG_0523-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Some of the many bobbleheads the Giants have produced since 1999 include musical legends Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Carlos Santana. \u003ccite>(Ryan Levi/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>(Going with young kids and worried that your budget won’t cover regular merch? Take them for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tiktok.com/@steph.l.harris/video/7219723813364256042\">walk around the stadium\u003c/a> to keep them entertained. Walk to the left field bleachers to the Coca-Cola slide, get a selfie with the biggest baseball glove in the world and hit some whiffle balls in the 50-by-50 foot replica of Oracle Park.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Save on parking\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you \u003cem>really\u003c/em> need to drive but want to save on parking, you can book a spot at a parking lot near Oracle Park ahead of time with booking website SpotHero. A three-hour reservation in the Mission Bay neighborhood can range from $10 up to $26 in the pricier Chase Center parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re trying to avoid paying for a spot entirely, some fans recommend parking near Mission and 16th Street and taking the 22 Muni bus straight to Oracle Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Take public transit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are plenty of public transportation options available near Oracle Park to save on gas and parking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Coming in from San Mateo County and downtown San José? \u003c/em>Take Caltrain to 4th and King station. Adult ticket prices depend on how far you’re traveling: Coming from San José will cost $10.75, while a trip from Redwood City will be $6.25.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081645\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081645\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-TRANSITRIDERSHIPREBOUND00197_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-TRANSITRIDERSHIPREBOUND00197_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-TRANSITRIDERSHIPREBOUND00197_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-TRANSITRIDERSHIPREBOUND00197_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trains are stationed at the Caltrain station on King and Fourth streets in San Francisco on April 27, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Youth tickets (18 and under) are priced at $1, regardless of the distance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Coming in from the East Bay? \u003c/em>Take BART to Powell Street station, where you can transfer to either \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfmta.com/maps/muni-metro-map\">Muni Metro\u003c/a>’s Judah or T Third line. While Muni fare is fixed (currently $2.85 per adult and free for youth 18 and under), BART will charge you based on how long your trip is.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"CosteffectivealternativestowatchingtheGiants\">\u003c/a>There’s a lot of baseball beyond Oracle Park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While you may love the Giants (or the view from Oracle Park), getting to San Francisco still means investing time and money. Luckily, you still have plenty of options in other parts of the Bay Area to enjoy a good ballgame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Oakland Ballers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In just its third season in existence, this East Bay team has already \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12057075/ballers-bring-home-oaklands-first-baseball-title-since-1989\">claimed\u003c/a> one Pioneer League Championship — the Town’s first baseball championship since 1989, when the Athletics still called the Coliseum home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the Ballers’ home, that’s Raimondi Park: located about a 20-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride from West Oakland BART station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the A’s left the city in 2024, the Ballers sought to bring different parts of the Oakland identity into the field. Too $hort has performed at a game this season already, followed by a punk rock night a few weeks later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058699\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12058699\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251005_OaklandBallersParade_GC-29_qed.jpg\" alt='A Black woman wearing yellow clothing waves while holding a green sign that says \"Built by Oakland\" in a red vehicle.' width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251005_OaklandBallersParade_GC-29_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251005_OaklandBallersParade_GC-29_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251005_OaklandBallersParade_GC-29_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee attends the Oakland Ballers championship parade in Oakland on October 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cost: General admission seats behind first and third base usually go for less than $25. Seats behind the pitcher can range from $35 to $50. Fieldside seats are offered at $105. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Keep an eye out for deals specific to \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandballers.com/news/2026/04/10-things-to-know-about-2026\">\u003cem>the day of the week\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> as well. On Wednesday, for example, if you buy food at the game, you’ll get $15 off your first food order.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The San José Giants\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Single-A minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants plays at Excite Ballpark, south of San José’s downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many South Bay families, a San José Giants game is \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJose/comments/1bv1vzs/first_timer_at_sj_giants_game_any_tips/\">tradition\u003c/a>: churros from Olimpos (pretty big portions going for about $6), watching Gigante — one of the \u003cem>most\u003c/em> enthusiastic mascots in baseball — dance all over the field, and a spectacular fireworks show at the end of most games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029836\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029836\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanJoseGiantsGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San José Giants’ Ryan Lormand is tagged out at home by High Desert Mavericks catcher Travis Scott while trying to score on a fly ball in the third inning at Municipal Stadium, in San José, California, on July 9, 2009. \u003ccite>(Chris Talley/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cost: Seating behind the pitcher can range from $8 in the upper section to $35 in rows closest to the field. You can also reserve a picnic table that can sit up to eight guests (normally $23.50 per person) near first base.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>San José National Adult Baseball Association teams\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Comprising dozens of teams located in the South Bay, the East Bay and the Peninsula, NABA welcomes college-level and former pro-level players.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most games are free and played at public parks or high schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The regular summer season for NABA’s three divisions lasts 12 weeks from March till the end of July. You can find the complete \u003ca href=\"https://www.sjnaba.org/teams/default.asp?u=SANJOSENABA&s=baseball&p=schedule&d=ALL&div=ALL\">schedule of upcoming games here\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Cost: Games are free and played across the Bay Area.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story includes reporting by KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/emanoukian\">Elize Manoukian\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "is-your-kid-maybe-a-baseball-prodigy-thatll-cost-thousands-of-dollars",
"title": "Is Your Kid Maybe a Baseball Prodigy? That’ll Cost Thousands of Dollars",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Theo Steele, 13, has been playing baseball for nearly half of his life. Like a lot of kids, he began with an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> team at the Little League level, which is meant to be recreational. Fun over foul balls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But a year ago, he wanted to step up his game after batting two home runs during a home run derby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s like when I thought I was actually pretty good at baseball,” Theo said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Theo’s mom, Jonna Prinzing, enjoyed the low-stakes experience. Little League isn’t a huge time commitment, and the costs can be manageable. But when Theo asked to join a travel baseball team — the next rung in the aspiring youth athlete ladder — Prinzing hesitated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You pay per tournament, as well as a fee to be part of the team,” she said, as she cheered on her son during a recent Major League Baseball-sponsored skills competition in Oakland. The teams have multiple practices a week and tournaments most weekends. “All of that was what held us back from joining sooner.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-21-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-21-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-21-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-21-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Theodore Steele follows through on his pitch at the pitching event during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12092731\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-33-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092731\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-33-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-33-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-33-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A volunteer scores a ball that flew all the way to zone 3 of the outfield during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12092728\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-20-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-20-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-20-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-20-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Balls lay in wait for the next competitor at the pitching station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A growing number of kids are pursuing competitive sports as young as elementary school. Since the 1980s, competitive club and travel teams have exploded into a \u003ca href=\"https://www.rwbaird.com/siteassets/gib/pdf/organized-sports-whitepaper.pdf\">$40 billion industry\u003c/a>, and many parents feel an enormous pressure to pay so that their kids can play. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to a \u003ca href=\"https://rais.education/wp-content/uploads/0563.pdf\">2025 report\u003c/a> by the Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies, since 2010, spending on youth sports has increased more than 55%, and nearly 60% of families are financially strained by their children’s sports — while 11% reported that they planned to take on debt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dataforadifference.com/ignite/pay-to-play-youth-sports-cost-bay-area-families-5610\">\u003cem>Data for a Difference\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> on average, Bay Area families spend nearly $2,000 annually for one child to play one club sport.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prinzing ultimately signed up her son for Future Stars Baseball, which \u003ca href=\"https://futurestarbaseball.com/travel-ball/\">charges\u003c/a> a $600 team fee for the upcoming fall season. Every tournament players attend costs another $125, and extra intramural games are $35 a piece. Plus, families are expected to buy uniforms, priced at $125 a year, along with gear, such as cleats, gloves and bats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People want to do the best things they can for the kids, so when opportunities come up to play baseball, parents are willing to pay,” said Joe Oh, co-founder of the Oakland Baseball Foundation, a nonprofit that runs baseball travel teams and camps. The organization is part of a growing movement attempting to keep costs lower than similar teams. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A changing youth sports landscape\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These efforts aim to counterbalance the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEOeQQ019aA\">rise in private equity firms\u003c/a> that invest in sports complexes and teams — raising costs for families along the way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, Josh Harris, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management, and David Blitzer, a chairman at Blackstone and owner of multiple professional sports teams, launched a youth athletics holding company called Unrivaled Sports that owns sports camps, leagues and venues. They started with a portfolio of 12 facilities and now have 15. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092876\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Orion Mitchell swings for the fences at the hitting station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition on July 23, 2026, at Bushrod Park in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2025, they acquired the \u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unrivaled-sports-announces-long-term-investment-in-twin-creeks-sports-complex-302636796.html\">Twin Creeks Sports Complex\u003c/a> in Sunnyvale and Big League Dreams in Manteca.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oh said tournament fees have increased significantly at Unrivaled Sports-owned properties. The teams’ entry fee for an upcoming two-day \u003ca href=\"https://cabaseball.usssa.com/event/summer-heat-south-bay/\">Twin Creeks tournament\u003c/a> is $930 — plus a $399 gate fee that teams pay upfront to help cover spectator admission. The \u003ca href=\"https://tprbaseball.com/tournaments/item/super-labor-day-weekend?category_id=38\">tournament fee\u003c/a> for a TPR Baseball event at Mistlin Fields later this month is $855.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What the private equity firms realized was, ‘There’s an opportunity to capitalize on the fields, the uniforms, the equipment, the coaching — all the opportunities that come along with this,’” Oh said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>‘We don’t have thousands to spare’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The percentage of children who participate in organized youth sports is significantly correlated with household income, according to the Aspen Institute’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2025/introduction\">State of Play survey\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, about 37% of kids in households with incomes below the national poverty level participated in \u003ca href=\"https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2025/participation-trends#5\">organized youth sports\u003c/a>, compared to about 73% of kids in households whose income was four times the national poverty level. The data found that children from homes earning $100,000 or more are twice as likely to play travel sports than those in homes making under $50,000.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1382\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-09-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-09-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-09-MC-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-09-MC-KQED-1536x1061.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kids in the 7 to 8 age division wait their turn at the pitching station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12092730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-30-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092730\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-30-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-30-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-30-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matteo Mendoza returns with a ball as Kenny Lofton III watches on at warmups during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1323\" data-id=\"12092725\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-04-MC-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-04-MC-KQED-1536x1016.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kids in the 7 to 8 age division listen to Ryland Henke as he lays down the rules of the event during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Homero Espinosa, a board member for the Oakland Baseball Foundation, said that while not joining a club team doesn’t necessarily mean that a kid won’t play their sport at a high level, it does put them at a disadvantage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kids who have access to the travel ball teams, who are playing a lot more baseball a lot more competitively, obviously are going to have a leg up,” he said. “It’s expensive, it limits access, but that’s how you get to start playing more and more competitively.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are low-cost and low-commitment options. Many elementary and middle schools have various team sports, and seasonal Little League, Pop Warner Football and AYSO soccer remain popular.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s accessible. It’s a good entry point for beginner kids,” Espinosa said. “But for the kids who want to compete and want to further their opportunities, [that] is where the travel ball teams come into play.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Emmalene Maile’s son has played in San Lorenzo’s Little League, which costs about $250 a season, for a few years. He loves baseball, but Maile said her family hasn’t considered travel ball yet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I heard it was a lot of money from another parent,” she said. “She did say that there was a payment plan, but like thousands of dollars. We don’t have thousands of dollars to spare.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her son has asked about playing travel ball, but he hasn’t pushed for it yet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I know for sure as he gets older he’s definitely going to want to play,” Maile said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’d do our best to save up for it,” she said. “Hopefully we would be able to afford it. It is a big expense.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Expanding access\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oh said travel ball is marketed to parents as essential if they want their kid to play at collegiate level. He said that’s not always the case, but “what was evident to us is that we are diminishing the number of kids who have the opportunity to at least even try.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The point of this organization is to create as much opportunity as possible, and then let the kids decide if they want to play,” Oh said. “Let us create an infrastructure where anyone who wants to play and shows the willingness to want to learn [can] be trained under high-level coaches.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the case of Oakland Baseball Foundation, its estimated costs are about $5,000 a year, compared with between $10,000 and $15,000 for some teams. A quarter of Foundation players receive scholarships, and they put profits into restoring city fields, like the one at Bushrod Park, where they hosted the recent MLB event.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-07-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092726\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-07-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-07-MC-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-07-MC-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthias Hicks prepares his throw at the pitching station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Other organizations, like the Volo Kids Foundation, aim to fill similar gaps outside of the competitive arena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Becca Beltramo has registered her foster daughter for the organization’s free six-week sports programs consistently over the last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m a single parent, so when looking online at the different leagues or the different opportunities for her, it’s a big cost for us and our family,” she said. “I’m on a single income, and it’s hard to make all those things happen for her, but I don’t want to limit her possibilities because of our finances.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Beltramo’s foster daughter has played Volo soccer over the last year. The once-a-week programming includes a warmup, focused skills work and a scrimmage or a structured activity. They also provide T-shirts and the equipment required for the specific sport. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Volo is a great middle ground for us,” Beltramo said. She said for now, club sports “come with a lot of hidden costs, I’ve found out, that I’m not sure that our family is ready to take on.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Theo Steele, 13, has been playing baseball for nearly half of his life. Like a lot of kids, he began with an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> team at the Little League level, which is meant to be recreational. Fun over foul balls. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Theo’s mom, Jonna Prinzing, enjoyed the low-stakes experience. Little League isn’t a huge time commitment, and the costs can be manageable. But when Theo asked to join a travel baseball team — the next rung in the aspiring youth athlete ladder — Prinzing hesitated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You pay per tournament, as well as a fee to be part of the team,” she said, as she cheered on her son during a recent Major League Baseball-sponsored skills competition in Oakland. The teams have multiple practices a week and tournaments most weekends. “All of that was what held us back from joining sooner.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A growing number of kids are pursuing competitive sports as young as elementary school. Since the 1980s, competitive club and travel teams have exploded into a \u003ca href=\"https://www.rwbaird.com/siteassets/gib/pdf/organized-sports-whitepaper.pdf\">$40 billion industry\u003c/a>, and many parents feel an enormous pressure to pay so that their kids can play. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dataforadifference.com/ignite/pay-to-play-youth-sports-cost-bay-area-families-5610\">\u003cem>Data for a Difference\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> on average, Bay Area families spend nearly $2,000 annually for one child to play one club sport.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prinzing ultimately signed up her son for Future Stars Baseball, which \u003ca href=\"https://futurestarbaseball.com/travel-ball/\">charges\u003c/a> a $600 team fee for the upcoming fall season. Every tournament players attend costs another $125, and extra intramural games are $35 a piece. Plus, families are expected to buy uniforms, priced at $125 a year, along with gear, such as cleats, gloves and bats.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People want to do the best things they can for the kids, so when opportunities come up to play baseball, parents are willing to pay,” said Joe Oh, co-founder of the Oakland Baseball Foundation, a nonprofit that runs baseball travel teams and camps. The organization is part of a growing movement attempting to keep costs lower than similar teams. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These efforts aim to counterbalance the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEOeQQ019aA\">rise in private equity firms\u003c/a> that invest in sports complexes and teams — raising costs for families along the way.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2024, Josh Harris, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management, and David Blitzer, a chairman at Blackstone and owner of multiple professional sports teams, launched a youth athletics holding company called Unrivaled Sports that owns sports camps, leagues and venues. They started with a portfolio of 12 facilities and now have 15. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092876\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Orion Mitchell swings for the fences at the hitting station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition on July 23, 2026, at Bushrod Park in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2025, they acquired the \u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unrivaled-sports-announces-long-term-investment-in-twin-creeks-sports-complex-302636796.html\">Twin Creeks Sports Complex\u003c/a> in Sunnyvale and Big League Dreams in Manteca.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oh said tournament fees have increased significantly at Unrivaled Sports-owned properties. The teams’ entry fee for an upcoming two-day \u003ca href=\"https://cabaseball.usssa.com/event/summer-heat-south-bay/\">Twin Creeks tournament\u003c/a> is $930 — plus a $399 gate fee that teams pay upfront to help cover spectator admission. The \u003ca href=\"https://tprbaseball.com/tournaments/item/super-labor-day-weekend?category_id=38\">tournament fee\u003c/a> for a TPR Baseball event at Mistlin Fields later this month is $855.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The percentage of children who participate in organized youth sports is significantly correlated with household income, according to the Aspen Institute’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2025/introduction\">State of Play survey\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Kids who have access to the travel ball teams, who are playing a lot more baseball a lot more competitively, obviously are going to have a leg up,” he said. “It’s expensive, it limits access, but that’s how you get to start playing more and more competitively.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s accessible. It’s a good entry point for beginner kids,” Espinosa said. “But for the kids who want to compete and want to further their opportunities, [that] is where the travel ball teams come into play.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Emmalene Maile’s son has played in San Lorenzo’s Little League, which costs about $250 a season, for a few years. He loves baseball, but Maile said her family hasn’t considered travel ball yet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I heard it was a lot of money from another parent,” she said. “She did say that there was a payment plan, but like thousands of dollars. We don’t have thousands of dollars to spare.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I know for sure as he gets older he’s definitely going to want to play,” Maile said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’d do our best to save up for it,” she said. “Hopefully we would be able to afford it. It is a big expense.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oh said travel ball is marketed to parents as essential if they want their kid to play at collegiate level. He said that’s not always the case, but “what was evident to us is that we are diminishing the number of kids who have the opportunity to at least even try.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The point of this organization is to create as much opportunity as possible, and then let the kids decide if they want to play,” Oh said. “Let us create an infrastructure where anyone who wants to play and shows the willingness to want to learn [can] be trained under high-level coaches.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the case of Oakland Baseball Foundation, its estimated costs are about $5,000 a year, compared with between $10,000 and $15,000 for some teams. A quarter of Foundation players receive scholarships, and they put profits into restoring city fields, like the one at Bushrod Park, where they hosted the recent MLB event.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Becca Beltramo has registered her foster daughter for the organization’s free six-week sports programs consistently over the last year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m a single parent, so when looking online at the different leagues or the different opportunities for her, it’s a big cost for us and our family,” she said. “I’m on a single income, and it’s hard to make all those things happen for her, but I don’t want to limit her possibilities because of our finances.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Beltramo’s foster daughter has played Volo soccer over the last year. The once-a-week programming includes a warmup, focused skills work and a scrimmage or a structured activity. They also provide T-shirts and the equipment required for the specific sport. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Volo is a great middle ground for us,” Beltramo said. She said for now, club sports “come with a lot of hidden costs, I’ve found out, that I’m not sure that our family is ready to take on.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Families are willing to take on debt so their kids can develop in expensive club teams. Those who can’t afford it worry their children could be left behind.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Theo Steele, 13, has been playing baseball for nearly half of his life. Like a lot of kids, he began with an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> team at the Little League level, which is meant to be recreational. Fun over foul balls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But a year ago, he wanted to step up his game after batting two home runs during a home run derby. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s like when I thought I was actually pretty good at baseball,” Theo said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Theo’s mom, Jonna Prinzing, enjoyed the low-stakes experience. Little League isn’t a huge time commitment, and the costs can be manageable. But when Theo asked to join a travel baseball team — the next rung in the aspiring youth athlete ladder — Prinzing hesitated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You pay per tournament, as well as a fee to be part of the team,” she said, as she cheered on her son during a recent Major League Baseball-sponsored skills competition in Oakland. The teams have multiple practices a week and tournaments most weekends. “All of that was what held us back from joining sooner.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-21-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-21-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-21-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-21-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Theodore Steele follows through on his pitch at the pitching event during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12092731\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-33-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092731\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-33-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-33-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-33-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A volunteer scores a ball that flew all the way to zone 3 of the outfield during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12092728\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-20-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-20-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-20-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-20-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Balls lay in wait for the next competitor at the pitching station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A growing number of kids are pursuing competitive sports as young as elementary school. Since the 1980s, competitive club and travel teams have exploded into a \u003ca href=\"https://www.rwbaird.com/siteassets/gib/pdf/organized-sports-whitepaper.pdf\">$40 billion industry\u003c/a>, and many parents feel an enormous pressure to pay so that their kids can play. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to a \u003ca href=\"https://rais.education/wp-content/uploads/0563.pdf\">2025 report\u003c/a> by the Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies, since 2010, spending on youth sports has increased more than 55%, and nearly 60% of families are financially strained by their children’s sports — while 11% reported that they planned to take on debt.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.dataforadifference.com/ignite/pay-to-play-youth-sports-cost-bay-area-families-5610\">\u003cem>Data for a Difference\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> on average, Bay Area families spend nearly $2,000 annually for one child to play one club sport.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prinzing ultimately signed up her son for Future Stars Baseball, which \u003ca href=\"https://futurestarbaseball.com/travel-ball/\">charges\u003c/a> a $600 team fee for the upcoming fall season. Every tournament players attend costs another $125, and extra intramural games are $35 a piece. Plus, families are expected to buy uniforms, priced at $125 a year, along with gear, such as cleats, gloves and bats.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People want to do the best things they can for the kids, so when opportunities come up to play baseball, parents are willing to pay,” said Joe Oh, co-founder of the Oakland Baseball Foundation, a nonprofit that runs baseball travel teams and camps. The organization is part of a growing movement attempting to keep costs lower than similar teams. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A changing youth sports landscape\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These efforts aim to counterbalance the \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEOeQQ019aA\">rise in private equity firms\u003c/a> that invest in sports complexes and teams — raising costs for families along the way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, Josh Harris, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management, and David Blitzer, a chairman at Blackstone and owner of multiple professional sports teams, launched a youth athletics holding company called Unrivaled Sports that owns sports camps, leagues and venues. They started with a portfolio of 12 facilities and now have 15. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092876\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YOUTHSPORTS-25-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Orion Mitchell swings for the fences at the hitting station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition on July 23, 2026, at Bushrod Park in Oakland. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2025, they acquired the \u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unrivaled-sports-announces-long-term-investment-in-twin-creeks-sports-complex-302636796.html\">Twin Creeks Sports Complex\u003c/a> in Sunnyvale and Big League Dreams in Manteca.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oh said tournament fees have increased significantly at Unrivaled Sports-owned properties. The teams’ entry fee for an upcoming two-day \u003ca href=\"https://cabaseball.usssa.com/event/summer-heat-south-bay/\">Twin Creeks tournament\u003c/a> is $930 — plus a $399 gate fee that teams pay upfront to help cover spectator admission. The \u003ca href=\"https://tprbaseball.com/tournaments/item/super-labor-day-weekend?category_id=38\">tournament fee\u003c/a> for a TPR Baseball event at Mistlin Fields later this month is $855.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What the private equity firms realized was, ‘There’s an opportunity to capitalize on the fields, the uniforms, the equipment, the coaching — all the opportunities that come along with this,’” Oh said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>‘We don’t have thousands to spare’\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The percentage of children who participate in organized youth sports is significantly correlated with household income, according to the Aspen Institute’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2025/introduction\">State of Play survey\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, about 37% of kids in households with incomes below the national poverty level participated in \u003ca href=\"https://projectplay.org/state-of-play-2025/participation-trends#5\">organized youth sports\u003c/a>, compared to about 73% of kids in households whose income was four times the national poverty level. The data found that children from homes earning $100,000 or more are twice as likely to play travel sports than those in homes making under $50,000.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1382\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-09-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-09-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-09-MC-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-09-MC-KQED-1536x1061.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kids in the 7 to 8 age division wait their turn at the pitching station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12092730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-30-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092730\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-30-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-30-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-30-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matteo Mendoza returns with a ball as Kenny Lofton III watches on at warmups during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1323\" data-id=\"12092725\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-04-MC-KQED-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-04-MC-KQED-1536x1016.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kids in the 7 to 8 age division listen to Ryland Henke as he lays down the rules of the event during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Homero Espinosa, a board member for the Oakland Baseball Foundation, said that while not joining a club team doesn’t necessarily mean that a kid won’t play their sport at a high level, it does put them at a disadvantage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kids who have access to the travel ball teams, who are playing a lot more baseball a lot more competitively, obviously are going to have a leg up,” he said. “It’s expensive, it limits access, but that’s how you get to start playing more and more competitively.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are low-cost and low-commitment options. Many elementary and middle schools have various team sports, and seasonal Little League, Pop Warner Football and AYSO soccer remain popular.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s accessible. It’s a good entry point for beginner kids,” Espinosa said. “But for the kids who want to compete and want to further their opportunities, [that] is where the travel ball teams come into play.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Emmalene Maile’s son has played in San Lorenzo’s Little League, which costs about $250 a season, for a few years. He loves baseball, but Maile said her family hasn’t considered travel ball yet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I heard it was a lot of money from another parent,” she said. “She did say that there was a payment plan, but like thousands of dollars. We don’t have thousands of dollars to spare.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her son has asked about playing travel ball, but he hasn’t pushed for it yet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I know for sure as he gets older he’s definitely going to want to play,” Maile said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’d do our best to save up for it,” she said. “Hopefully we would be able to afford it. It is a big expense.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Expanding access\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oh said travel ball is marketed to parents as essential if they want their kid to play at collegiate level. He said that’s not always the case, but “what was evident to us is that we are diminishing the number of kids who have the opportunity to at least even try.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The point of this organization is to create as much opportunity as possible, and then let the kids decide if they want to play,” Oh said. “Let us create an infrastructure where anyone who wants to play and shows the willingness to want to learn [can] be trained under high-level coaches.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the case of Oakland Baseball Foundation, its estimated costs are about $5,000 a year, compared with between $10,000 and $15,000 for some teams. A quarter of Foundation players receive scholarships, and they put profits into restoring city fields, like the one at Bushrod Park, where they hosted the recent MLB event.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-07-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092726\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-07-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-07-MC-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/072526-YouthSports-07-MC-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthias Hicks prepares his throw at the pitching station during the Oakland Baseball Foundation MLB Pitch Hit and Run competition at Bushrod Park in Oakland on July 23, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Other organizations, like the Volo Kids Foundation, aim to fill similar gaps outside of the competitive arena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Becca Beltramo has registered her foster daughter for the organization’s free six-week sports programs consistently over the last year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m a single parent, so when looking online at the different leagues or the different opportunities for her, it’s a big cost for us and our family,” she said. “I’m on a single income, and it’s hard to make all those things happen for her, but I don’t want to limit her possibilities because of our finances.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Beltramo’s foster daughter has played Volo soccer over the last year. The once-a-week programming includes a warmup, focused skills work and a scrimmage or a structured activity. They also provide T-shirts and the equipment required for the specific sport. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Volo is a great middle ground for us,” Beltramo said. She said for now, club sports “come with a lot of hidden costs, I’ve found out, that I’m not sure that our family is ready to take on.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-food-banks-brace-for-slow-moving-avalanche-of-snap-cuts",
"title": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts",
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"headTitle": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "An already strained network of food banks across California is bracing for even greater need due to federal food assistance cuts. ",
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"title": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts | KQED",
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"headline": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>It started with a simple idea: In this time when dining out is an increasingly unattainable proposition for so many people, what if restaurants took money out of the equation? What if — for one day, at least — diners only had to pay however much they could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">afford\u003c/a>?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This was the vision that Mexico City chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval had when they started hosting “Paga Lo Que Puedas” days at their now-Michelin-starred restaurant Masala y Maiz. They weren’t the first restaurant owners to experiment with a Pay What You Can model, but they may be the first to try to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988641/pay-what-you-can-bay-area-restaurants-reems-bombera-masala-y-maiz-oakland-sf\">turn it into a worldwide movement\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This Wednesday, Aug. 26, will be the first \u003cem>global\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">Paga Lo Que Puedas day\u003c/a>, a Masala y Maiz–organized initiative that has prompted more than 100 restaurants worldwide to sign up, including nine in the Bay Area. For this one day, these restaurants will serve their regular menus, and diners who come can order whatever they like and pay whatever amount they choose — nothing, even, if that’s all they can afford. (Drinks will still be full price.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"In an outdoor courtyard, a man and woman in blue aprons prepare banana-leaf tamales in a large pot.\" class=\"wp-image-13987862\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval cooking at the first iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. The chefs are organizing the first global Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The restaurant industry generally is kind of shitty … and it’s really easy to get caught in that spiral of everything that’s wrong about the industry,” says Keval, who’s probably best known in the Bay Area as one of the co-founders of Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://peopleskitchencollective.com/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> food justice organization. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But this wave of interest from restaurants all over the world made me feel hopeful,” he says. It made me see that we’re not alone.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area is where Keval and Listman \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">first met and fell in love\u003c/a>, and where they began their years-long collaboration in creating community-oriented food spaces. So they’d been hopeful that there would be a strong Bay Area turnout for this initiative. The nine Bay Area participants run the gamut from casual pasta counters (Sfizio in Oakland and Pasta Supply Co. in SF) to upscale Mexican (Bombera in Oakland and Acopio Alta Cocina in San José) and a wine country clam shack (Sonoma’s Valley Swim Club). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If there’s any commonality between the restaurants, Keval says, it’s these are the exact places he would have predicted would sign up for the initiative. These are the restaurants that have an explicit focus on social consciousness and aren’t shy about being outspoken with their activism. That includes places like \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, slinger of the California-influenced Palestinian flatbreads known as man’oushe, which recently shifted to a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/24/reems-california-jack-london-square/\">worker-owned business model\u003c/a> for its new Jack London Square storefront in Oakland. Worker collective–owned \u003ca href=\"https://understoryoakland.com/\">Understory\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is joining the initiative as an extension of its own Pay What You Can program, which it offers daily in the form of a single entree.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Sun-dappled table inside a sunny restaurant dining room.\" class=\"wp-image-13993318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picturesque table at Bombera in Oakland. (Clara Rice, courtesy of Bombera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “They’re the people who I know I can always count on — that are always the first to step up for community and the first to use their restaurants as tools to create change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In truth, Keval admits he wishes that \u003cem>more \u003c/em>Bay Area restaurants had signed up, particularly in the fine dining sector. Albi and Oyster Oyster, two participants in Washington, D.C., are both Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants; New York’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa, which topped several \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/top-united-states-restaurants-2026-11919583\">best restaurant\u003c/a> lists \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-nyc-restaurants.html\">this year\u003c/a>, occupies a similarly rarefied, high-end space. And Masala y Maiz itself has a Michelin star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, no restaurants in that tier are participating this year. But Keval believes it would send a powerful message if they did. After all, he says, the cost of operating a restaurant and the cost of dining out have both gone up so much that it’s caused many restaurants to become segregated along lines of race and class.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In areas like the Bay Area, where this is pushed to the extreme, it makes it feel like the only people who get to experience a certain style of hospitality are the people who can afford to pay for it,” he says. “And that goes against why so many of us joined the [restaurant] industry in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of mussels in a red sauce, with rolls of bread on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13987863\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of Balchão-style mussels at Masala y Maiz in Mexico City. (Ana Lorenzana, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what if restaurants like, say, The French Laundry or Chez Panisse were accessible to \u003cem>anyone\u003c/em>, at least for one day? How would that change people’s perspectives on who and what fine dining is for? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What’s the point of it if it’s so exclusive?” Keval says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His hope is that by soliciting feedback from this year’s participants, he’ll get a better sense of how restaurants across different cultures, price points and service styles experienced the Pay What You Can model — and that next year, even more restaurants, including fine dining restaurants, will be inspired to join.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Keval’s experience, for instance, Masala y Maiz doesn’t actually lose money on the Paga Lo Que Puedas days. Some diners pay very little or dine for free, but that’s offset by wealthier patrons who willingly pay more to help subsidize those meals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, isn’t that what community is all about?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do, ultimately,” Keval says, “is build a global community of like-minded chefs and restaurateurs that are trying to create change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>See the full list of Bay Area restaurants participating in this year’s Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative below:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Oakland\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcei0tPIJ_J/?img_index=1\">Bombera\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> (Jack London Square location only; the Mission restaurant is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYoCqbMJKr/\">temporarily closed\u003c/a>) \u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfiziopasta/\">Sfizio\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfFMUCGicq/?img_index=1\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfEEUPm8dn/?img_index=1\">Understory\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merkadosf/\">Merkado\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pastasupplyco/\">Pasta Supply Co.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San José\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbytnYWy_Ig/\">Acopio Alta Cocina \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYx7cHCjieW/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction:\u003c/em> \u003cem>An earlier version of this story omitted Tacos Oscar, which is also participating in the Aug. 26 Pay What You Can initiative.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It started with a simple idea: In this time when dining out is an increasingly unattainable proposition for so many people, what if restaurants took money out of the equation? What if — for one day, at least — diners only had to pay however much they could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">afford\u003c/a>?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This was the vision that Mexico City chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval had when they started hosting “Paga Lo Que Puedas” days at their now-Michelin-starred restaurant Masala y Maiz. They weren’t the first restaurant owners to experiment with a Pay What You Can model, but they may be the first to try to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988641/pay-what-you-can-bay-area-restaurants-reems-bombera-masala-y-maiz-oakland-sf\">turn it into a worldwide movement\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This was the vision that Mexico City chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval had when they started hosting “Paga Lo Que Puedas” days at their now-Michelin-starred restaurant Masala y Maiz. They weren’t the first restaurant owners to experiment with a Pay What You Can model, but they may be the first to try to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988641/pay-what-you-can-bay-area-restaurants-reems-bombera-masala-y-maiz-oakland-sf\">turn it into a worldwide movement\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This Wednesday, Aug. 26, will be the first \u003cem>global\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">Paga Lo Que Puedas day\u003c/a>, a Masala y Maiz–organized initiative that has prompted more than 100 restaurants worldwide to sign up, including nine in the Bay Area. For this one day, these restaurants will serve their regular menus, and diners who come can order whatever they like and pay whatever amount they choose — nothing, even, if that’s all they can afford. (Drinks will still be full price.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This Wednesday, Aug. 26, will be the first \u003cem>global\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">Paga Lo Que Puedas day\u003c/a>, a Masala y Maiz–organized initiative that has prompted more than 100 restaurants worldwide to sign up, including nine in the Bay Area. For this one day, these restaurants will serve their regular menus, and diners who come can order whatever they like and pay whatever amount they choose — nothing, even, if that’s all they can afford. (Drinks will still be full price.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"In an outdoor courtyard, a man and woman in blue aprons prepare banana-leaf tamales in a large pot.\" class=\"wp-image-13987862\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval cooking at the first iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. The chefs are organizing the first global Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The restaurant industry generally is kind of shitty … and it’s really easy to get caught in that spiral of everything that’s wrong about the industry,” says Keval, who’s probably best known in the Bay Area as one of the co-founders of Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://peopleskitchencollective.com/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> food justice organization. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The restaurant industry generally is kind of shitty … and it’s really easy to get caught in that spiral of everything that’s wrong about the industry,” says Keval, who’s probably best known in the Bay Area as one of the co-founders of Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://peopleskitchencollective.com/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> food justice organization. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But this wave of interest from restaurants all over the world made me feel hopeful,” he says. It made me see that we’re not alone.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“But this wave of interest from restaurants all over the world made me feel hopeful,” he says. It made me see that we’re not alone.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bay Area is where Keval and Listman \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">first met and fell in love\u003c/a>, and where they began their years-long collaboration in creating community-oriented food spaces. So they’d been hopeful that there would be a strong Bay Area turnout for this initiative. The nine Bay Area participants run the gamut from casual pasta counters (Sfizio in Oakland and Pasta Supply Co. in SF) to upscale Mexican (Bombera in Oakland and Acopio Alta Cocina in San José) and a wine country clam shack (Sonoma’s Valley Swim Club). \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Bay Area is where Keval and Listman \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">first met and fell in love\u003c/a>, and where they began their years-long collaboration in creating community-oriented food spaces. So they’d been hopeful that there would be a strong Bay Area turnout for this initiative. The nine Bay Area participants run the gamut from casual pasta counters (Sfizio in Oakland and Pasta Supply Co. in SF) to upscale Mexican (Bombera in Oakland and Acopio Alta Cocina in San José) and a wine country clam shack (Sonoma’s Valley Swim Club). \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If there’s any commonality between the restaurants, Keval says, it’s these are the exact places he would have predicted would sign up for the initiative. These are the restaurants that have an explicit focus on social consciousness and aren’t shy about being outspoken with their activism. That includes places like \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, slinger of the California-influenced Palestinian flatbreads known as man’oushe, which recently shifted to a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/24/reems-california-jack-london-square/\">worker-owned business model\u003c/a> for its new Jack London Square storefront in Oakland. Worker collective–owned \u003ca href=\"https://understoryoakland.com/\">Understory\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is joining the initiative as an extension of its own Pay What You Can program, which it offers daily in the form of a single entree.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If there’s any commonality between the restaurants, Keval says, it’s these are the exact places he would have predicted would sign up for the initiative. These are the restaurants that have an explicit focus on social consciousness and aren’t shy about being outspoken with their activism. That includes places like \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, slinger of the California-influenced Palestinian flatbreads known as man’oushe, which recently shifted to a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/24/reems-california-jack-london-square/\">worker-owned business model\u003c/a> for its new Jack London Square storefront in Oakland. Worker collective–owned \u003ca href=\"https://understoryoakland.com/\">Understory\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is joining the initiative as an extension of its own Pay What You Can program, which it offers daily in the form of a single entree.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Sun-dappled table inside a sunny restaurant dining room.\" class=\"wp-image-13993318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picturesque table at Bombera in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Sun-dappled table inside a sunny restaurant dining room.\" class=\"wp-image-13993318\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picturesque table at Bombera in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “They’re the people who I know I can always count on — that are always the first to step up for community and the first to use their restaurants as tools to create change.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In truth, Keval admits he wishes that \u003cem>more \u003c/em>Bay Area restaurants had signed up, particularly in the fine dining sector. Albi and Oyster Oyster, two participants in Washington, D.C., are both Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants; New York’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa, which topped several \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/top-united-states-restaurants-2026-11919583\">best restaurant\u003c/a> lists \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-nyc-restaurants.html\">this year\u003c/a>, occupies a similarly rarefied, high-end space. And Masala y Maiz itself has a Michelin star.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In truth, Keval admits he wishes that \u003cem>more \u003c/em>Bay Area restaurants had signed up, particularly in the fine dining sector. Albi and Oyster Oyster, two participants in Washington, D.C., are both Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants; New York’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa, which topped several \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/top-united-states-restaurants-2026-11919583\">best restaurant\u003c/a> lists \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-nyc-restaurants.html\">this year\u003c/a>, occupies a similarly rarefied, high-end space. And Masala y Maiz itself has a Michelin star.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, no restaurants in that tier are participating this year. But Keval believes it would send a powerful message if they did. After all, he says, the cost of operating a restaurant and the cost of dining out have both gone up so much that it’s caused many restaurants to become segregated along lines of race and class.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, no restaurants in that tier are participating this year. But Keval believes it would send a powerful message if they did. After all, he says, the cost of operating a restaurant and the cost of dining out have both gone up so much that it’s caused many restaurants to become segregated along lines of race and class.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In areas like the Bay Area, where this is pushed to the extreme, it makes it feel like the only people who get to experience a certain style of hospitality are the people who can afford to pay for it,” he says. “And that goes against why so many of us joined the [restaurant] industry in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In areas like the Bay Area, where this is pushed to the extreme, it makes it feel like the only people who get to experience a certain style of hospitality are the people who can afford to pay for it,” he says. “And that goes against why so many of us joined the [restaurant] industry in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of mussels in a red sauce, with rolls of bread on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13987863\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of Balchão-style mussels at Masala y Maiz in Mexico City.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But what if restaurants like, say, The French Laundry or Chez Panisse were accessible to \u003cem>anyone\u003c/em>, at least for one day? How would that change people’s perspectives on who and what fine dining is for? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What’s the point of it if it’s so exclusive?” Keval says.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His hope is that by soliciting feedback from this year’s participants, he’ll get a better sense of how restaurants across different cultures, price points and service styles experienced the Pay What You Can model — and that next year, even more restaurants, including fine dining restaurants, will be inspired to join.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Keval’s experience, for instance, Masala y Maiz doesn’t actually lose money on the Paga Lo Que Puedas days. Some diners pay very little or dine for free, but that’s offset by wealthier patrons who willingly pay more to help subsidize those meals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the end, isn’t that what community is all about?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do, ultimately,” Keval says, “is build a global community of like-minded chefs and restaurateurs that are trying to create change.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>See the full list of Bay Area restaurants participating in this year’s Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative below:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>See the full list of Bay Area restaurants participating in this year’s Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative below:\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Oakland",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Oakland\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcei0tPIJ_J/?img_index=1\">Bombera\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> (Jack London Square location only; the Mission restaurant is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYoCqbMJKr/\">temporarily closed\u003c/a>) \u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfiziopasta/\">Sfizio\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfFMUCGicq/?img_index=1\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfEEUPm8dn/?img_index=1\">Understory\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcei0tPIJ_J/?img_index=1\">Bombera\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> (Jack London Square location only; the Mission restaurant is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYoCqbMJKr/\">temporarily closed\u003c/a>) \u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfiziopasta/\">Sfizio\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfFMUCGicq/?img_index=1\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfEEUPm8dn/?img_index=1\">Understory\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merkadosf/\">Merkado\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pastasupplyco/\">Pasta Supply Co.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merkadosf/\">Merkado\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pastasupplyco/\">Pasta Supply Co.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbytnYWy_Ig/\">Acopio Alta Cocina \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbytnYWy_Ig/\">Acopio Alta Cocina \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYx7cHCjieW/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction:\u003c/em> \u003cem>An earlier version of this story omitted Tacos Oscar, which is also participating in the Aug. 26 Pay What You Can initiative.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction:\u003c/em> \u003cem>An earlier version of this story omitted Tacos Oscar, which is also participating in the Aug. 26 Pay What You Can initiative.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Reem’s, Bombera, Pasta Supply Co. and more join a global initiative on Aug. 26.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It started with a simple idea: In this time when dining out is an increasingly unattainable proposition for so many people, what if restaurants took money out of the equation? What if — for one day, at least — diners only had to pay however much they could \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">afford\u003c/a>?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This was the vision that Mexico City chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval had when they started hosting “Paga Lo Que Puedas” days at their now-Michelin-starred restaurant Masala y Maiz. They weren’t the first restaurant owners to experiment with a Pay What You Can model, but they may be the first to try to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13988641/pay-what-you-can-bay-area-restaurants-reems-bombera-masala-y-maiz-oakland-sf\">turn it into a worldwide movement\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This Wednesday, Aug. 26, will be the first \u003cem>global\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.pagaloquepuedas-paywhatyoucan.com/\">Paga Lo Que Puedas day\u003c/a>, a Masala y Maiz–organized initiative that has prompted more than 100 restaurants worldwide to sign up, including nine in the Bay Area. For this one day, these restaurants will serve their regular menus, and diners who come can order whatever they like and pay whatever amount they choose — nothing, even, if that’s all they can afford. (Drinks will still be full price.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg\" alt=\"In an outdoor courtyard, a man and woman in blue aprons prepare banana-leaf tamales in a large pot.\" class=\"wp-image-13987862\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/8_PhotoCredit-Sana-Javeri-Kadri-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Norma Listman and Saqib Keval cooking at the first iteration of their Mexico City restaurant, Masala y Maiz. The chefs are organizing the first global Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Sana Javeri Kadri, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The restaurant industry generally is kind of shitty … and it’s really easy to get caught in that spiral of everything that’s wrong about the industry,” says Keval, who’s probably best known in the Bay Area as one of the co-founders of Oakland-based \u003ca href=\"https://peopleskitchencollective.com/\">People’s Kitchen Collective\u003c/a> food justice organization. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But this wave of interest from restaurants all over the world made me feel hopeful,” he says. It made me see that we’re not alone.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area is where Keval and Listman \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13987839/masala-y-maiz-mexico-city-restaurant-oakland-bay-area-roots\">first met and fell in love\u003c/a>, and where they began their years-long collaboration in creating community-oriented food spaces. So they’d been hopeful that there would be a strong Bay Area turnout for this initiative. The nine Bay Area participants run the gamut from casual pasta counters (Sfizio in Oakland and Pasta Supply Co. in SF) to upscale Mexican (Bombera in Oakland and Acopio Alta Cocina in San José) and a wine country clam shack (Sonoma’s Valley Swim Club). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If there’s any commonality between the restaurants, Keval says, it’s these are the exact places he would have predicted would sign up for the initiative. These are the restaurants that have an explicit focus on social consciousness and aren’t shy about being outspoken with their activism. That includes places like \u003ca href=\"https://www.reemscalifornia.com/\">Reem’s\u003c/a>, slinger of the California-influenced Palestinian flatbreads known as man’oushe, which recently shifted to a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/24/reems-california-jack-london-square/\">worker-owned business model\u003c/a> for its new Jack London Square storefront in Oakland. Worker collective–owned \u003ca href=\"https://understoryoakland.com/\">Understory\u003c/a>, meanwhile, is joining the initiative as an extension of its own Pay What You Can program, which it offers daily in the form of a single entree.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg\" alt=\"Sun-dappled table inside a sunny restaurant dining room.\" class=\"wp-image-13993318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Bombera-Jan2024-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A picturesque table at Bombera in Oakland. (Clara Rice, courtesy of Bombera)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Keval puts it, “They’re the people who I know I can always count on — that are always the first to step up for community and the first to use their restaurants as tools to create change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In truth, Keval admits he wishes that \u003cem>more \u003c/em>Bay Area restaurants had signed up, particularly in the fine dining sector. Albi and Oyster Oyster, two participants in Washington, D.C., are both Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants; New York’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa, which topped several \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodandwine.com/top-united-states-restaurants-2026-11919583\">best restaurant\u003c/a> lists \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/dining/best-nyc-restaurants.html\">this year\u003c/a>, occupies a similarly rarefied, high-end space. And Masala y Maiz itself has a Michelin star.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, no restaurants in that tier are participating this year. But Keval believes it would send a powerful message if they did. After all, he says, the cost of operating a restaurant and the cost of dining out have both gone up so much that it’s caused many restaurants to become segregated along lines of race and class.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In areas like the Bay Area, where this is pushed to the extreme, it makes it feel like the only people who get to experience a certain style of hospitality are the people who can afford to pay for it,” he says. “And that goes against why so many of us joined the [restaurant] industry in the first place.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg\" alt=\"A dish of mussels in a red sauce, with rolls of bread on the side.\" class=\"wp-image-13987863\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/Credit_Ana-Lorenzana_PlatilloAlmejas3-copie-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A plate of Balchão-style mussels at Masala y Maiz in Mexico City. (Ana Lorenzana, courtesy of Masala y Maiz)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what if restaurants like, say, The French Laundry or Chez Panisse were accessible to \u003cem>anyone\u003c/em>, at least for one day? How would that change people’s perspectives on who and what fine dining is for? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What’s the point of it if it’s so exclusive?” Keval says.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His hope is that by soliciting feedback from this year’s participants, he’ll get a better sense of how restaurants across different cultures, price points and service styles experienced the Pay What You Can model — and that next year, even more restaurants, including fine dining restaurants, will be inspired to join.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Keval’s experience, for instance, Masala y Maiz doesn’t actually lose money on the Paga Lo Que Puedas days. Some diners pay very little or dine for free, but that’s offset by wealthier patrons who willingly pay more to help subsidize those meals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the end, isn’t that what community is all about?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to do, ultimately,” Keval says, “is build a global community of like-minded chefs and restaurateurs that are trying to create change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>See the full list of Bay Area restaurants participating in this year’s Paga Lo Que Puedas initiative below:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Oakland\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcei0tPIJ_J/?img_index=1\">Bombera\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/reemscalifornia/\">Reem’s\u003c/a> (Jack London Square location only; the Mission restaurant is \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYoCqbMJKr/\">temporarily closed\u003c/a>) \u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfiziopasta/\">Sfizio\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfFMUCGicq/?img_index=1\">Tacos Oscar\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DcfEEUPm8dn/?img_index=1\">Understory\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/merkadosf/\">Merkado\u003c/a>\u003cbr>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/pastasupplyco/\">Pasta Supply Co.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>San José\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DbytnYWy_Ig/\">Acopio Alta Cocina \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DYx7cHCjieW/\">Valley Swim Club\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction:\u003c/em> \u003cem>An earlier version of this story omitted Tacos Oscar, which is also participating in the Aug. 26 Pay What You Can initiative.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "san-jose-leaders-eying-more-multifamily-homes-in-single-family-neighborhoods",
"title": "San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods",
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"headTitle": "San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "City leaders are considering allowing more density in single-family neighborhoods, which make up the bulk of the city’s residential space.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "remember-your-moms-tanda-young-latinos-are-giving-it-a-tech-savvy-twist-2",
"title": "Remember Your Mom’s ‘Tanda’? Young Latinos Are Giving It a Tech-Savvy Twist",
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"headTitle": "Remember Your Mom’s ‘Tanda’? Young Latinos Are Giving It a Tech-Savvy Twist | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the span of four months, Juan Carrillo’s life got flipped around. He lost two family members in January: a brother and a nephew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of his grief, the 49-year-old Fresno resident and his family were staring down funeral bills, each costing more than $10,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything has done a complete 360-degree turn; you just don’t see it coming, and you don’t even know where else to find the money to make your regular payments,” Carrillo said in Spanish. “In one way or another, we had to help our families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result of the unexpected expenses, he fell behind on rent and utility payments, even though he was working three jobs — as a DJ, an Uber driver and as a construction worker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Carrillo got a boon at just the right time: in January, he received $900 in his bank account, which helped his family cover some of the funeral expenses. That was thanks to his tanda, a community-based lending circle, in which members contribute small amounts of money regularly — in his case, $150 each month — and take turns receiving a lump-sum payout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s how we help each other,” Carrillo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090543\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090543\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo stands for a portrait at his home in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to contribute to funeral expenses for two of his family members because of it. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A tanda is a centuries-old financial system widely used across Latin America that functions as a community-based savings-and-lending circle. The system relies on trust among its members — usually small groups of six to 10 — and has historically operated in cash, similar to an interest-free savings plan or an informal loan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, however, tandas are becoming more modernized, with apps and other tech tools drawing in younger generations of Latinos. And as California’s cost of living continues to increase, more people are turning to tandas as a way to get out of a tight spot, to save money and build credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is very expensive to live in these areas,” said Mariel Hernandez, a spokesperson for Bay Area nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.missionassetfund.org/\">Mission Asset Fund\u003c/a>. “California’s affordability crisis has made predatory lending more dangerous and more tempting at the same time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her organization partnered with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.elfus.org/\">Education and Leadership Foundation\u003c/a>, based in Fresno, more than three years ago to expand access to these traditional lending circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090555\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090555\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo displays his delivery driver badge in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to buy new tires for his car with a loan from the tanda. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both nonprofits use the model as a way to help communities build savings and access small, no-interest loans through structured, community-based programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, a professor of Chicano studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the origins of tandas go back centuries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not new,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “There’s multi-thousand-year-old roots of communal labor in Mexico, there’s 1,000-year-old roots in Asia of communal work and communal savings and lending.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hinojosa-Ojeda said tandas made their way to California in the 19th century, when immigrants from China and Mexico brought the collective savings practices to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090556\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A new tire on delivery driver Juan Carrillo’s car in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to buy new tires for his car with a loan from the tanda. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Traditionally, participants knew each other; they were family members, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Trust is essential within the tanda because a person is less likely to take the money and never return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the systems operated by the Education and Leadership Foundation and Mission Asset Fund, participants are strangers, and they no longer operate with cash. Instead, they use an app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the organizations are able to guarantee funding if a person drops out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The concept is very similar,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “People join, and then they agree to deposit money into a fund that’s controlled by a trusted body.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090546\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090546\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community Engagement Coordinator Carmen Cardenas shows the “MyMAF” portal on her phone at the Education and Leadership Foundation office in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. MyMAF is a model by Mission Asset Fund that helps community members build their savings, credit, and access small loans. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hernandez said community members turn to tandas for any number of reasons, including household emergencies or securing a down payment for a home or for rent. She uses tandas herself and said she’s received $1,200 that helped cover the tuition costs of her master’s degree, as well as her Bay Area apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It can be for buying back-to-school supplies, sending money to family abroad, sometimes it’s even covering quinceañeras,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When 24-year-old David Medina was feeling the pressure of the holiday season late last year, he realized he didn’t have enough money to buy gifts for his family.[aside postID=news_12084761 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/IMG_1522.jpg']“And then I remembered, ‘Wait, I’m about to get my money from the tanda.’ That money can go straight into my Christmas shopping,” Medina said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been paying $100 a month and received $1,000 just before the holidays. The timing helped turn a stressful situation into a manageable one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That money that I didn’t know I had put aside, I had it, and it worked perfectly,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the extra cash, Medina was able to buy gifts: toys, new clothes, household items, and food. It helped his family enjoy a more comfortable Christmas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carmen Cardenas, the community engagement coordinator for Education and Leadership Foundation, joined a tanda to celebrate her 24th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I received the loan, I wasn’t wanting to go into credit card debt for my birthday celebration, so I saved the money that I got from the lending circle to put it towards that,” Cardenas said. “I was able to use that money and then keep paying it back as the lending circle went on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She makes it a priority to participate in tandas whenever the opportunity arises, viewing them as an important way to manage her finances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090547\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090547\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community Engagement Coordinator Carmen Cardenas stands for a portrait at the Education and Leadership Foundation (ELF) office in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Cardenas assists ELF community members with signing up for tandas, also known as lending circles, and has made use of them for her own expenses. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through the Mission Asset Fund app — which is now available through partnerships in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York and Washington — Cardenas is instantly alerted whenever a scheduled payment is processed, allowing her to track when money has been automatically withdrawn from her bank account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Medina has grown to love tandas — not just because he can save money along the way, but also because he’s actively building and strengthening his credit score through the Mission Asset Fund’s app, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After college, I didn’t really build my credit,” Medina said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After receiving his last payout, he signed up for another tanda and is set to collect $750 later this year — again with the ability to track and access his payments instantly from his devices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090548\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo prays at an altar honoring his brother and nephew in his home in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo was able to contribute to funeral expenses for his brother and nephew after joining a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The ability to build credit scores also interested Carrillo, not for himself, but for his 18- and 20-year-old sons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In this country, you move forward with credit; without credit, you don’t,” Carrillo said. “Everything relies on credit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’d be tempting to lean on credit to keep up with California’s rising costs, but Carrillo said the tandas have helped him manage it. And, when tragedy struck, the tanda was there with quick cash and zero debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thank God because it arrived at a time [of need],” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "Remember Your Mom’s ‘Tanda’? Young Latinos Are Giving It a Tech-Savvy Twist | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the span of four months, Juan Carrillo’s life got flipped around. He lost two family members in January: a brother and a nephew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On top of his grief, the 49-year-old Fresno resident and his family were staring down funeral bills, each costing more than $10,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everything has done a complete 360-degree turn; you just don’t see it coming, and you don’t even know where else to find the money to make your regular payments,” Carrillo said in Spanish. “In one way or another, we had to help our families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a result of the unexpected expenses, he fell behind on rent and utility payments, even though he was working three jobs — as a DJ, an Uber driver and as a construction worker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Carrillo got a boon at just the right time: in January, he received $900 in his bank account, which helped his family cover some of the funeral expenses. That was thanks to his tanda, a community-based lending circle, in which members contribute small amounts of money regularly — in his case, $150 each month — and take turns receiving a lump-sum payout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s how we help each other,” Carrillo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090543\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090543\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-08_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo stands for a portrait at his home in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to contribute to funeral expenses for two of his family members because of it. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A tanda is a centuries-old financial system widely used across Latin America that functions as a community-based savings-and-lending circle. The system relies on trust among its members — usually small groups of six to 10 — and has historically operated in cash, similar to an interest-free savings plan or an informal loan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, however, tandas are becoming more modernized, with apps and other tech tools drawing in younger generations of Latinos. And as California’s cost of living continues to increase, more people are turning to tandas as a way to get out of a tight spot, to save money and build credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is very expensive to live in these areas,” said Mariel Hernandez, a spokesperson for Bay Area nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.missionassetfund.org/\">Mission Asset Fund\u003c/a>. “California’s affordability crisis has made predatory lending more dangerous and more tempting at the same time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her organization partnered with the \u003ca href=\"https://www.elfus.org/\">Education and Leadership Foundation\u003c/a>, based in Fresno, more than three years ago to expand access to these traditional lending circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090555\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090555\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-11_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo displays his delivery driver badge in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to buy new tires for his car with a loan from the tanda. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Both nonprofits use the model as a way to help communities build savings and access small, no-interest loans through structured, community-based programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Raúl Hinojosa-Ojeda, a professor of Chicano studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the origins of tandas go back centuries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not new,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “There’s multi-thousand-year-old roots of communal labor in Mexico, there’s 1,000-year-old roots in Asia of communal work and communal savings and lending.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hinojosa-Ojeda said tandas made their way to California in the 19th century, when immigrants from China and Mexico brought the collective savings practices to the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090556\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090556\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-15_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A new tire on delivery driver Juan Carrillo’s car in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo joined a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America, and was able to buy new tires for his car with a loan from the tanda. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Traditionally, participants knew each other; they were family members, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Trust is essential within the tanda because a person is less likely to take the money and never return.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the systems operated by the Education and Leadership Foundation and Mission Asset Fund, participants are strangers, and they no longer operate with cash. Instead, they use an app.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the organizations are able to guarantee funding if a person drops out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The concept is very similar,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “People join, and then they agree to deposit money into a fund that’s controlled by a trusted body.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090546\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090546\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community Engagement Coordinator Carmen Cardenas shows the “MyMAF” portal on her phone at the Education and Leadership Foundation office in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. MyMAF is a model by Mission Asset Fund that helps community members build their savings, credit, and access small loans. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hernandez said community members turn to tandas for any number of reasons, including household emergencies or securing a down payment for a home or for rent. She uses tandas herself and said she’s received $1,200 that helped cover the tuition costs of her master’s degree, as well as her Bay Area apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It can be for buying back-to-school supplies, sending money to family abroad, sometimes it’s even covering quinceañeras,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When 24-year-old David Medina was feeling the pressure of the holiday season late last year, he realized he didn’t have enough money to buy gifts for his family.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“And then I remembered, ‘Wait, I’m about to get my money from the tanda.’ That money can go straight into my Christmas shopping,” Medina said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He had been paying $100 a month and received $1,000 just before the holidays. The timing helped turn a stressful situation into a manageable one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That money that I didn’t know I had put aside, I had it, and it worked perfectly,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the extra cash, Medina was able to buy gifts: toys, new clothes, household items, and food. It helped his family enjoy a more comfortable Christmas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Carmen Cardenas, the community engagement coordinator for Education and Leadership Foundation, joined a tanda to celebrate her 24th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I received the loan, I wasn’t wanting to go into credit card debt for my birthday celebration, so I saved the money that I got from the lending circle to put it towards that,” Cardenas said. “I was able to use that money and then keep paying it back as the lending circle went on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She makes it a priority to participate in tandas whenever the opportunity arises, viewing them as an important way to manage her finances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090547\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090547\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-07_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community Engagement Coordinator Carmen Cardenas stands for a portrait at the Education and Leadership Foundation (ELF) office in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Cardenas assists ELF community members with signing up for tandas, also known as lending circles, and has made use of them for her own expenses. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Through the Mission Asset Fund app — which is now available through partnerships in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York and Washington — Cardenas is instantly alerted whenever a scheduled payment is processed, allowing her to track when money has been automatically withdrawn from her bank account.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, Medina has grown to love tandas — not just because he can save money along the way, but also because he’s actively building and strengthening his credit score through the Mission Asset Fund’s app, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“After college, I didn’t really build my credit,” Medina said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After receiving his last payout, he signed up for another tanda and is set to collect $750 later this year — again with the ability to track and access his payments instantly from his devices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090548\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090548\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260706-tandas-JY-19_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Juan Carrillo prays at an altar honoring his brother and nephew in his home in Fresno, California, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Carrillo was able to contribute to funeral expenses for his brother and nephew after joining a tanda, a lending circle widely used in Latin America. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The ability to build credit scores also interested Carrillo, not for himself, but for his 18- and 20-year-old sons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In this country, you move forward with credit; without credit, you don’t,” Carrillo said. “Everything relies on credit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’d be tempting to lean on credit to keep up with California’s rising costs, but Carrillo said the tandas have helped him manage it. And, when tragedy struck, the tanda was there with quick cash and zero debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thank God because it arrived at a time [of need],” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/redwood-city\">Redwood City\u003c/a> residents will decide in November whether to adopt a rent-control and tenant-protection law that would reach well beyond current state and local rules, after the City Council opted on Tuesday to bring the issue to voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The council \u003ca href=\"https://meetings.redwoodcity.org/AgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDocument/July_7%2C_2026_Special_City_Council_Meeting_2726_Agenda_Packet_7_7_2026_6_00_00_PM.pdf?meetingId=2726&documentType=AgendaPacket&itemId=0&publishId=0&isSection=false\">voted unanimously\u003c/a> to send the citizen-led rent stabilization and tenant-protection measure to the ballot. The measure, organized by Faith in Action Bay Area, a religious advocacy group, qualified after county elections officials verified 4,751 signatures, more than the roughly 4,500 required.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are legally obligated by state law to either enact the measure outright or to place it on the ballot for the voters to decide,” Councilmember Chris Sturken told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure would cap annual rent increases for qualified units at 5% — or 60% of inflation, whichever is less — and roll rents back to their October 2025 levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of California’s Costa-Hawkins Act, the cap would reach only multifamily buildings built before Feb. 1, 1995 — about 40% of the city’s rental stock, according to a city staff report, or roughly one in five housing units citywide, according to the city’s consultant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But most of the \u003ca href=\"https://meetings.redwoodcity.org/AgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDocument/8.A.%20ATTACHMENT%20A%20%E2%80%93%20PROPOSED%20ORDINANCE.pdf?meetingId=2726&documentType=Agenda&itemId=14940&publishId=23496&isSection=false\">46-page measure\u003c/a> is even more stringent, expanding just-cause eviction protections to nearly all rentals, including single-family homes and ADUs; raising relocation payments for no-fault evictions to at least $12,000; guaranteeing displaced tenants a right to return to the unit; barring landlords from passing utility costs to tenants in rent-capped units; and creating a new, fee-funded city program to run a rent registry, hear petitions and provide free legal aid to low-income tenants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090358\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2246065193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2246065193.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2246065193-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2246065193-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Logo for Redwood City, California on the side door of a city vehicle, Nov. 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The city commissioned its own study of what the ordinance would do. Economic & Planning Systems, the firm Redwood City hired, found its reach extends well past the rent cap — the eviction, relocation and fee provisions carry “material costs and risks to property owners and investors,” managing principal Jason Moody told the council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>William Gomez, a school social worker and Faith in Action leader, said nearly 60% of students in the Redwood City School District are socioeconomically disadvantaged, and that many live doubled- or tripled-up while parents work multiple jobs to cover rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A family of three earning about $50,000 a year takes home roughly $4,000 a month, he said — about what rent for a one-bedroom now costs in the area.[aside postID=news_12089546 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_1571.jpg']“When it comes to housing, it seems for us to always prioritize corporations that value profit over human belonging,” Gomez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the campaign, rents in older buildings have risen 57% over 15 years, and corporations and real estate trusts own 87% of the city’s apartments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redwood City has never had local rent control, relying instead on California’s 2019 Tenant Protection Act, which imposed rules concerning rent increases and tenants rights in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents tried to qualify a similar measure in recent years but fell short on valid signatures. Sturken said the city’s absence of a rent cap — even as neighbors like East Palo Alto have had one for years — comes down to a “fierce” real estate lobby and past policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier councils had sought compromise, producing an anti-displacement strategy and a tenant-protection ordinance that stopped short of rent control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents, led by real estate and landlord groups, argue the measure would do the opposite of what it intends. Fernando Peña, government affairs director for the San Mateo County Association of Realtors, said it “doesn’t add one unit of housing” and would “reduce supply, increase cost for everyone, and discourage investment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090359\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2226825406.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2226825406.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2226825406-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2226825406-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial view of Redwood City, California in the Silicon Valley, June 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He noted that only two of the measure’s 46 pages deal with rent control, with the rest covering evictions, relocation and fees. The burden, he said, would fall on small homeowners — “families, the retirees” — not just corporations. The city should focus on building housing, he said, arguing Redwood City already has among the county’s strongest anti-displacement protections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Apartment Association, which represents landlords across the state, also opposes the measure. In a statement, Joshua Howard, the group’s executive vice president of local public affairs, said California and Redwood City already provide strong protections and that the initiative would swap them for “an expensive new layer of city bureaucracy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This measure builds government, not housing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard also pointed to Proposition 33, the 2024 statewide rent-control expansion he said nearly 60% of Redwood City voters rejected, and dismissed the measure’s provision letting owners petition for higher increases as “a farce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EPS’s analysis estimated the new program would cost the city $5 million to $11 million a year — far more than the $84 to $120 per-unit annual fees written into the ordinance, which it said would cover only 13% to 32% of the cost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Real per-unit fees, it projected, would run $320 to $700. Moody said the heaviest impact would fall on pre-1995 buildings, which he called the city’s “naturally occurring affordable housing,” and warned that the ban on billing tenants for utilities would be “an immediate hit” to older properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11970115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11970115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a city, with a bridge over a waterway.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1-800x460.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1-1020x587.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1-1536x883.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view of Redwood City. \u003ccite>(Thomas Winz/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>EPS also found that, adjusted for inflation, Redwood City rents have gradually declined over the past decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EPS associate Kaavya Chhatrapati, who modeled the effect on affordable housing, said the measure “is not expected to directly prevent Redwood City from meeting its” state-mandated housing goals, “but it could make affordable housing production and preservation more difficult over time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sturken told KQED the council’s role is “a bridge” between “sides that are diametrically opposed.” His bigger worry, he said, is the campaign ahead: “There’s going to be a lot of misinformation, a lot of fear-mongering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He urged voters to read the measure and the city’s financial reports before Election Day arguments are due on Aug. 11.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/redwood-city\">Redwood City\u003c/a> residents will decide in November whether to adopt a rent-control and tenant-protection law that would reach well beyond current state and local rules, after the City Council opted on Tuesday to bring the issue to voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The council \u003ca href=\"https://meetings.redwoodcity.org/AgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDocument/July_7%2C_2026_Special_City_Council_Meeting_2726_Agenda_Packet_7_7_2026_6_00_00_PM.pdf?meetingId=2726&documentType=AgendaPacket&itemId=0&publishId=0&isSection=false\">voted unanimously\u003c/a> to send the citizen-led rent stabilization and tenant-protection measure to the ballot. The measure, organized by Faith in Action Bay Area, a religious advocacy group, qualified after county elections officials verified 4,751 signatures, more than the roughly 4,500 required.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are legally obligated by state law to either enact the measure outright or to place it on the ballot for the voters to decide,” Councilmember Chris Sturken told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure would cap annual rent increases for qualified units at 5% — or 60% of inflation, whichever is less — and roll rents back to their October 2025 levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because of California’s Costa-Hawkins Act, the cap would reach only multifamily buildings built before Feb. 1, 1995 — about 40% of the city’s rental stock, according to a city staff report, or roughly one in five housing units citywide, according to the city’s consultant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But most of the \u003ca href=\"https://meetings.redwoodcity.org/AgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDocument/8.A.%20ATTACHMENT%20A%20%E2%80%93%20PROPOSED%20ORDINANCE.pdf?meetingId=2726&documentType=Agenda&itemId=14940&publishId=23496&isSection=false\">46-page measure\u003c/a> is even more stringent, expanding just-cause eviction protections to nearly all rentals, including single-family homes and ADUs; raising relocation payments for no-fault evictions to at least $12,000; guaranteeing displaced tenants a right to return to the unit; barring landlords from passing utility costs to tenants in rent-capped units; and creating a new, fee-funded city program to run a rent registry, hear petitions and provide free legal aid to low-income tenants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090358\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2246065193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2246065193.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2246065193-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2246065193-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Logo for Redwood City, California on the side door of a city vehicle, Nov. 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The city commissioned its own study of what the ordinance would do. Economic & Planning Systems, the firm Redwood City hired, found its reach extends well past the rent cap — the eviction, relocation and fee provisions carry “material costs and risks to property owners and investors,” managing principal Jason Moody told the council.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>William Gomez, a school social worker and Faith in Action leader, said nearly 60% of students in the Redwood City School District are socioeconomically disadvantaged, and that many live doubled- or tripled-up while parents work multiple jobs to cover rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A family of three earning about $50,000 a year takes home roughly $4,000 a month, he said — about what rent for a one-bedroom now costs in the area.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“When it comes to housing, it seems for us to always prioritize corporations that value profit over human belonging,” Gomez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the campaign, rents in older buildings have risen 57% over 15 years, and corporations and real estate trusts own 87% of the city’s apartments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Redwood City has never had local rent control, relying instead on California’s 2019 Tenant Protection Act, which imposed rules concerning rent increases and tenants rights in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Residents tried to qualify a similar measure in recent years but fell short on valid signatures. Sturken said the city’s absence of a rent cap — even as neighbors like East Palo Alto have had one for years — comes down to a “fierce” real estate lobby and past policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier councils had sought compromise, producing an anti-displacement strategy and a tenant-protection ordinance that stopped short of rent control.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents, led by real estate and landlord groups, argue the measure would do the opposite of what it intends. Fernando Peña, government affairs director for the San Mateo County Association of Realtors, said it “doesn’t add one unit of housing” and would “reduce supply, increase cost for everyone, and discourage investment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12090359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12090359\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2226825406.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2226825406.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2226825406-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2226825406-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aerial view of Redwood City, California in the Silicon Valley, June 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He noted that only two of the measure’s 46 pages deal with rent control, with the rest covering evictions, relocation and fees. The burden, he said, would fall on small homeowners — “families, the retirees” — not just corporations. The city should focus on building housing, he said, arguing Redwood City already has among the county’s strongest anti-displacement protections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Apartment Association, which represents landlords across the state, also opposes the measure. In a statement, Joshua Howard, the group’s executive vice president of local public affairs, said California and Redwood City already provide strong protections and that the initiative would swap them for “an expensive new layer of city bureaucracy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This measure builds government, not housing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Howard also pointed to Proposition 33, the 2024 statewide rent-control expansion he said nearly 60% of Redwood City voters rejected, and dismissed the measure’s provision letting owners petition for higher increases as “a farce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EPS’s analysis estimated the new program would cost the city $5 million to $11 million a year — far more than the $84 to $120 per-unit annual fees written into the ordinance, which it said would cover only 13% to 32% of the cost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Real per-unit fees, it projected, would run $320 to $700. Moody said the heaviest impact would fall on pre-1995 buildings, which he called the city’s “naturally occurring affordable housing,” and warned that the ban on billing tenants for utilities would be “an immediate hit” to older properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11970115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11970115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a city, with a bridge over a waterway.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1104\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1-800x460.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1-1020x587.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1-160x92.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-672643689-1-1536x883.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view of Redwood City. \u003ccite>(Thomas Winz/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>EPS also found that, adjusted for inflation, Redwood City rents have gradually declined over the past decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EPS associate Kaavya Chhatrapati, who modeled the effect on affordable housing, said the measure “is not expected to directly prevent Redwood City from meeting its” state-mandated housing goals, “but it could make affordable housing production and preservation more difficult over time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sturken told KQED the council’s role is “a bridge” between “sides that are diametrically opposed.” His bigger worry, he said, is the campaign ahead: “There’s going to be a lot of misinformation, a lot of fear-mongering.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He urged voters to read the measure and the city’s financial reports before Election Day arguments are due on Aug. 11.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"soldout": {
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"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
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