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"content": "\u003cp>Joe Dabit’s cozy, mural-covered restaurant, Pizza Joint, sits next to George Washington High School in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco’s\u003c/a> Outer Richmond neighborhood. Every afternoon, students line up to buy lunch at the counter and take home half-price slices at the end of the day. He credits them with keeping the business afloat — a task that’s gotten harder thanks, in part, to\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082876/pge-bills-are-going-up-heres-why\"> rising electricity costs. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Energy prices are crazy. Two or three years ago, I used to pay $1,000 to $1,100, $1,200 max,” Dabit, 62, said. “My last bill was $2,800.” His utility bills now cost almost as much as rent for his 900-square-foot restaurant\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dabit’s energy problems reached a new level in December when a PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083011/humidity-at-pge-substation-likely-cause-of-massive-december-san-francisco-blackout\">substation\u003c/a> fire caused a three-day power outage for the neighborhood. In addition to losing business, Dabit lost $10,000 to $15,000 worth of ingredients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The utility company initially offered him just $2,500, he said — which barely covered his typical electricity bill, let alone all the product and business that he lost. After more than three months of back and forth, he said he finally got PG&E to agree to something he found reasonable, but only after threatening to hire a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between December’s series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073229/san-francisco-supervisors-probe-pge-after-widespread-winter-power-outages\">power\u003c/a> outages and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/nhttps:/www.kqed.org/news/12033386/pge-electricity-rates-have-jumped-nearly-70-since-2020ews/12033386/pge-electricity-rates-have-jumped-nearly-70-since-2020\">skyrocketing\u003c/a> electricity bills, Dabit and other San Franciscans are growing increasingly frustrated with the utility company. In February, a group of residents and small businesses \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071937/san-francisco-small-businesses-to-sue-pge-over-losses-from-december-power-outages\">filed a class-action lawsuit\u003c/a> against PG&E, alleging the utility failed to remediate major financial losses after major \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912529/san-francisco-blackouts-raise-concerns-about-pge-and-robotaxis\">power outages in December\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their discontent recently led the Board of Supervisors to reaffirm their commitment to cutting ties with PG&E, a process that’s been quietly underway for about five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087359\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Customers sit at Pizza Joint in San Francisco’s Richmond District on June 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While PG&E has said that a takeover would \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/currents/future-of-energy/city-and-county-of-san-francisco-proposal-to-take-over-pg-e-elec.html\">increase\u003c/a> San Francisco electricity rates for decades, some advocates believe it might be the only way out. With the ever-increasing cost of living, would a takeover make life easier for Dabit?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though many residents may not be aware of it, the city has been in a protracted battle over whether or not to leave PG&E since the start of the 20th century, said Josh Lappen, a researcher at the University of Notre Dame who studies utilities and energy. The last significant attempt took place in the early 2000s and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/In-S-F-voters-defeat-Prop-H-for-city-utility-3186957.php\">failed\u003c/a> as a ballot measure over concerns about government spending, questions about San Francisco’s ability to run a utility and significant campaigning from PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While similar ballot measures have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/publications/voter-guide/2008-11-01/proposition-h-municipalizing-electric-service\">voted\u003c/a> down for decades, the city may no longer have to go through voter approval. Since residents passed \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Proposition_A,_Revenue_Bonds_for_Power_Facilities_Excluding_Fossil_Fuels_and_Nuclear_Energy_Charter_Amendment_(June_2018)\">Proposition A\u003c/a> in 2018, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission can now issue revenue bonds to buy clean power facilities with approval by two-thirds of the Board of Supervisors. This means that, if San Francisco and PG&E agree on a price, the city could potentially buy PG&E’s wire, poles and other physical infrastructure without putting anything on the ballot, according to John Coté, a spokesperson for San Francisco Power and Water.[aside postID=news_12074281 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-SIGNATUREKICKOFF00063_TV-KQED.jpg']The city’s latest attempt to buy the utility officially \u003ca href=\"https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M394/K796/394796977.PDF\">started\u003c/a> in 2019 when it offered $2.5 billion for PG&E’s infrastructure. The company rejected the offer outright, saying the offer was too low, but in 2021, the city asked the California Public Utilities Commission to set a fair price. After years of delays, the CPUC directed San Francisco to submit its valuation and for PG&E to file its response by Oct. 20, 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, San Francisco submitted a valuation of $3.4 billion to acquire the land, infrastructure and equipment needed for a takeover. PG&E, which has repeatedly said its infrastructure is not for sale, said in a statement around the same time that San Francisco “greatly undervalues” the utility’s property, and doesn’t account for separation costs or costs of state-mandated programs that would be offloaded onto remaining customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If San Francisco ever gets to the end of this process, Jim Lazar, an economist with a five-decade career in utility regulation and an advocate for public power, estimated that rates could go down by 15%-20% in the 10 years following purchase. Lazar said that prices would go down primarily because investor-owned utilities come with some baked-in costs that make them more expensive to run than consumer-owned utilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, being a public, nonprofit company allows consumer-owned utilities to both borrow money for construction projects at a cheaper rate and to pay less in taxes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consumer-owned utilities also tend to pay their executives less than investor-owned utilities, and that’s certainly the case for PG&E. The CEO of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, a consumer-owned utility, is set to earn \u003ca href=\"https://www.smud.org/-/media/Documents/Corporate/Careers-at-SMUD/Salary-Schedule.ashx\">$1.4 million\u003c/a> in 2026. While that’s a lot, PG&E’s CEO made\u003ca href=\"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1004980/000100498026000020/pcg-20260409.htm#i76f77ef7e29d43c3add9edcb2e098a62_55\"> $19.8 million\u003c/a> in 2025 alone. The skilled workers that maintain the grid, however, earn about the same regardless of ownership — about \u003ca href=\"https://www.smud.org/-/media/Documents/Corporate/Careers-at-SMUD/Salary-Schedule.ashx\">$79\u003c/a> per hour at SMUD and about \u003ca href=\"https://jobs.pge.com/lineworker\">$77\u003c/a> at PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087362\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A PG&E substation on Mission and 8th Streets in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As an investor-owned utility, PG&E also pays dividends to shareholders. While PG&E said that those dividends make up less than\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999400/bay-area-electricity-bills-are-some-of-the-highest-where-does-your-money-go\"> 1%\u003c/a> of a typical residential bill, the incentive to generate dividends creates one more expense for ratepayers — a never-ending need to increase profits by building more infrastructure. In 2024, they built enough to pay their shareholders \u003ca href=\"https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001004980/b7a70191-b3cb-41e7-8f6e-4d5d22abd201.pdf\">$1.45\u003c/a> billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While ratepayers may see gains in the long run, Michael Wara, a senior research scholar at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, said \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">there would be inherent challenges to exiting a grid that is part of “a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">regional\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, Wara said, PG&E ratepayers outside of San Francisco, including places like Oakland and Marin, would take on the costs that San Francisco leaves behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s why: San Francisco ratepayers subsidize grid upgrades across Northern California, particularly in fire-prone areas, and \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> energy programs for low-income residents, according to multiple experts KQED spoke with\u003c/span>. And PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/assets/pge/docs/outages-and-safety/outage-preparedness-and-support/PGE-2023-RNR-R0.pdf\">increased\u003c/a> its spending on wildfire prevention from $3.84 billion in 2019 to $6.17 billion in 2024. According to Wara, this wildfire spending was the “largest driver of rate increase for PG&E over the last decade,” and the majority of these investments happened outside of the city — where wildfires actually get started.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087363\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087363\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A PG&E substation on Mission and 8th Streets in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The investments still benefit San Franciscans by protecting them from the impacts of these natural disasters and making sure their energy gets to them safely. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SFPUC also noted that the agency will continue to pay PG&E for their \u003ca href=\"https://publicpowersf.org/faq\">transmission\u003c/a> — the wires that get electricity to the city — and will therefore continue to pay into wildfire prevention costs. Coté also shared that the CPUC \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will ultimately be responsible for making sure that PG&E’s remaining ratepayers are not harmed by San Francisco leaving the utility. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know people that really think this is a great idea, but they tend to think about it solely from the perspective of San Francisco and the residents of San Francisco,” Wara said, referring to a takeover. “At the end of the day, the city is a regional entity that relies on energy that comes from oil refineries, electric dams and ports across the state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wara said that because “electric power is this essential good that’s provided over a very large system,” more radical change — like turning all of PG&E into a public utility — would be better than cities leaving individually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jessica Tovar, a climate and environmental justice advocate in San Francisco, generally agreed with this take.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really would like to see a municipalization push that’s not solely big cities like San Francisco,” she said, “but other communities as well, because there is a lot of benefit to having control of the whole system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087361\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087361\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">International currency and graduation photos from customers hang behind the counter at Pizza Joint in San Francisco’s Richmond District on June 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While experts and advocates agree that PG&E’s current structure does not always protect consumers, “there’s a lot less consensus among the voters on what to do than there is on the fact that something needs to be done,” Lappen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These utilities really prop up daily life and any sort of change that risks increasing costs for any portion of the electorate would be really immediately and severely felt,” Lappen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dabit, the Pizza Joint owner, said that while he had “heard about the government taking over PG&E, I don’t know if it’s going to be any better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just need PG&E, and whoever is providing electricity and gas to all these restaurants all over the city, to just be fair,” he said. “Just be fair, you know? We’re struggling. We really are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated to reflect that San Francisco will remain a transmission customer of PG&E if the city achieves public power. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Concerns over affordability and public safety have reignited San Francisco’s fight for public power. While PG&E has argued that a takeover would increase local electricity rates for decades, some advocates believe it might be the only way out.",
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"title": "San Francisco Weighs PG&E Takeover Amid Soaring Utility Costs | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Joe Dabit’s cozy, mural-covered restaurant, Pizza Joint, sits next to George Washington High School in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco’s\u003c/a> Outer Richmond neighborhood. Every afternoon, students line up to buy lunch at the counter and take home half-price slices at the end of the day. He credits them with keeping the business afloat — a task that’s gotten harder thanks, in part, to\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082876/pge-bills-are-going-up-heres-why\"> rising electricity costs. \u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Energy prices are crazy. Two or three years ago, I used to pay $1,000 to $1,100, $1,200 max,” Dabit, 62, said. “My last bill was $2,800.” His utility bills now cost almost as much as rent for his 900-square-foot restaurant\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dabit’s energy problems reached a new level in December when a PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083011/humidity-at-pge-substation-likely-cause-of-massive-december-san-francisco-blackout\">substation\u003c/a> fire caused a three-day power outage for the neighborhood. In addition to losing business, Dabit lost $10,000 to $15,000 worth of ingredients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The utility company initially offered him just $2,500, he said — which barely covered his typical electricity bill, let alone all the product and business that he lost. After more than three months of back and forth, he said he finally got PG&E to agree to something he found reasonable, but only after threatening to hire a lawyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Between December’s series of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073229/san-francisco-supervisors-probe-pge-after-widespread-winter-power-outages\">power\u003c/a> outages and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/nhttps:/www.kqed.org/news/12033386/pge-electricity-rates-have-jumped-nearly-70-since-2020ews/12033386/pge-electricity-rates-have-jumped-nearly-70-since-2020\">skyrocketing\u003c/a> electricity bills, Dabit and other San Franciscans are growing increasingly frustrated with the utility company. In February, a group of residents and small businesses \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071937/san-francisco-small-businesses-to-sue-pge-over-losses-from-december-power-outages\">filed a class-action lawsuit\u003c/a> against PG&E, alleging the utility failed to remediate major financial losses after major \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912529/san-francisco-blackouts-raise-concerns-about-pge-and-robotaxis\">power outages in December\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their discontent recently led the Board of Supervisors to reaffirm their commitment to cutting ties with PG&E, a process that’s been quietly underway for about five years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087359\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087359\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Customers sit at Pizza Joint in San Francisco’s Richmond District on June 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While PG&E has said that a takeover would \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/currents/future-of-energy/city-and-county-of-san-francisco-proposal-to-take-over-pg-e-elec.html\">increase\u003c/a> San Francisco electricity rates for decades, some advocates believe it might be the only way out. With the ever-increasing cost of living, would a takeover make life easier for Dabit?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though many residents may not be aware of it, the city has been in a protracted battle over whether or not to leave PG&E since the start of the 20th century, said Josh Lappen, a researcher at the University of Notre Dame who studies utilities and energy. The last significant attempt took place in the early 2000s and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/In-S-F-voters-defeat-Prop-H-for-city-utility-3186957.php\">failed\u003c/a> as a ballot measure over concerns about government spending, questions about San Francisco’s ability to run a utility and significant campaigning from PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While similar ballot measures have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/publications/voter-guide/2008-11-01/proposition-h-municipalizing-electric-service\">voted\u003c/a> down for decades, the city may no longer have to go through voter approval. Since residents passed \u003ca href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Proposition_A,_Revenue_Bonds_for_Power_Facilities_Excluding_Fossil_Fuels_and_Nuclear_Energy_Charter_Amendment_(June_2018)\">Proposition A\u003c/a> in 2018, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission can now issue revenue bonds to buy clean power facilities with approval by two-thirds of the Board of Supervisors. This means that, if San Francisco and PG&E agree on a price, the city could potentially buy PG&E’s wire, poles and other physical infrastructure without putting anything on the ballot, according to John Coté, a spokesperson for San Francisco Power and Water.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The city’s latest attempt to buy the utility officially \u003ca href=\"https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M394/K796/394796977.PDF\">started\u003c/a> in 2019 when it offered $2.5 billion for PG&E’s infrastructure. The company rejected the offer outright, saying the offer was too low, but in 2021, the city asked the California Public Utilities Commission to set a fair price. After years of delays, the CPUC directed San Francisco to submit its valuation and for PG&E to file its response by Oct. 20, 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, San Francisco submitted a valuation of $3.4 billion to acquire the land, infrastructure and equipment needed for a takeover. PG&E, which has repeatedly said its infrastructure is not for sale, said in a statement around the same time that San Francisco “greatly undervalues” the utility’s property, and doesn’t account for separation costs or costs of state-mandated programs that would be offloaded onto remaining customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If San Francisco ever gets to the end of this process, Jim Lazar, an economist with a five-decade career in utility regulation and an advocate for public power, estimated that rates could go down by 15%-20% in the 10 years following purchase. Lazar said that prices would go down primarily because investor-owned utilities come with some baked-in costs that make them more expensive to run than consumer-owned utilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, being a public, nonprofit company allows consumer-owned utilities to both borrow money for construction projects at a cheaper rate and to pay less in taxes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consumer-owned utilities also tend to pay their executives less than investor-owned utilities, and that’s certainly the case for PG&E. The CEO of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, a consumer-owned utility, is set to earn \u003ca href=\"https://www.smud.org/-/media/Documents/Corporate/Careers-at-SMUD/Salary-Schedule.ashx\">$1.4 million\u003c/a> in 2026. While that’s a lot, PG&E’s CEO made\u003ca href=\"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1004980/000100498026000020/pcg-20260409.htm#i76f77ef7e29d43c3add9edcb2e098a62_55\"> $19.8 million\u003c/a> in 2025 alone. The skilled workers that maintain the grid, however, earn about the same regardless of ownership — about \u003ca href=\"https://www.smud.org/-/media/Documents/Corporate/Careers-at-SMUD/Salary-Schedule.ashx\">$79\u003c/a> per hour at SMUD and about \u003ca href=\"https://jobs.pge.com/lineworker\">$77\u003c/a> at PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087362\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087362\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A PG&E substation on Mission and 8th Streets in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As an investor-owned utility, PG&E also pays dividends to shareholders. While PG&E said that those dividends make up less than\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999400/bay-area-electricity-bills-are-some-of-the-highest-where-does-your-money-go\"> 1%\u003c/a> of a typical residential bill, the incentive to generate dividends creates one more expense for ratepayers — a never-ending need to increase profits by building more infrastructure. In 2024, they built enough to pay their shareholders \u003ca href=\"https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001004980/b7a70191-b3cb-41e7-8f6e-4d5d22abd201.pdf\">$1.45\u003c/a> billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While ratepayers may see gains in the long run, Michael Wara, a senior research scholar at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, said \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">there would be inherent challenges to exiting a grid that is part of “a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">regional\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> system.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, Wara said, PG&E ratepayers outside of San Francisco, including places like Oakland and Marin, would take on the costs that San Francisco leaves behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s why: San Francisco ratepayers subsidize grid upgrades across Northern California, particularly in fire-prone areas, and \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> energy programs for low-income residents, according to multiple experts KQED spoke with\u003c/span>. And PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/assets/pge/docs/outages-and-safety/outage-preparedness-and-support/PGE-2023-RNR-R0.pdf\">increased\u003c/a> its spending on wildfire prevention from $3.84 billion in 2019 to $6.17 billion in 2024. According to Wara, this wildfire spending was the “largest driver of rate increase for PG&E over the last decade,” and the majority of these investments happened outside of the city — where wildfires actually get started.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087363\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087363\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A PG&E substation on Mission and 8th Streets in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The investments still benefit San Franciscans by protecting them from the impacts of these natural disasters and making sure their energy gets to them safely. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SFPUC also noted that the agency will continue to pay PG&E for their \u003ca href=\"https://publicpowersf.org/faq\">transmission\u003c/a> — the wires that get electricity to the city — and will therefore continue to pay into wildfire prevention costs. Coté also shared that the CPUC \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will ultimately be responsible for making sure that PG&E’s remaining ratepayers are not harmed by San Francisco leaving the utility. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I know people that really think this is a great idea, but they tend to think about it solely from the perspective of San Francisco and the residents of San Francisco,” Wara said, referring to a takeover. “At the end of the day, the city is a regional entity that relies on energy that comes from oil refineries, electric dams and ports across the state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wara said that because “electric power is this essential good that’s provided over a very large system,” more radical change — like turning all of PG&E into a public utility — would be better than cities leaving individually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jessica Tovar, a climate and environmental justice advocate in San Francisco, generally agreed with this take.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really would like to see a municipalization push that’s not solely big cities like San Francisco,” she said, “but other communities as well, because there is a lot of benefit to having control of the whole system.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087361\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087361\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260608-PGEBREAKUPPRICING-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">International currency and graduation photos from customers hang behind the counter at Pizza Joint in San Francisco’s Richmond District on June 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While experts and advocates agree that PG&E’s current structure does not always protect consumers, “there’s a lot less consensus among the voters on what to do than there is on the fact that something needs to be done,” Lappen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These utilities really prop up daily life and any sort of change that risks increasing costs for any portion of the electorate would be really immediately and severely felt,” Lappen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dabit, the Pizza Joint owner, said that while he had “heard about the government taking over PG&E, I don’t know if it’s going to be any better.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just need PG&E, and whoever is providing electricity and gas to all these restaurants all over the city, to just be fair,” he said. “Just be fair, you know? We’re struggling. We really are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated to reflect that San Francisco will remain a transmission customer of PG&E if the city achieves public power. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>As college graduates throw off their caps and move on to their next life chapter, one topic is surely on their minds: Has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">artificial intelligence\u003c/a> made their skills irrelevant? And what does an entry-level job even look like anymore?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the past month, graduates across the country have\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/05/20/nx-s1-5822419/ai-colleges-commencement-booing\"> booed and jeered\u003c/a> college commencement speakers at the very mention of AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s no surprise. Recent polling suggests the technology weighs heavily on the minds of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079472/stanford-study-ai-experts-are-optimistic-about-ai-the-rest-of-us-not-so-much\">those already in the job market\u003c/a> and those who seek to \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/704087/college-students-weigh-impact-majors-careers.aspx\">join it\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several college graduates from around the state spoke with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareportmagazine\">\u003cem>The California Report Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a> about how they’re navigating the unpredictable economy, and how AI factors into their job search. The testimonies below have been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087236\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087236\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gisselle Ulloa poses with her diploma from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Ulloa, who plans to be a teacher, said she witnessed the impact of AI on her middle-schoolers in the classroom. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Gisselle Ulloa)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Gisselle Ulloa\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> California State Polytechnic University, Pomona\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Liberal Studies\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are your plans after graduation? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I plan to be a teacher in the near future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does AI affect you? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a recent graduate, it is intimidating to apply to jobs and fail to meet the criteria of artificial intelligence. There’ve been occasions where I feel … the employer is not even going to gaze at my resume. Of course, jobs don’t come easily, and you have to earn your position. But it’s really difficult to learn to satisfy an algorithm instead of a person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With my experience tutoring, I saw the effects of AI, social media and electronics in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I worked with middle schoolers last year. Seeing my students struggle to write paragraphs with a pencil or solve math problems [with] ChatGPT was discouraging. It put into perspective the amount of work needed from teachers and staff to get students to where they need to be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teachers can only do so much. As an aspiring educator, [AI] is a really pivotal tool, and I’m sure it works for bigger things, [like] social media and technology. But I fear it’s going to impact classrooms negatively in the years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Camalah Saleh\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> California State University, Fresno\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Political Science and Communication\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are your plans after graduation?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I go to China at the end of August to earn a master’s in Global Affairs as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University. My goal is to connect international affairs and global affairs to immigration because I want to be an immigration attorney and work on refugee and asylum cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087227\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CamalahSaleh.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CamalahSaleh.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CamalahSaleh-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CamalahSaleh-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Camalah Saleh smiles after graduating from California State University, Fresno. She said she initially tried to ignore ChatGPT but realized AI is not going anywhere. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Camalah Saleh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does AI affect you?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When ChatGPT first came out, everyone was talking about it, and I didn’t know what it was. I ignored it. I’m in a field where you need to critically write and be a critical thinker, and it can’t just do your work for you. Then, I realized [AI] is not going away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve looked at the way it’s going to impact my career. To see lawyers using it is really worrisome because … there’s a lot of ethical concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But I need to pay attention to how it’s going to advance. And people need to be literate in AI so that they can analyze what is and is not made by AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087237\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087237\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Yang poses with her diploma at Oracle Park in San Francisco. She said the threat of AI taking over peoples’ jobs is “pretty scary.” \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Michelle Yang)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Michelle Yang\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> San Francisco State University\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Marketing\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are your plans after graduation? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I want to go into event [planning]. Hopefully, within the music industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does AI affect you?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With most jobs that include administration and planning, AI definitely has or could have the potential to take over certain skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But with events, it’s a very in-person, human interaction type of industry. So, that’s not something I’m worried about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Graduating college right now, it’s pretty scary with this threat of AI taking over. We spent so much time in school figuring out what we want to do after college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I can decide not to use AI within my life. But as society progresses, especially in San Francisco, AI [will] become more incorporated into society, [and] there might not be a choice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Michelle Yang is a Live Events intern at KQED. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Amelia Zai\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> UCLA (incoming senior)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Mechanical Engineering\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are your plans after graduation?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ll probably start applying [for entry-level jobs] in the fall. I already know that even without AI, the job market is really difficult.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087221\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Amelia_Zai.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Amelia_Zai.jpeg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Amelia_Zai-160x107.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amelia Zai \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Amelia Zai)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How do you feel about AI?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m the president of the AI Robotics and Ethics Society at the University of California, Los Angeles. A lot of students here are aware of how AI is reshaping the world. They see it in the news; they’re seeing it in their classes; they use AI to help them understand assignments. I do that too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During every discussion, it’s inevitable that the question of whether AI will replace roles in some field comes up. I think it’s less of a competition between AI and people, and more of a competition between people who use AI and people who don’t know how to use AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because I know that AI is such a powerful tool, I’m trying to use that to my advantage and integrate it into my workflow to make myself a more efficient thinker. It’s the responsibility of universities to ensure that their graduates are competitive. And one way to achieve that goal is to integrate AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Aaron Kim\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> UC Berkeley\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Political Science\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Career path: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Labor/Union Organizing\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does AI affect you? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, in terms of my personal career trajectory, it still feels pretty peripheral. I ended up doing a lot of stuff in the union/labor world, so AI affects me less. None of the jobs that I was looking for are AI-exposed as much.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A lot of the organizations I’m interested in are concerned with progressive issues and working people. How would you feel if your union rep is ChatGPT and tries to get you to sign union cards? That’s something AI can never take away. Because so much of organizing is based on building trust, human to human.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As college graduates throw off their caps and move on to their next life chapter, one topic is surely on their minds: Has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/artificial-intelligence\">artificial intelligence\u003c/a> made their skills irrelevant? And what does an entry-level job even look like anymore?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the past month, graduates across the country have\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/05/20/nx-s1-5822419/ai-colleges-commencement-booing\"> booed and jeered\u003c/a> college commencement speakers at the very mention of AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s no surprise. Recent polling suggests the technology weighs heavily on the minds of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079472/stanford-study-ai-experts-are-optimistic-about-ai-the-rest-of-us-not-so-much\">those already in the job market\u003c/a> and those who seek to \u003ca href=\"https://news.gallup.com/poll/704087/college-students-weigh-impact-majors-careers.aspx\">join it\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several college graduates from around the state spoke with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiareportmagazine\">\u003cem>The California Report Magazine\u003c/em>\u003c/a> about how they’re navigating the unpredictable economy, and how AI factors into their job search. The testimonies below have been edited for brevity and clarity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087236\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087236\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GisselleUlloa-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gisselle Ulloa poses with her diploma from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Ulloa, who plans to be a teacher, said she witnessed the impact of AI on her middle-schoolers in the classroom. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Gisselle Ulloa)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Gisselle Ulloa\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> California State Polytechnic University, Pomona\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Liberal Studies\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are your plans after graduation? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I plan to be a teacher in the near future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does AI affect you? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a recent graduate, it is intimidating to apply to jobs and fail to meet the criteria of artificial intelligence. There’ve been occasions where I feel … the employer is not even going to gaze at my resume. Of course, jobs don’t come easily, and you have to earn your position. But it’s really difficult to learn to satisfy an algorithm instead of a person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With my experience tutoring, I saw the effects of AI, social media and electronics in the classroom.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I worked with middle schoolers last year. Seeing my students struggle to write paragraphs with a pencil or solve math problems [with] ChatGPT was discouraging. It put into perspective the amount of work needed from teachers and staff to get students to where they need to be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teachers can only do so much. As an aspiring educator, [AI] is a really pivotal tool, and I’m sure it works for bigger things, [like] social media and technology. But I fear it’s going to impact classrooms negatively in the years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Camalah Saleh\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> California State University, Fresno\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Political Science and Communication\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are your plans after graduation?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I go to China at the end of August to earn a master’s in Global Affairs as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University. My goal is to connect international affairs and global affairs to immigration because I want to be an immigration attorney and work on refugee and asylum cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087227\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CamalahSaleh.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CamalahSaleh.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CamalahSaleh-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CamalahSaleh-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Camalah Saleh smiles after graduating from California State University, Fresno. She said she initially tried to ignore ChatGPT but realized AI is not going anywhere. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Camalah Saleh)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does AI affect you?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When ChatGPT first came out, everyone was talking about it, and I didn’t know what it was. I ignored it. I’m in a field where you need to critically write and be a critical thinker, and it can’t just do your work for you. Then, I realized [AI] is not going away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve looked at the way it’s going to impact my career. To see lawyers using it is really worrisome because … there’s a lot of ethical concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But I need to pay attention to how it’s going to advance. And people need to be literate in AI so that they can analyze what is and is not made by AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087237\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087237\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MichelleYang-1536x2048.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Yang poses with her diploma at Oracle Park in San Francisco. She said the threat of AI taking over peoples’ jobs is “pretty scary.” \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Michelle Yang)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Michelle Yang\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> San Francisco State University\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Marketing\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are your plans after graduation? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I want to go into event [planning]. Hopefully, within the music industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does AI affect you?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With most jobs that include administration and planning, AI definitely has or could have the potential to take over certain skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But with events, it’s a very in-person, human interaction type of industry. So, that’s not something I’m worried about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Graduating college right now, it’s pretty scary with this threat of AI taking over. We spent so much time in school figuring out what we want to do after college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I can decide not to use AI within my life. But as society progresses, especially in San Francisco, AI [will] become more incorporated into society, [and] there might not be a choice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Michelle Yang is a Live Events intern at KQED. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Amelia Zai\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> UCLA (incoming senior)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Mechanical Engineering\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are your plans after graduation?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ll probably start applying [for entry-level jobs] in the fall. I already know that even without AI, the job market is really difficult.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087221\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Amelia_Zai.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Amelia_Zai.jpeg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Amelia_Zai-160x107.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amelia Zai \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Amelia Zai)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How do you feel about AI?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m the president of the AI Robotics and Ethics Society at the University of California, Los Angeles. A lot of students here are aware of how AI is reshaping the world. They see it in the news; they’re seeing it in their classes; they use AI to help them understand assignments. I do that too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During every discussion, it’s inevitable that the question of whether AI will replace roles in some field comes up. I think it’s less of a competition between AI and people, and more of a competition between people who use AI and people who don’t know how to use AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because I know that AI is such a powerful tool, I’m trying to use that to my advantage and integrate it into my workflow to make myself a more efficient thinker. It’s the responsibility of universities to ensure that their graduates are competitive. And one way to achieve that goal is to integrate AI.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Aaron Kim\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>School:\u003c/strong> UC Berkeley\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Major:\u003c/strong> Political Science\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Career path: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Labor/Union Organizing\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How does AI affect you? \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Luckily, in terms of my personal career trajectory, it still feels pretty peripheral. I ended up doing a lot of stuff in the union/labor world, so AI affects me less. None of the jobs that I was looking for are AI-exposed as much.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A lot of the organizations I’m interested in are concerned with progressive issues and working people. How would you feel if your union rep is ChatGPT and tries to get you to sign union cards? That’s something AI can never take away. Because so much of organizing is based on building trust, human to human.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Even Some Tech Workers Can’t Afford to Stay When the Bay is This Expensive",
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"content": "\u003cp>Since the California Gold Rush, economic opportunities have drawn people to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">the Bay Area\u003c/a> from all over the world. But for just as long, the region’s boom-and-bust economy has made it impossible for others to stay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the 1990s, the tech industry has driven costs higher, but for some who work in the industry and haven’t struck IPO or AI gold, life in the Bay Area is not adding up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ani and Alex Vecchi, both software engineers, live in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley with their orange cat, Mushu. They haven’t been in the Bay Area long, but already, both aged 30, they’re starting to worry that the city they love may be too expensive for raising a family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Wogulis and Melanie Bowden, both 62, raised their family in Northern California, but a layoff made it impossible for them to stay. Last spring, they put their house in Berkeley on the market and drove to Santa Fe with a cat, Molly, and a chihuahua, Felice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers at Joint Venture Silicon Valley confirm what many already feel: the region’s economy is generating enormous wealth, but also growing impossibly unaffordable for most people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11970120\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2121px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11970120\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a city, with a large body of water in the bakground.\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view of Redwood City. \u003ccite>(Sundry Photography via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even well-paid tech workers are being forced to choose between the Bay Area and the rest of their lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It distills to a few key points,” said Russell Hancock, President and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, at the organization’s annual State of the Valley conference in late February. “We have a very hot economy. It’s creating a lot of wealth. It’s not creating as many jobs. And our housing is too expensive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it’s creating \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">demographic churn\u003c/a> — young people move in while older folks move out.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Ani and Alex\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ani and Alex Vecchi met about 10 years ago in physics class while studying software engineering at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She went into front-end, customer interface work. She’s now a senior software engineer for Banquet Health, a startup software platform for hospital meals. “Using tech for a good cause is huge for me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They came to the Bay Area in June of 2024 because Alex’s weather monitoring startup Sorcerer landed a \u003ca href=\"https://tracxn.com/d/companies/sorcerer/__iyp8-DoCQBPMaBMs4MjSSHaiRmAA4xVBX44YQJARrto\">$500,000 grant\u003c/a> from Y Combinator, the Silicon Valley accelerator that launched Airbnb, Dropbox and DoorDash. It was, in startup terms, a golden ticket.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085149\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Vecchi and Mushu enjoy a sunny day in San Francisco’s Alamo Square. Alex and his wife, Ani, came to the city two years ago to pursue careers in tech. Now 30, the unaffordable housing market raises uncomfortable questions about whether and how they plan to raise children in the years to come. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Ani and Alex Vecchi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Starting a company here, you have to do it here,” Alex said. The investors are here, or a short drive down the Peninsula. Scheduling a Zoom call? “It’s not the same,” he said. “Things spark here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sorcerer closed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2025/06/12/sorcerer-seed-weather-balloons\">$3.9 million seed round\u003c/a> last year. “That data is what powers, essentially, the forecasts on your phone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They have been having the time of their lives in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of greenery,” Ani said. “There’s a lot of people out and about. You have that drive [to succeed in business], but it’s also peaceful, in some ways.” They love walking and picnics and meals with friends. “There’s a lot going on here,” Ani said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The thing is, the Vechhis are starting to think about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075761/when-child-care-costs-half-a-paycheck-bay-area-parents-must-choose-kids-or-career\">having children\u003c/a>. But it’s complicated. They need both salaries, and both sets of parents, who could help them with childcare, live in Florida. And they’re not ready to make that move.[aside postID=news_12080289 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260420-SLEEP-PODS-MD-01-KQED_1.jpg']\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061802/how-are-child-care-costs-affecting-the-lives-of-bay-area-families-you-told-us\">Rising child care costs in the Bay Area\u003c/a> are forcing parents to make painful tradeoffs, either by passing up career opportunities, cutting back work hours, or quitting altogether. For families with multiple young children, these expenses can surpass a parent’s entire salary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Vecchis also shy away from the idea of leaving San Francisco for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081761/in-the-bay-area-raising-kids-comes-with-compromise\">Bay Area suburb with nominally cheaper real estate\u003c/a>. “If we were to move out of the city, we might as well move back to Florida.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you gave me the option and I had the money, I would stay here 100%,” Alex said. And the family back in Florida? “They understand. They want us to be happy where we are. They know that we’re doing a bunch of great things here. When we think about moving back, we think, ‘But we’re not going to be happy over there.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Research from \u003ca href=\"https://jointventure.org/news-and-media/blog/2790-a-region-in-motion-who-s-leaving-silicon-valley-and-why?mc_cid=4aada55384&mc_eid=9b006466f1\">Joint Venture Silicon Valley\u003c/a> provides statistical confirmation of personal experience. For years, the Bay Area has created jobs faster than it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11755545/google-pledges-1-billion-to-help-fight-bay-area-housing-crisis-it-helped-create\">builds housing\u003c/a>, fueling relentless price pressure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Silicon Valley, just 28% of Millennials own homes, compared to 68% of Baby Boomers, giving older residents an asset to rely on even in tough times. The Vecchis, like most people their age here, are still scrambling for a financial foothold, even though they both work in tech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All these things have implications for community, and now we’re seeing it. We’re living it,” Hancock told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Mark and Melanie\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In some ways, Ani and Alex Vecchi and Mark Wogulis and Melanie Bowden are living the same story twenty years apart. Young people arrive, fall in love with a place, build a life. Then something shifts, and the place that felt like home starts to feel like a problem to be solved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After decades in California, Mark Wogulis and Melanie Bowden felt the sting of leaving somewhere that felt like home. “It does hit differently,” Wogulis said, “when it’s not your choice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wogulis and Bowden met decades ago when they were teachers in San Francisco. He was teaching science.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cj4-T9ovDc\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She was teaching math. They started a family. He pivoted from teaching to pharmaceuticals, then got a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pharmaceuticals and biotech are notoriously volatile, but he worked at Elan Pharmaceuticals in South San Francisco for nearly eight years, then at Novozymes in Davis for nearly 13.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From there, he moved to Amyris in Emeryville, which at the time specialized in developing sustainable alternatives for chemicals traditionally derived from petroleum or wildlife that were used in the beauty, flavor and fragrance industries. “Turned out everything they were selling, they were losing money on,” Wogulis said. “When the money ran out, they went bankrupt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were three rounds of layoffs, but Wogulis remained optimistic. “I thought I had made it,” he said, because he hadn’t been laid off, even as the company went into and emerged from bankruptcy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then he got axed during a fourth round of layoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, Wogulis thought he’d find another job, like he always had. But now in his 60s, his experience and longevity made him more expensive relative to other prospective employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079650\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079650\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-02-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-02-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-02-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Wogulis and Melanie Bowden in front of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco in 2022. A layoff in biotech forced the couple to sell their home in Berkeley and move to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in May of 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Mark Wogulis)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s no way to prove it, but there was no doubt in my mind that there was age discrimination involved,” Bowdon said. “He would be fully qualified for a job and hear nothing on many, many, many jobs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were people older than me at Amyris,” Wogulis said, “but not very many.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was also true that, thanks to LinkedIn and artificial intelligence, Wogulis was competing with biochemists from all over the world, many of them willing to relocate to the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yeah, there just was nothing,” Wogulis said. “I applied for a bunch of stuff that either I was over- or under-qualified for. I mean, I got a couple of rejections. Most of them just went off into the void.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the layoff came, the couple was living in Berkeley, in a 1,570 square foot Craftsman-style home they bought after raising their family in Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We loved the location. So close to BART and bus stops, and lots of good restaurants within walking distance. I could bike to work. We also liked the charm of such an old house,” Wogulis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they crunched the numbers and realized they didn’t have much financial runway before they’d have to take off for someplace cheaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We needed to get out of there. We couldn’t afford that house,” Bowden said. That’s how they decided to retire early at age 62 and move to Santa Fe, with their cat and dog in tow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple, born on the tail end of the Baby Boom, had the benefit of owning homes for much of their working lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proceeds from the sale of their house in Davis became the down payment for the house in Berkeley, so their mortgage was only $3,000 a month. Still, their utilities and property taxes added up to about $19,000 per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They moved to Santa Fe knowing nobody but their real estate agents, who helped them find a house for $600,000— half what they paid in Berkeley, even though it’s roughly the same size. They don’t even have a mortgage, something that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11985468/map-what-you-need-to-earn-to-afford-a-median-priced-home-in-your-county-in-california\">seems wild\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101911013/tech-layoffs-and-higher-than-average-unemployment-a-close-look-at-the-bay-areas-job-market\">most Bay Area homeowners\u003c/a> today. The property taxes are smaller, too: about $4,000 per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We did it out of necessity,” Wogulis said. “I would have felt a lot better if I’d totally chosen to come here, I didn’t feel \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11933511/mass-bay-area-tech-layoffs-thrust-thousands-of-h-1b-visa-holders-into-frantic-job-hunt\">under the gun\u003c/a> to do something. Yeah, that was difficult. It does hit differently when it’s…” he said, giving Bowden a chance to finish his sentence, the way longtime partners often do. “…When it’s not your choice. We had to move. We had to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12045711\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12045711\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250623-BerkeleyMiddleHousing-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250623-BerkeleyMiddleHousing-18-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250623-BerkeleyMiddleHousing-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250623-BerkeleyMiddleHousing-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A “For Rent” sign in Berkeley on June 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You know, there’s people I miss, definitely,” Bowden said. “Our neighbors are very nice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just takes time,” Wogulis said. “It took time in Berkeley, too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Luckily, Santa Fe is a very cultural and artistic city. There’s so many museums, plays, concerts,” Bowden said. Their grown kids came to visit at Christmas. She is keeping up with masters swimming and cat rescue. They got a second cat through Felines and Friends. His name is Cyrus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in the Bay Area, the AI revolution continues the region’s long tradition of minting new millionaires and billionaires. The question is whether everyone else can hold on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Since the California Gold Rush, economic opportunities have drawn people to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">the Bay Area\u003c/a> from all over the world. But for just as long, the region’s boom-and-bust economy has made it impossible for others to stay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the 1990s, the tech industry has driven costs higher, but for some who work in the industry and haven’t struck IPO or AI gold, life in the Bay Area is not adding up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ani and Alex Vecchi, both software engineers, live in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley with their orange cat, Mushu. They haven’t been in the Bay Area long, but already, both aged 30, they’re starting to worry that the city they love may be too expensive for raising a family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mark Wogulis and Melanie Bowden, both 62, raised their family in Northern California, but a layoff made it impossible for them to stay. Last spring, they put their house in Berkeley on the market and drove to Santa Fe with a cat, Molly, and a chihuahua, Felice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Researchers at Joint Venture Silicon Valley confirm what many already feel: the region’s economy is generating enormous wealth, but also growing impossibly unaffordable for most people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11970120\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2121px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11970120\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a city, with a large body of water in the bakground.\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/12/GettyImages-1092771432-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An aerial view of Redwood City. \u003ccite>(Sundry Photography via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even well-paid tech workers are being forced to choose between the Bay Area and the rest of their lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It distills to a few key points,” said Russell Hancock, President and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, at the organization’s annual State of the Valley conference in late February. “We have a very hot economy. It’s creating a lot of wealth. It’s not creating as many jobs. And our housing is too expensive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And it’s creating \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">demographic churn\u003c/a> — young people move in while older folks move out.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Ani and Alex\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ani and Alex Vecchi met about 10 years ago in physics class while studying software engineering at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She went into front-end, customer interface work. She’s now a senior software engineer for Banquet Health, a startup software platform for hospital meals. “Using tech for a good cause is huge for me,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They came to the Bay Area in June of 2024 because Alex’s weather monitoring startup Sorcerer landed a \u003ca href=\"https://tracxn.com/d/companies/sorcerer/__iyp8-DoCQBPMaBMs4MjSSHaiRmAA4xVBX44YQJARrto\">$500,000 grant\u003c/a> from Y Combinator, the Silicon Valley accelerator that launched Airbnb, Dropbox and DoorDash. It was, in startup terms, a golden ticket.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085149\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Vecchi and Mushu enjoy a sunny day in San Francisco’s Alamo Square. Alex and his wife, Ani, came to the city two years ago to pursue careers in tech. Now 30, the unaffordable housing market raises uncomfortable questions about whether and how they plan to raise children in the years to come. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Ani and Alex Vecchi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Starting a company here, you have to do it here,” Alex said. The investors are here, or a short drive down the Peninsula. Scheduling a Zoom call? “It’s not the same,” he said. “Things spark here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sorcerer closed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.axios.com/pro/climate-deals/2025/06/12/sorcerer-seed-weather-balloons\">$3.9 million seed round\u003c/a> last year. “That data is what powers, essentially, the forecasts on your phone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They have been having the time of their lives in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of greenery,” Ani said. “There’s a lot of people out and about. You have that drive [to succeed in business], but it’s also peaceful, in some ways.” They love walking and picnics and meals with friends. “There’s a lot going on here,” Ani said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The thing is, the Vechhis are starting to think about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075761/when-child-care-costs-half-a-paycheck-bay-area-parents-must-choose-kids-or-career\">having children\u003c/a>. But it’s complicated. They need both salaries, and both sets of parents, who could help them with childcare, live in Florida. And they’re not ready to make that move.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061802/how-are-child-care-costs-affecting-the-lives-of-bay-area-families-you-told-us\">Rising child care costs in the Bay Area\u003c/a> are forcing parents to make painful tradeoffs, either by passing up career opportunities, cutting back work hours, or quitting altogether. For families with multiple young children, these expenses can surpass a parent’s entire salary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Vecchis also shy away from the idea of leaving San Francisco for a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081761/in-the-bay-area-raising-kids-comes-with-compromise\">Bay Area suburb with nominally cheaper real estate\u003c/a>. “If we were to move out of the city, we might as well move back to Florida.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you gave me the option and I had the money, I would stay here 100%,” Alex said. And the family back in Florida? “They understand. They want us to be happy where we are. They know that we’re doing a bunch of great things here. When we think about moving back, we think, ‘But we’re not going to be happy over there.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Research from \u003ca href=\"https://jointventure.org/news-and-media/blog/2790-a-region-in-motion-who-s-leaving-silicon-valley-and-why?mc_cid=4aada55384&mc_eid=9b006466f1\">Joint Venture Silicon Valley\u003c/a> provides statistical confirmation of personal experience. For years, the Bay Area has created jobs faster than it \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11755545/google-pledges-1-billion-to-help-fight-bay-area-housing-crisis-it-helped-create\">builds housing\u003c/a>, fueling relentless price pressure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Silicon Valley, just 28% of Millennials own homes, compared to 68% of Baby Boomers, giving older residents an asset to rely on even in tough times. The Vecchis, like most people their age here, are still scrambling for a financial foothold, even though they both work in tech.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All these things have implications for community, and now we’re seeing it. We’re living it,” Hancock told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Mark and Melanie\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In some ways, Ani and Alex Vecchi and Mark Wogulis and Melanie Bowden are living the same story twenty years apart. Young people arrive, fall in love with a place, build a life. Then something shifts, and the place that felt like home starts to feel like a problem to be solved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After decades in California, Mark Wogulis and Melanie Bowden felt the sting of leaving somewhere that felt like home. “It does hit differently,” Wogulis said, “when it’s not your choice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wogulis and Bowden met decades ago when they were teachers in San Francisco. He was teaching science.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/6cj4-T9ovDc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/6cj4-T9ovDc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>She was teaching math. They started a family. He pivoted from teaching to pharmaceuticals, then got a doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pharmaceuticals and biotech are notoriously volatile, but he worked at Elan Pharmaceuticals in South San Francisco for nearly eight years, then at Novozymes in Davis for nearly 13.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From there, he moved to Amyris in Emeryville, which at the time specialized in developing sustainable alternatives for chemicals traditionally derived from petroleum or wildlife that were used in the beauty, flavor and fragrance industries. “Turned out everything they were selling, they were losing money on,” Wogulis said. “When the money ran out, they went bankrupt.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were three rounds of layoffs, but Wogulis remained optimistic. “I thought I had made it,” he said, because he hadn’t been laid off, even as the company went into and emerged from bankruptcy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then he got axed during a fourth round of layoffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, Wogulis thought he’d find another job, like he always had. But now in his 60s, his experience and longevity made him more expensive relative to other prospective employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079650\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1333px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079650\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1333\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-02-KQED.jpg 1333w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-02-KQED-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260413-SILICON-VALLEY-CHURN-02-KQED-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1333px) 100vw, 1333px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mark Wogulis and Melanie Bowden in front of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco in 2022. A layoff in biotech forced the couple to sell their home in Berkeley and move to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in May of 2025. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Mark Wogulis)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s no way to prove it, but there was no doubt in my mind that there was age discrimination involved,” Bowdon said. “He would be fully qualified for a job and hear nothing on many, many, many jobs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were people older than me at Amyris,” Wogulis said, “but not very many.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was also true that, thanks to LinkedIn and artificial intelligence, Wogulis was competing with biochemists from all over the world, many of them willing to relocate to the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yeah, there just was nothing,” Wogulis said. “I applied for a bunch of stuff that either I was over- or under-qualified for. I mean, I got a couple of rejections. Most of them just went off into the void.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the layoff came, the couple was living in Berkeley, in a 1,570 square foot Craftsman-style home they bought after raising their family in Davis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We loved the location. So close to BART and bus stops, and lots of good restaurants within walking distance. I could bike to work. We also liked the charm of such an old house,” Wogulis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But they crunched the numbers and realized they didn’t have much financial runway before they’d have to take off for someplace cheaper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We needed to get out of there. We couldn’t afford that house,” Bowden said. That’s how they decided to retire early at age 62 and move to Santa Fe, with their cat and dog in tow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple, born on the tail end of the Baby Boom, had the benefit of owning homes for much of their working lives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The proceeds from the sale of their house in Davis became the down payment for the house in Berkeley, so their mortgage was only $3,000 a month. Still, their utilities and property taxes added up to about $19,000 per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They moved to Santa Fe knowing nobody but their real estate agents, who helped them find a house for $600,000— half what they paid in Berkeley, even though it’s roughly the same size. They don’t even have a mortgage, something that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11985468/map-what-you-need-to-earn-to-afford-a-median-priced-home-in-your-county-in-california\">seems wild\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101911013/tech-layoffs-and-higher-than-average-unemployment-a-close-look-at-the-bay-areas-job-market\">most Bay Area homeowners\u003c/a> today. The property taxes are smaller, too: about $4,000 per year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We did it out of necessity,” Wogulis said. “I would have felt a lot better if I’d totally chosen to come here, I didn’t feel \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11933511/mass-bay-area-tech-layoffs-thrust-thousands-of-h-1b-visa-holders-into-frantic-job-hunt\">under the gun\u003c/a> to do something. Yeah, that was difficult. It does hit differently when it’s…” he said, giving Bowden a chance to finish his sentence, the way longtime partners often do. “…When it’s not your choice. We had to move. We had to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12045711\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12045711\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250623-BerkeleyMiddleHousing-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250623-BerkeleyMiddleHousing-18-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250623-BerkeleyMiddleHousing-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250623-BerkeleyMiddleHousing-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A “For Rent” sign in Berkeley on June 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“You know, there’s people I miss, definitely,” Bowden said. “Our neighbors are very nice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just takes time,” Wogulis said. “It took time in Berkeley, too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Luckily, Santa Fe is a very cultural and artistic city. There’s so many museums, plays, concerts,” Bowden said. Their grown kids came to visit at Christmas. She is keeping up with masters swimming and cat rescue. They got a second cat through Felines and Friends. His name is Cyrus.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in the Bay Area, the AI revolution continues the region’s long tradition of minting new millionaires and billionaires. The question is whether everyone else can hold on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Didn’t Save Enough for Retirement? Here’s How to Afford Aging in the Bay Area",
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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>At 74, Teresa Chan is still working.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she started thinking about retirement about a decade ago, Chan realized that financially, she still didn’t feel ready to live without a regular income. “I did not prepare,” she said. “I had no money. If I had money, I would have bought a home, but that was not possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than 30 years, Chan has worked in various administrative jobs in San Francisco — most recently in a remote data entry role. Through it all, paying rent and healthcare — for her family, as well as herself— were always her biggest expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had nothing to save after paying my bills,” she said, even with her Social Security benefits, which she began receiving at 66 after she reached full retirement age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, Chan moved from San Francisco to an apartment in Contra Costa County to save on housing costs. And she doesn’t plan to ever stop working. It’s her best way to support herself and hopefully save enough to one day visit her mother — who is now in her 90s — in Hong Kong, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While I can still have the job, then I want to work,” Chan said, although she said that she wishes she had another option. “Maybe I’ll quit if I win the lottery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953002\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11953002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with white hair and a warm coat picks through a huge box of ears of corn in a paved outdoor area where lots of other people are also circulating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers distribute food items at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up pantry in the Richmond District of San Francisco on June 13, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chan is not alone. According to federal data from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/financial-security-older-americans\">Government Accountability Office\u003c/a> (GAO), about half of households nationwide with a worker aged 55 or older had no retirement savings. And like her, more seniors are \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/blog/older-americans-are-working-longer-how-do-we-support-them\">staying in the workforce longer\u003c/a>, downsizing and depending more than ever on family and social services to meet essential needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re already approaching your 60s and don’t have much saved, what options are available for potentially changing that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED reached out to financial advisers and groups that serve seniors to better understand what older adults with fewer savings in the Bay Area are doing to make retirement possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>In the Bay Area, inequalities before and after retirement\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Planning for retirement is even more difficult for low-income older adults — \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105342.pdf\">only 15%\u003c/a> of this group report having anything saved at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The GAO also found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105342.pdf\">lower-income workers are effectively shut out\u003c/a> from workplace retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s. By contrast, higher earners consistently have greater access to these kinds of accounts and usually receive larger employer contributions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the Bay Area’s high cost of living makes preparing for retirement even more complicated, said Vanessa Merlano Sittauer, director of Santa Clara County’s Department of Aging and Adult Services. “We need to talk about retirement [in] the greater context of what it’s like to live in a place like the Bay Area,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986980\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11986980 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1446\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut-800x603.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut-1020x768.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut-1536x1157.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People gathered at a rally on May 20, 2024, in support of a San Francisco proposal to expand funding for affordable housing for seniors and others with low incomes. \u003ccite>(Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sittauer points to data from the research publication \u003ca href=\"https://jointventure.org/images/stories/pdf/index2026-jvsv.pdf\">Silicon Valley Index\u003c/a> that shows that more that 40% of renters ages 18-64 across the South Bay and the Peninsula are severely rent burdened — meaning that at least half of their monthly income pays housing costs. For residents older than 65, that number climbs to 67%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if living in the Bay Area means spending more on housing — along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075761/when-child-care-costs-half-a-paycheck-bay-area-parents-must-choose-kids-or-career\">childcare\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081471/driving-in-the-bay-area-is-essential-for-many-its-only-gotten-more-expensive\">transportation\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082251/after-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-free-clinics-are-stepping-up\">healthcare\u003c/a> and almost everything else — younger people \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskSF/comments/1t5or0s/retirement_in_sf_as_a_lifelong_renter_whats_the\">are asking\u003c/a> if it’s even \u003cem>possible \u003c/em>to retire here when not much is left over at the end of every month.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What does retirement planning with less time look like?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Starting to plan for retirement in your 50s can feel overwhelming, said Matt Gellene, head of Specialized Consumer Client Solutions for Bank of America. “But the first and most important step is to be honest about your full financial picture,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Take a full inventory: what you have saved, what you owe, what you expect from Social Security, and what you want retirement to look like,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Plan out your spending — and debt payments\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Think carefully about the debt you have \u003cem>now\u003c/em>, Gellene said. “High-interest debt can erode retirement readiness faster than many people realize,” he said. “Paying down that debt in the years before retirement reduces the monthly income you’ll need to cover fixed costs once you stop working.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even setting a realistic monthly budget now that limits lifestyle expenses can help down the road. Many Bay Area public libraries offer \u003ca href=\"https://advisersgiveback.org/sf-library/\">free workshops with financial advisers\u003c/a> who can help you figure out what you can start cutting back on now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11946480 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1400799758-scaled-e1779405949186.jpg\" alt=\"A woman sits at her kitchen table and sifts through documents, looking concerned. Next to her is her opened laptop.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to federal data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), about half of households nationwide with a worker aged 55 or older had no retirement savings. \u003ccite>(MoMo Productions/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>United Way Bay Area, known by many in the region for its\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11909786/how-to-find-free-tax-help-near-you-and-prepare-everything-you-need-for-your-appointment\"> free tax filing services\u003c/a>, also runs a network of free financial coaching centers known as \u003ca href=\"https://uwba.org/what-we-do/sparkpoint-program/\">SparkPoint\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are centers in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Marin counties, where financial coaches can help with making plans to achieve long-term goals like reducing debt and growing savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Know your options if you need to continue working\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seniors who feel they are not ready to leave the workforce but are looking for a job with more flexibility can also contact \u003ca href=\"https://www.selfhelpelderly.org/\">Self-Help for the Elderly\u003c/a>, a nonprofit organization that provides seniors in San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties with housing, food and other social services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We train older workers as home health aides, housekeepers and restaurant workers,” CEO Anni Chung said. Seniors who are trained as housekeepers, for example, can work a few hours a week for several different clients. Multiple trainings for \u003ca href=\"https://www.selfhelpelderly.org/our-services/employment-services/job-placements-and-employment-training\">this older worker program\u003c/a> are held throughout the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Remember healthcare costs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another huge retirement expense to consider is healthcare costs. Seniors with Medicare may still have to pay monthly premiums and deductibles, depending on what coverage plan they sign up for. Medicare Part A, which does not charge monthly premiums and covers major hospital bills, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles\">still comes with deductibles\u003c/a> that beneficiaries pay if they are admitted to the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other Medicare options can cover additional medical expenses, like lab tests and medication, but those plans come with monthly premiums. And researchers have found that out-of-pocket healthcare expenses increase significantly \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3614143/\">for Medicare recipients\u003c/a> in the last years of life, and most individuals are considered \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2686318\">high-need, high-cost patients\u003c/a> prior to death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058933\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1829px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12058933 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/125841436_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1829\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/125841436_qed.jpg 1829w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/125841436_qed-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/125841436_qed-1536x1119.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1829px) 100vw, 1829px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protestors carry signs as they demonstrate against proposed cuts to Medi-Cal and Medicare outside San Francisco city hall on Sept. 21, 2011, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can start preparing for medical expenses now with a health savings account, or HSA. This kind of savings account “offers what we call triple tax savings,” said Gellene from Bank of America. “Your money goes in pre-tax, it can grow tax-free if you invest it and you can withdraw it tax-free for qualified medical expenses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you can save a little more in the next few years, there may still be some options to make what you have grow. If you have one, Gellene recommends maxing out your 401(k) — that is, contributing as much as the IRS allows you to — especially if your employer offers a match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s essentially free money, and you don’t want to leave any of it on the table,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Think about where you’ll live\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DWlMAlHFX9N/\">affordable housing fair\u003c/a> in San Francisco, several seniors had the same question for Anni Chung, from Self-Help for the Elderly. “Either their spouse or other family members have passed away, and they can’t keep up with the rent just on their own.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the biggest expense is housing, Chung and her team help seniors apply for affordable housing via \u003ca href=\"https://housing.sfgov.org/\">San Francisco’s Dahlia portal\u003c/a>, where eligible residents can enter different lotteries for affordable apartments or studios. The available units listed can sometimes be smaller than where seniors lived when they had a full-time job, Chung said.[aside postID=news_12082251 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_012_qed.jpg']Some financial advisers shared with KQED that often, clients are able to bring their living expenses way down when they plan for retirement far from California. The state consistently ranks as one of the most expensive places for long-term care services. For example, the \u003ca href=\"https://assets.carescout.com/x/5c90319b6a/298701.pdf\">median monthly price\u003c/a> for a private room in a nursing home in California is about $15,000 — compared to roughly $10,000 in Ohio and $7,600 in Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another option for some seniors is moving in with their adult children. In many circumstances, this is an ideal arrangement for all parties. “They take care of each other, and it’s one big happy family,” Chung said. But even in these cases, she said it’s important to set up clear expectations about living together — especially if a family is already living in a smaller Bay Area apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even if actual cohabitation isn’t on the table, it’s still important to maintain family connections and support, Chung said. “If living with family is complicated, then the seniors would rather have their own place but still have a good relationship with the family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If someone has little savings in the bank but was able to buy a home earlier in their life, they can also look into home-sharing programs like \u003ca href=\"https://frontporch.net/live/home-match/#request-info\">Home Match\u003c/a>. This program in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties connects homeowners with folks looking to rent a room or an accessory dwelling unit on their property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As they figure out next steps, Bay Area seniors should remember they can consult — and lean on — groups like Self-Help for the Elderly, Chung said. “We need our seniors. We don’t want to see them have to move,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They worked hard here. They should enjoy their golden years here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Many older adults in the region are working longer, moving to smaller homes in cheaper places and depending more than ever on social services.",
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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>At 74, Teresa Chan is still working.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When she started thinking about retirement about a decade ago, Chan realized that financially, she still didn’t feel ready to live without a regular income. “I did not prepare,” she said. “I had no money. If I had money, I would have bought a home, but that was not possible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For more than 30 years, Chan has worked in various administrative jobs in San Francisco — most recently in a remote data entry role. Through it all, paying rent and healthcare — for her family, as well as herself— were always her biggest expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had nothing to save after paying my bills,” she said, even with her Social Security benefits, which she began receiving at 66 after she reached full retirement age.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, Chan moved from San Francisco to an apartment in Contra Costa County to save on housing costs. And she doesn’t plan to ever stop working. It’s her best way to support herself and hopefully save enough to one day visit her mother — who is now in her 90s — in Hong Kong, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While I can still have the job, then I want to work,” Chan said, although she said that she wishes she had another option. “Maybe I’ll quit if I win the lottery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11953002\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11953002\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with white hair and a warm coat picks through a huge box of ears of corn in a paved outdoor area where lots of other people are also circulating.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/06/RS66300_230613-SFMarinFoodPantry-11-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers distribute food items at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up pantry in the Richmond District of San Francisco on June 13, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Chan is not alone. According to federal data from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/financial-security-older-americans\">Government Accountability Office\u003c/a> (GAO), about half of households nationwide with a worker aged 55 or older had no retirement savings. And like her, more seniors are \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/blog/older-americans-are-working-longer-how-do-we-support-them\">staying in the workforce longer\u003c/a>, downsizing and depending more than ever on family and social services to meet essential needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re already approaching your 60s and don’t have much saved, what options are available for potentially changing that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED reached out to financial advisers and groups that serve seniors to better understand what older adults with fewer savings in the Bay Area are doing to make retirement possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>In the Bay Area, inequalities before and after retirement\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Planning for retirement is even more difficult for low-income older adults — \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105342.pdf\">only 15%\u003c/a> of this group report having anything saved at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The GAO also found that \u003ca href=\"https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105342.pdf\">lower-income workers are effectively shut out\u003c/a> from workplace retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s. By contrast, higher earners consistently have greater access to these kinds of accounts and usually receive larger employer contributions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the Bay Area’s high cost of living makes preparing for retirement even more complicated, said Vanessa Merlano Sittauer, director of Santa Clara County’s Department of Aging and Adult Services. “We need to talk about retirement [in] the greater context of what it’s like to live in a place like the Bay Area,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986980\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11986980 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1446\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut-800x603.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut-1020x768.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut-160x121.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/PXL_20240520_185856861_qut-1536x1157.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">People gathered at a rally on May 20, 2024, in support of a San Francisco proposal to expand funding for affordable housing for seniors and others with low incomes. \u003ccite>(Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sittauer points to data from the research publication \u003ca href=\"https://jointventure.org/images/stories/pdf/index2026-jvsv.pdf\">Silicon Valley Index\u003c/a> that shows that more that 40% of renters ages 18-64 across the South Bay and the Peninsula are severely rent burdened — meaning that at least half of their monthly income pays housing costs. For residents older than 65, that number climbs to 67%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if living in the Bay Area means spending more on housing — along with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075761/when-child-care-costs-half-a-paycheck-bay-area-parents-must-choose-kids-or-career\">childcare\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081471/driving-in-the-bay-area-is-essential-for-many-its-only-gotten-more-expensive\">transportation\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082251/after-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-free-clinics-are-stepping-up\">healthcare\u003c/a> and almost everything else — younger people \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/AskSF/comments/1t5or0s/retirement_in_sf_as_a_lifelong_renter_whats_the\">are asking\u003c/a> if it’s even \u003cem>possible \u003c/em>to retire here when not much is left over at the end of every month.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What does retirement planning with less time look like?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Starting to plan for retirement in your 50s can feel overwhelming, said Matt Gellene, head of Specialized Consumer Client Solutions for Bank of America. “But the first and most important step is to be honest about your full financial picture,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Take a full inventory: what you have saved, what you owe, what you expect from Social Security, and what you want retirement to look like,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Plan out your spending — and debt payments\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Think carefully about the debt you have \u003cem>now\u003c/em>, Gellene said. “High-interest debt can erode retirement readiness faster than many people realize,” he said. “Paying down that debt in the years before retirement reduces the monthly income you’ll need to cover fixed costs once you stop working.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even setting a realistic monthly budget now that limits lifestyle expenses can help down the road. Many Bay Area public libraries offer \u003ca href=\"https://advisersgiveback.org/sf-library/\">free workshops with financial advisers\u003c/a> who can help you figure out what you can start cutting back on now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11946480\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11946480 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/GettyImages-1400799758-scaled-e1779405949186.jpg\" alt=\"A woman sits at her kitchen table and sifts through documents, looking concerned. Next to her is her opened laptop.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to federal data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), about half of households nationwide with a worker aged 55 or older had no retirement savings. \u003ccite>(MoMo Productions/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>United Way Bay Area, known by many in the region for its\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11909786/how-to-find-free-tax-help-near-you-and-prepare-everything-you-need-for-your-appointment\"> free tax filing services\u003c/a>, also runs a network of free financial coaching centers known as \u003ca href=\"https://uwba.org/what-we-do/sparkpoint-program/\">SparkPoint\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are centers in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Marin counties, where financial coaches can help with making plans to achieve long-term goals like reducing debt and growing savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Know your options if you need to continue working\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seniors who feel they are not ready to leave the workforce but are looking for a job with more flexibility can also contact \u003ca href=\"https://www.selfhelpelderly.org/\">Self-Help for the Elderly\u003c/a>, a nonprofit organization that provides seniors in San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties with housing, food and other social services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We train older workers as home health aides, housekeepers and restaurant workers,” CEO Anni Chung said. Seniors who are trained as housekeepers, for example, can work a few hours a week for several different clients. Multiple trainings for \u003ca href=\"https://www.selfhelpelderly.org/our-services/employment-services/job-placements-and-employment-training\">this older worker program\u003c/a> are held throughout the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Remember healthcare costs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another huge retirement expense to consider is healthcare costs. Seniors with Medicare may still have to pay monthly premiums and deductibles, depending on what coverage plan they sign up for. Medicare Part A, which does not charge monthly premiums and covers major hospital bills, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles\">still comes with deductibles\u003c/a> that beneficiaries pay if they are admitted to the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other Medicare options can cover additional medical expenses, like lab tests and medication, but those plans come with monthly premiums. And researchers have found that out-of-pocket healthcare expenses increase significantly \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3614143/\">for Medicare recipients\u003c/a> in the last years of life, and most individuals are considered \u003ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2686318\">high-need, high-cost patients\u003c/a> prior to death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12058933\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1829px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12058933 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/125841436_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1829\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/125841436_qed.jpg 1829w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/125841436_qed-160x117.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/125841436_qed-1536x1119.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1829px) 100vw, 1829px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protestors carry signs as they demonstrate against proposed cuts to Medi-Cal and Medicare outside San Francisco city hall on Sept. 21, 2011, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can start preparing for medical expenses now with a health savings account, or HSA. This kind of savings account “offers what we call triple tax savings,” said Gellene from Bank of America. “Your money goes in pre-tax, it can grow tax-free if you invest it and you can withdraw it tax-free for qualified medical expenses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if you can save a little more in the next few years, there may still be some options to make what you have grow. If you have one, Gellene recommends maxing out your 401(k) — that is, contributing as much as the IRS allows you to — especially if your employer offers a match.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s essentially free money, and you don’t want to leave any of it on the table,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Think about where you’ll live\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>At a recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DWlMAlHFX9N/\">affordable housing fair\u003c/a> in San Francisco, several seniors had the same question for Anni Chung, from Self-Help for the Elderly. “Either their spouse or other family members have passed away, and they can’t keep up with the rent just on their own.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the biggest expense is housing, Chung and her team help seniors apply for affordable housing via \u003ca href=\"https://housing.sfgov.org/\">San Francisco’s Dahlia portal\u003c/a>, where eligible residents can enter different lotteries for affordable apartments or studios. The available units listed can sometimes be smaller than where seniors lived when they had a full-time job, Chung said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Some financial advisers shared with KQED that often, clients are able to bring their living expenses way down when they plan for retirement far from California. The state consistently ranks as one of the most expensive places for long-term care services. For example, the \u003ca href=\"https://assets.carescout.com/x/5c90319b6a/298701.pdf\">median monthly price\u003c/a> for a private room in a nursing home in California is about $15,000 — compared to roughly $10,000 in Ohio and $7,600 in Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another option for some seniors is moving in with their adult children. In many circumstances, this is an ideal arrangement for all parties. “They take care of each other, and it’s one big happy family,” Chung said. But even in these cases, she said it’s important to set up clear expectations about living together — especially if a family is already living in a smaller Bay Area apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even if actual cohabitation isn’t on the table, it’s still important to maintain family connections and support, Chung said. “If living with family is complicated, then the seniors would rather have their own place but still have a good relationship with the family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If someone has little savings in the bank but was able to buy a home earlier in their life, they can also look into home-sharing programs like \u003ca href=\"https://frontporch.net/live/home-match/#request-info\">Home Match\u003c/a>. This program in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties connects homeowners with folks looking to rent a room or an accessory dwelling unit on their property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As they figure out next steps, Bay Area seniors should remember they can consult — and lean on — groups like Self-Help for the Elderly, Chung said. “We need our seniors. We don’t want to see them have to move,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They worked hard here. They should enjoy their golden years here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>While officials are not concerned about an immediate oil shortfall, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California consumers \u003c/a>are likely to see another price hike in the coming weeks as the war in Iran strains the global market, lawmakers said on Tuesday at a hearing about the uncertain future of the state’s fuel supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing came after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080093/as-some-oil-deliveries-to-us-stop-flowing-california-braces-for-an-energy-crisis\">the final oil tanker\u003c/a> to pass through the Strait of Hormuz arrived at the Port of Long Beach this week — the last shipment from the Middle East expected to reach California for the foreseeable future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When this tanker is empty, it’s unclear where the next replacement ship will be coming from,” said Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine, and Utilities and Energy Committee chair at Tuesday’s hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians have been feeling the pain at the pump since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran spiked crude oil prices around the world. Today, drivers pay about $6.13 per gallon compared to the national average of $4.48, according to \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=CA\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While officials do not foresee California running out of oil, consumers should brace for additional price increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076853\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12076853 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2265237194-scaled-e1778026995886.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">High gas prices are listed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran. \u003ccite>(Frederic J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Based on what we’re hearing from the industry and what we have heard, the pricing will move molecules towards California, but it will come at a price,” Siva Gunda, vice chair of the California Energy Commission, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda said the costs will come from a bidding war to divert oil from Asian markets to the West Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, a California Energy Commission spokesperson said in a statement that the price spike is due to “the rapid escalation of crude oil prices because of the Iran War. These elevated prices are not unique to California, and prices are continuing to rise globally.” [aside postID=news_12081471 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00282_TV-KQED.jpg']However, Jamie Court, the head of Consumer Watchdog, a consumer protection group, said that California legislators, along with the state’s oil refiners, should take more responsibility for high prices. In a \u003ca href=\"https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Re-supply-Rules.pdf\">statement\u003c/a>, Consumer Watchdog said oil refiners have been taking advantage of the current war to make record oil-refining profits, and Court said California Gov. Gavin Newsom “chickened out” of price gouging regulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Trump can be responsible for about 70 cents of this because of the crude oil increase, but the rest of the two extra dollars we’re paying at the pump … are on Newsom,” Court said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Severin Borenstein, professor and faculty director of The Energy Institute, UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, said in the public hearing that the recent spike is just one part of a larger trend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While higher gasoline taxes and stronger environmental regulations in California play a role in the comparatively high prices — adding \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65184\">about \u003c/a>$0.72 per gallon in taxes and $0.50 per gallon in environmental programs, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration — a refinery fire in Southern California in 2015 led to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/CEC-900-2025-001.pdf\">“mystery gasoline surcharge”\u003c/a> driving up prices. Bornstein said this adds about $0.50 per gallon, on top of oil and refining costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Commission’s Division of Petroleum Market Oversight said in the hearing that it’s also taken steps to deal with “branded” retailers like Chevron that have been overcharging California consumers at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone should be getting their gas at the generic brands,” Petrie-Norris said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>While officials are not concerned about an immediate oil shortfall, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California consumers \u003c/a>are likely to see another price hike in the coming weeks as the war in Iran strains the global market, lawmakers said on Tuesday at a hearing about the uncertain future of the state’s fuel supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing came after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080093/as-some-oil-deliveries-to-us-stop-flowing-california-braces-for-an-energy-crisis\">the final oil tanker\u003c/a> to pass through the Strait of Hormuz arrived at the Port of Long Beach this week — the last shipment from the Middle East expected to reach California for the foreseeable future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When this tanker is empty, it’s unclear where the next replacement ship will be coming from,” said Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine, and Utilities and Energy Committee chair at Tuesday’s hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians have been feeling the pain at the pump since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran spiked crude oil prices around the world. Today, drivers pay about $6.13 per gallon compared to the national average of $4.48, according to \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=CA\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While officials do not foresee California running out of oil, consumers should brace for additional price increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076853\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12076853 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/GettyImages-2265237194-scaled-e1778026995886.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1211\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">High gas prices are listed at a Chevron gas station in Los Angeles on March 9, 2026, as gasoline prices surge amid the ongoing war with Iran. \u003ccite>(Frederic J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Based on what we’re hearing from the industry and what we have heard, the pricing will move molecules towards California, but it will come at a price,” Siva Gunda, vice chair of the California Energy Commission, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gunda said the costs will come from a bidding war to divert oil from Asian markets to the West Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, a California Energy Commission spokesperson said in a statement that the price spike is due to “the rapid escalation of crude oil prices because of the Iran War. These elevated prices are not unique to California, and prices are continuing to rise globally.” \u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>However, Jamie Court, the head of Consumer Watchdog, a consumer protection group, said that California legislators, along with the state’s oil refiners, should take more responsibility for high prices. In a \u003ca href=\"https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Re-supply-Rules.pdf\">statement\u003c/a>, Consumer Watchdog said oil refiners have been taking advantage of the current war to make record oil-refining profits, and Court said California Gov. Gavin Newsom “chickened out” of price gouging regulation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Trump can be responsible for about 70 cents of this because of the crude oil increase, but the rest of the two extra dollars we’re paying at the pump … are on Newsom,” Court said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Severin Borenstein, professor and faculty director of The Energy Institute, UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, said in the public hearing that the recent spike is just one part of a larger trend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While higher gasoline taxes and stronger environmental regulations in California play a role in the comparatively high prices — adding \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65184\">about \u003c/a>$0.72 per gallon in taxes and $0.50 per gallon in environmental programs, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration — a refinery fire in Southern California in 2015 led to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/CEC-900-2025-001.pdf\">“mystery gasoline surcharge”\u003c/a> driving up prices. Bornstein said this adds about $0.50 per gallon, on top of oil and refining costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Commission’s Division of Petroleum Market Oversight said in the hearing that it’s also taken steps to deal with “branded” retailers like Chevron that have been overcharging California consumers at the pump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Everyone should be getting their gas at the generic brands,” Petrie-Norris said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "after-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-free-clinics-are-stepping-up",
"title": "After the One Big Beautiful Bill, Free Clinics Are Stepping Up",
"publishDate": 1777989632,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "After the One Big Beautiful Bill, Free Clinics Are Stepping Up | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"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>For Marisol, it’s not strange to feel aches and pains all over her body when she comes home after work. She picks and packages fruit for farms in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a>. Even when temperatures rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, she’s out in the field collecting cherries, peaches, nectarines and apricots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She knows it takes a toll on her body. “Sometimes you’re so exhausted that it feels like there’s something wrong with your body, and you don’t know if you’re actually sick or just tired,” she said in Spanish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an undocumented immigrant without employer-provided health insurance, actually finding out if she’s sick is a luxury. KQED is withholding her full name because publishing it could expose her to potential immigration enforcement. “I either pay my rent or I go to the doctor,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the summer of 2023 — when she began to feel several bumps on her breasts — she decided her health could no longer wait. She went to the one place she knew she could get care at no cost: \u003ca href=\"https://www.hijasdelcampo.org/\">Hijas del Campo\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every Tuesday afternoon, the Contra Costa County Department of Public Health parks \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/get-care/for-people-without-health-coverage/health-care-for-the-homeless\">a mobile clinic\u003c/a> outside the nonprofit’s Brentwood offices. The clinic offers limited free care to residents like Marisol who qualify. It’s one of dozens of free clinics across the Bay Area that serve low-income and undocumented immigrants who don’t have access to healthcare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078942\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078942 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_016_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_016_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marisol, a farmworker in Brentwood, sits outside the Hijas del Campo offices, an organization that connects agricultural workers and their families to free health services, food assistance and legal support on March 31, 2026, in Brentwood, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Free clinics across California are bracing for a surge of uninsured patients as provisions in President Donald Trump’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073880/tax-credits-trump-2026-refund-tips-child-tax-credit-car-loan-interest-documents\">One Big Beautiful Bill\u003c/a>” take effect, eliminating federal subsidies for some Affordable Care Act plans and tightening Medicaid eligibility rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 160,000 Californians have already \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/blog/many-californians-are-paying-more-for-health-insurance-from-covered-california/\">lost federal subsidies\u003c/a> that made their premiums cheaper and in the coming years, state officials \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5180/Changing_Landscape_Affects_Californias_Health_Care_System_050426.pdf\">estimate\u003c/a> that the number of Californians without health insurance — currently around 2 million — could double by 2030, leaving safety-net clinics to absorb the growing demand for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The White House has \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2025/06/myth-vs-fact-the-one-big-beautiful-bill/\">defended\u003c/a> the OBBB, arguing that these changes will help eliminate “waste, fraud, and abuse” from the nation’s healthcare system. But doctors and volunteers who staff free clinics are already seeing people who have lost coverage and warn that a growing uninsured population could negatively impact care for all patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How free care works\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Free clinics have existed for decades across the Bay Area, offering primary care to those without health insurance. Many serve suburban and rural communities far from the medical infrastructure of the region’s larger cities. But even in San Francisco, free clinics serve thousands each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.clinicbythebay.org/\">Clinic by the Bay\u003c/a> — located in San Francisco’s Excelsior District, one of the most \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/demographic-map-san-francisco-21310100.php\">ethnically diverse neighborhoods\u003c/a> in the city — sees many patients who are experiencing a transition that left them uninsured, often a layoff, aging out of their parents’ insurance or migrating to the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079790\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079790\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_017-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_017-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_017-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_017-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katelyn McMeekin-Jackson, executive director of Clinic by the Bay, poses for a portrait inside the clinic in San Francisco on March 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“And there’s people who are working but cannot afford their healthcare premiums, so they have decided to go without health insurance,” said Katelyn McMeekin-Jackson, executive director of Clinic by the Bay. She knows many patients by their first name, greeting them warmly when they come through the front door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are only a few requirements to get care there, McMeekin-Jackson said. A new patient must share a copy of an ID, proof of income and confirm they do not have health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 200 volunteers — many of them retired doctors, resident physicians and medical students — help the clinic offer primary and ongoing care for those living with chronic conditions, like diabetes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079789\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079789\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_016-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_016-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_016-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_016-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteer Melissa Castillo, left, and executive director Katelyn McMeekin-Jackson walk through a hallway inside Clinic by the Bay in San Francisco on March 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When a patient needs a service that’s not available in-house, staff work with the clinic’s extended network of physicians who are willing to donate their time. Companies like LabCorp also provide a limited number of free screenings, and skilled nursing homes regularly donate surplus medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A big part of the puzzle is figuring out how we can get around the limitations to get free care,” McMeekin-Jackson said, adding that over the past year, volunteer numbers increased by about 30% to keep pace with the growing number of patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re anticipating that patient numbers will grow as premiums increase,” she said. “And there are Medi-Cal changes projected in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Finding the limits\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As Congress raced to finalize the details of the OBBB last summer, lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-wsj-poll-tax-bill-support-ee51c67e\">sought to balance\u003c/a> the price tag of other Trump policy priorities — reshaping the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073880/tax-credits-trump-2026-refund-tips-child-tax-credit-car-loan-interest-documents\">nation’s tax system\u003c/a> and supercharging immigration enforcement — by freeing up funding elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans moved to end the subsidies that lowered the costs of healthcare premiums for millions of people nationwide who bought their plan through an Affordable Care Act marketplace, which includes Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079787\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079787\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_037-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_037-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_037-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_037-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Jewish Community Free Clinic building is seen on March 2, 2026, in Santa Rosa. The clinic provides free healthcare services to uninsured patients. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2024, the federal government spent nearly $14 billion \u003ca href=\"https://www.kff.org/medicaid/what-does-the-federal-government-spend-on-health-care/#Appendix-Table-3\">on subsidies\u003c/a>, which helped millions of Americans \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/01/22/what-the-data-says-about-affordable-care-act-health-insurance-exchanges/\">enroll in a plan\u003c/a>. According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/inflation-reduction-act-health-insurance-subsidies-what-is-their-impact-and-what-would-happen-if-they-expire/#:~:text=The%20enhanced%20subsidies%20in%20the%20Inflation%20Reduction%20Act%20reduce%20net%20premium%20costs%20by%2044%25%2C%20on%20average%2C%20for%20enrollees%20receiving%20premium%20tax%20credits%2C%20though%20the%20amount%20of%20savings%20varies%20by%20person.\">Kaiser Family Foundation\u003c/a>, a San Francisco-based public health research nonprofit, the subsidies lowered the annual premium payment in 2024 from about $1,600 to $900 — a difference of about 44%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Jan. 1, the majority of Covered California enrollees saw their \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/blog/many-californians-are-paying-more-for-health-insurance-from-covered-california/\">premiums rise\u003c/a> as the federal government pulled back subsidies. But people making above 400% of the federal poverty level — roughly $62,000 for a single person — began paying the full monthly premium for their health insurance. In the Bay Area, some residents \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912612/how-are-you-coping-with-increased-health-insurance-premiums\">have shared\u003c/a> that their premiums have gone up by over 150%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re getting a lot of calls from people who lost their plan because they couldn’t pay these outrageous new premiums,” said Donna Waldman, the executive director of the Santa Rosa-based \u003ca href=\"https://www.jewishfreeclinic.org/\">Jewish Community Free Clinic\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079785\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079785\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_027-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_027-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_027-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_027-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Donna Waldman, executive director and one of the founders of the Jewish Community Free Clinic, listens during a conversation inside the clinic on March 2, 2026, in Santa Rosa. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Waldman, along with a handful of doctors and nurses, started the clinic in 2001. The majority of patients are immigrant farmworkers who power Sonoma County’s multimillion-dollar wine industry. Many are seeing a doctor for the first time in years and are coming in for a one-time check-in — a situation that the clinic is well-equipped for, Waldman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not set up to do chronic disease maintenance,” she said. “Our system’s not set up to have you come back every three or four months to get your blood pressure checked — that’s not our type of practice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher premiums are not just forcing people to drop their plan, but also discouraging those who could qualify for a Covered California plan from signing up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079786\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079786\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_029-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_029-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_029-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_029-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rivka Vaughs, who works at the front desk and assists with grant writing, sits in the waiting area of the Jewish Community Free Clinic on March 2, 2026, in Santa Rosa. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Sonoma County, new enrollment this year \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/02/28/new-affordable-care-act-enrollment-declines-by-33-in-north-bay/\">decreased by 33%\u003c/a>, with officials reporting a \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/newsroom/news-releases/2026/02/26/as-enhanced-federal-subsidies-expire-covered-california-ends-open-enrollment-with-state-subsidies-keeping-renewals-steady-for-now-and-new-signups-down/#:~:text=California%20allocated%20%24190%20million%20from,of%20the%20federal%20poverty%20level.\">similar drop statewide\u003c/a>. And according to \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5180/Changing_Landscape_Affects_Californias_Health_Care_System_050426.pdf\">some researchers\u003c/a>, the first people to drop their Covered California plans are usually younger, healthier individuals who use fewer benefits. Those enrollees help lower the costs of care for everyone else. But with fewer healthier people in the marketplace, premiums could rise even higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When folks call in after dropping their plan, Waldman said the clinic can see them in the meantime, but they also work with the patient to see if they qualify for care at a \u003ca href=\"https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/\">federally qualified health center\u003c/a> — which serve patients on a sliding fee scale, but are subject to income limits and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/prwora-hhs-bans-illegal-aliens-accessing-taxpayer-funded-programs.html\">potential immigration rules\u003c/a> from the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have nothing to lose monetarily from the federal government,” Waldman said. “Free clinics play a really important role in the resiliency of the community right now because we are independent organizations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Influenza doesn’t know if you have insurance or not’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The OBBB’s next big shock to healthcare is expected at the end of this year. By Dec. 31, states must implement stricter eligibility requirements for patients enrolled in Medicaid — known as Medi-Cal in California, which provides free or low-cost care to roughly 15 million lower-income residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2010, the Obama administration expanded Medicaid eligibility to include adults aged 19-64 with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level. In the decade that followed, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/blog/medi-cal-has-expanded-health-coverage-in-california/\">Medi-Cal enrollment soared\u003c/a>, with the biggest increase in that newly-eligible group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079783\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079783\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A hallway inside the San Francisco Free Clinic in the Richmond District on Feb. 27, 2026. The clinic provides free primary care and specialty services to patients without health insurance. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Under the OBBB, Medi-Cal recipients will need to renew their eligibility every six months, instead of annually, and those who are able-bodied and without dependents have to either work, go to school or do community service for at least 80 hours each month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/newsom-medicaid-impacts-memo.pdf\">estimated\u003c/a> the new requirements would result in up to 3.4 million Californians losing their Medi-Cal coverage. And because federal funding for Medi-Cal is dependent on how many people are enrolled, the state could lose over $30 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s unfortunate, said Ashley Tsang, medical director for the San Francisco Free Clinic, because more people on Medi-Cal means fewer people who are uninsured.[aside postID=news_12078480 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Lede.jpg']“We were hoping that there were going to be fewer people uninsured as Medi-Cal covered more people,” Tsang said. “At some point, our numbers would have actually dropped.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The clinic currently sees around 1,500 uninsured patients each year with the help of a few dozen physicians and medical students. Tsang — who helps run the Richmond District clinic along with her husband and fellow physician Ian Nelligan — said the team hasn’t yet needed to expand service hours, but that’s something they are thinking about given the political situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“COVID-19 taught us that [infectious diseases don’t] know if you have insurance or not, and people will end up at the emergency department one way or the other,” she said. “We all end up paying for patients who have no health insurance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5180/Changing_Landscape_Affects_Californias_Health_Care_System_050426.pdf\">recent report\u003c/a> from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts that care providers — including private and public hospitals that treat patients with coverage — may feel greater financial pressure as the uninsured population grows in the coming years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many providers, the report finds, “will still provide some care to these populations without receiving reimbursement,” and as these expenses go up, they may negotiate higher rates with private insurance plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Pushing back on closed doors\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>White House officials have argued that other parts of the OBBB — like larger tax deductibles and expanded flexible spending accounts — will make it easier for individuals to pay for health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the administration has made clear the changes will limit access to low-cost care for one group of people in particular: undocumented immigrants. Blocking this group from Medicaid is necessary “to preserve it for hardworking Americans who need it,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said before the bill’s passage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The OBBB reduced federal funds that helped states provide emergency Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/WFTCA-Illegal-Immigrant-Healthcare-Memo-FINAL.pdf\">White House memo\u003c/a> went as far as calling this move “closing the California loophole.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078937\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078937\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_001_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_001_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_001_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_001_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pro-farmworker posters adorn the walls inside the Hijas del Campo workspace. The group helps coordinate services including food distribution, healthcare access and legal aid for farmworkers and their families, on March 31, 2026, in Brentwood, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This change — along with other expected healthcare cuts from the federal government — prompted state lawmakers last year to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/06/california-budget-newsom-democrats/\">block new Medi-Cal enrollment\u003c/a> for undocumented immigrants aged 19 and older.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means Marisol can no longer sign up for Medi-Cal, leaving her with only the mobile clinic outside Hijas del Campo for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is an injustice,” the farmworker said. “Our work is very intense, and it’s what brings food to people’s tables. But this work is not valued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078938\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078938\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_008_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_008_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_008_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_008_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dorina Salgado-Moraida, co-founder of Hijas del Campo, stands beside a Contra Costa Health Department mobile clinic used to provide free and low-cost medical services to farmworkers and underserved residents, on March 31, 2026, in Brentwood, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When she first felt those bumps on her breasts in 2023, a doctor at the clinic confirmed she had a tumor — but a benign one that was treated thanks to the county program. Marisol still comes to the mobile clinic for follow-ups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People are still going to be sick,” said Hijas del Campo co-founder Dorina Salgado-Moraida, who pointed out that there are thousands of undocumented immigrants in other parts of the state who will be left with no options for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had some learnings from the pandemic, but then at the same time, we didn’t really learn much,” she said. “We didn’t put systems in place to protect those who are the most essential.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story was updated to clarify medical terminology. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "After the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, many Californians no longer have access to healthcare because of higher premiums or their immigration status. Free clinics are rushing to fill the gaps in coverage.",
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"title": "After the One Big Beautiful Bill, Free Clinics Are Stepping Up | KQED",
"description": "After the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, many Californians no longer have access to healthcare because of higher premiums or their immigration status. Free clinics are rushing to fill the gaps in coverage.",
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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>For Marisol, it’s not strange to feel aches and pains all over her body when she comes home after work. She picks and packages fruit for farms in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a>. Even when temperatures rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, she’s out in the field collecting cherries, peaches, nectarines and apricots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She knows it takes a toll on her body. “Sometimes you’re so exhausted that it feels like there’s something wrong with your body, and you don’t know if you’re actually sick or just tired,” she said in Spanish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an undocumented immigrant without employer-provided health insurance, actually finding out if she’s sick is a luxury. KQED is withholding her full name because publishing it could expose her to potential immigration enforcement. “I either pay my rent or I go to the doctor,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the summer of 2023 — when she began to feel several bumps on her breasts — she decided her health could no longer wait. She went to the one place she knew she could get care at no cost: \u003ca href=\"https://www.hijasdelcampo.org/\">Hijas del Campo\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every Tuesday afternoon, the Contra Costa County Department of Public Health parks \u003ca href=\"https://www.cchealth.org/get-care/for-people-without-health-coverage/health-care-for-the-homeless\">a mobile clinic\u003c/a> outside the nonprofit’s Brentwood offices. The clinic offers limited free care to residents like Marisol who qualify. It’s one of dozens of free clinics across the Bay Area that serve low-income and undocumented immigrants who don’t have access to healthcare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078942\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078942 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_016_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_016_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marisol, a farmworker in Brentwood, sits outside the Hijas del Campo offices, an organization that connects agricultural workers and their families to free health services, food assistance and legal support on March 31, 2026, in Brentwood, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Free clinics across California are bracing for a surge of uninsured patients as provisions in President Donald Trump’s “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073880/tax-credits-trump-2026-refund-tips-child-tax-credit-car-loan-interest-documents\">One Big Beautiful Bill\u003c/a>” take effect, eliminating federal subsidies for some Affordable Care Act plans and tightening Medicaid eligibility rules.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 160,000 Californians have already \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/blog/many-californians-are-paying-more-for-health-insurance-from-covered-california/\">lost federal subsidies\u003c/a> that made their premiums cheaper and in the coming years, state officials \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5180/Changing_Landscape_Affects_Californias_Health_Care_System_050426.pdf\">estimate\u003c/a> that the number of Californians without health insurance — currently around 2 million — could double by 2030, leaving safety-net clinics to absorb the growing demand for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The White House has \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2025/06/myth-vs-fact-the-one-big-beautiful-bill/\">defended\u003c/a> the OBBB, arguing that these changes will help eliminate “waste, fraud, and abuse” from the nation’s healthcare system. But doctors and volunteers who staff free clinics are already seeing people who have lost coverage and warn that a growing uninsured population could negatively impact care for all patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How free care works\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Free clinics have existed for decades across the Bay Area, offering primary care to those without health insurance. Many serve suburban and rural communities far from the medical infrastructure of the region’s larger cities. But even in San Francisco, free clinics serve thousands each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.clinicbythebay.org/\">Clinic by the Bay\u003c/a> — located in San Francisco’s Excelsior District, one of the most \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/demographic-map-san-francisco-21310100.php\">ethnically diverse neighborhoods\u003c/a> in the city — sees many patients who are experiencing a transition that left them uninsured, often a layoff, aging out of their parents’ insurance or migrating to the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079790\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079790\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_017-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_017-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_017-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_017-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Katelyn McMeekin-Jackson, executive director of Clinic by the Bay, poses for a portrait inside the clinic in San Francisco on March 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“And there’s people who are working but cannot afford their healthcare premiums, so they have decided to go without health insurance,” said Katelyn McMeekin-Jackson, executive director of Clinic by the Bay. She knows many patients by their first name, greeting them warmly when they come through the front door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are only a few requirements to get care there, McMeekin-Jackson said. A new patient must share a copy of an ID, proof of income and confirm they do not have health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 200 volunteers — many of them retired doctors, resident physicians and medical students — help the clinic offer primary and ongoing care for those living with chronic conditions, like diabetes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079789\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079789\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_016-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_016-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_016-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/030526_FREECLINICS-_GH_016-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteer Melissa Castillo, left, and executive director Katelyn McMeekin-Jackson walk through a hallway inside Clinic by the Bay in San Francisco on March 5, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When a patient needs a service that’s not available in-house, staff work with the clinic’s extended network of physicians who are willing to donate their time. Companies like LabCorp also provide a limited number of free screenings, and skilled nursing homes regularly donate surplus medication.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A big part of the puzzle is figuring out how we can get around the limitations to get free care,” McMeekin-Jackson said, adding that over the past year, volunteer numbers increased by about 30% to keep pace with the growing number of patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re anticipating that patient numbers will grow as premiums increase,” she said. “And there are Medi-Cal changes projected in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Finding the limits\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As Congress raced to finalize the details of the OBBB last summer, lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-wsj-poll-tax-bill-support-ee51c67e\">sought to balance\u003c/a> the price tag of other Trump policy priorities — reshaping the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073880/tax-credits-trump-2026-refund-tips-child-tax-credit-car-loan-interest-documents\">nation’s tax system\u003c/a> and supercharging immigration enforcement — by freeing up funding elsewhere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republicans moved to end the subsidies that lowered the costs of healthcare premiums for millions of people nationwide who bought their plan through an Affordable Care Act marketplace, which includes Covered California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079787\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079787\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_037-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_037-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_037-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_037-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Jewish Community Free Clinic building is seen on March 2, 2026, in Santa Rosa. The clinic provides free healthcare services to uninsured patients. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2024, the federal government spent nearly $14 billion \u003ca href=\"https://www.kff.org/medicaid/what-does-the-federal-government-spend-on-health-care/#Appendix-Table-3\">on subsidies\u003c/a>, which helped millions of Americans \u003ca href=\"https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/01/22/what-the-data-says-about-affordable-care-act-health-insurance-exchanges/\">enroll in a plan\u003c/a>. According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/inflation-reduction-act-health-insurance-subsidies-what-is-their-impact-and-what-would-happen-if-they-expire/#:~:text=The%20enhanced%20subsidies%20in%20the%20Inflation%20Reduction%20Act%20reduce%20net%20premium%20costs%20by%2044%25%2C%20on%20average%2C%20for%20enrollees%20receiving%20premium%20tax%20credits%2C%20though%20the%20amount%20of%20savings%20varies%20by%20person.\">Kaiser Family Foundation\u003c/a>, a San Francisco-based public health research nonprofit, the subsidies lowered the annual premium payment in 2024 from about $1,600 to $900 — a difference of about 44%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Jan. 1, the majority of Covered California enrollees saw their \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/blog/many-californians-are-paying-more-for-health-insurance-from-covered-california/\">premiums rise\u003c/a> as the federal government pulled back subsidies. But people making above 400% of the federal poverty level — roughly $62,000 for a single person — began paying the full monthly premium for their health insurance. In the Bay Area, some residents \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912612/how-are-you-coping-with-increased-health-insurance-premiums\">have shared\u003c/a> that their premiums have gone up by over 150%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re getting a lot of calls from people who lost their plan because they couldn’t pay these outrageous new premiums,” said Donna Waldman, the executive director of the Santa Rosa-based \u003ca href=\"https://www.jewishfreeclinic.org/\">Jewish Community Free Clinic\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079785\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079785\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_027-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_027-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_027-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_027-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Donna Waldman, executive director and one of the founders of the Jewish Community Free Clinic, listens during a conversation inside the clinic on March 2, 2026, in Santa Rosa. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Waldman, along with a handful of doctors and nurses, started the clinic in 2001. The majority of patients are immigrant farmworkers who power Sonoma County’s multimillion-dollar wine industry. Many are seeing a doctor for the first time in years and are coming in for a one-time check-in — a situation that the clinic is well-equipped for, Waldman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are not set up to do chronic disease maintenance,” she said. “Our system’s not set up to have you come back every three or four months to get your blood pressure checked — that’s not our type of practice.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher premiums are not just forcing people to drop their plan, but also discouraging those who could qualify for a Covered California plan from signing up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079786\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079786\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_029-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_029-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_029-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_029-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rivka Vaughs, who works at the front desk and assists with grant writing, sits in the waiting area of the Jewish Community Free Clinic on March 2, 2026, in Santa Rosa. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Sonoma County, new enrollment this year \u003ca href=\"https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/02/28/new-affordable-care-act-enrollment-declines-by-33-in-north-bay/\">decreased by 33%\u003c/a>, with officials reporting a \u003ca href=\"https://www.coveredca.com/newsroom/news-releases/2026/02/26/as-enhanced-federal-subsidies-expire-covered-california-ends-open-enrollment-with-state-subsidies-keeping-renewals-steady-for-now-and-new-signups-down/#:~:text=California%20allocated%20%24190%20million%20from,of%20the%20federal%20poverty%20level.\">similar drop statewide\u003c/a>. And according to \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5180/Changing_Landscape_Affects_Californias_Health_Care_System_050426.pdf\">some researchers\u003c/a>, the first people to drop their Covered California plans are usually younger, healthier individuals who use fewer benefits. Those enrollees help lower the costs of care for everyone else. But with fewer healthier people in the marketplace, premiums could rise even higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When folks call in after dropping their plan, Waldman said the clinic can see them in the meantime, but they also work with the patient to see if they qualify for care at a \u003ca href=\"https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/\">federally qualified health center\u003c/a> — which serve patients on a sliding fee scale, but are subject to income limits and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/prwora-hhs-bans-illegal-aliens-accessing-taxpayer-funded-programs.html\">potential immigration rules\u003c/a> from the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have nothing to lose monetarily from the federal government,” Waldman said. “Free clinics play a really important role in the resiliency of the community right now because we are independent organizations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Influenza doesn’t know if you have insurance or not’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The OBBB’s next big shock to healthcare is expected at the end of this year. By Dec. 31, states must implement stricter eligibility requirements for patients enrolled in Medicaid — known as Medi-Cal in California, which provides free or low-cost care to roughly 15 million lower-income residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2010, the Obama administration expanded Medicaid eligibility to include adults aged 19-64 with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level. In the decade that followed, \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/blog/medi-cal-has-expanded-health-coverage-in-california/\">Medi-Cal enrollment soared\u003c/a>, with the biggest increase in that newly-eligible group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079783\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079783\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/022726_FREE-CLINICS-_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A hallway inside the San Francisco Free Clinic in the Richmond District on Feb. 27, 2026. The clinic provides free primary care and specialty services to patients without health insurance. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Under the OBBB, Medi-Cal recipients will need to renew their eligibility every six months, instead of annually, and those who are able-bodied and without dependents have to either work, go to school or do community service for at least 80 hours each month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/newsom-medicaid-impacts-memo.pdf\">estimated\u003c/a> the new requirements would result in up to 3.4 million Californians losing their Medi-Cal coverage. And because federal funding for Medi-Cal is dependent on how many people are enrolled, the state could lose over $30 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s unfortunate, said Ashley Tsang, medical director for the San Francisco Free Clinic, because more people on Medi-Cal means fewer people who are uninsured.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We were hoping that there were going to be fewer people uninsured as Medi-Cal covered more people,” Tsang said. “At some point, our numbers would have actually dropped.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The clinic currently sees around 1,500 uninsured patients each year with the help of a few dozen physicians and medical students. Tsang — who helps run the Richmond District clinic along with her husband and fellow physician Ian Nelligan — said the team hasn’t yet needed to expand service hours, but that’s something they are thinking about given the political situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“COVID-19 taught us that [infectious diseases don’t] know if you have insurance or not, and people will end up at the emergency department one way or the other,” she said. “We all end up paying for patients who have no health insurance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/reports/2026/5180/Changing_Landscape_Affects_Californias_Health_Care_System_050426.pdf\">recent report\u003c/a> from the state Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts that care providers — including private and public hospitals that treat patients with coverage — may feel greater financial pressure as the uninsured population grows in the coming years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many providers, the report finds, “will still provide some care to these populations without receiving reimbursement,” and as these expenses go up, they may negotiate higher rates with private insurance plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Pushing back on closed doors\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>White House officials have argued that other parts of the OBBB — like larger tax deductibles and expanded flexible spending accounts — will make it easier for individuals to pay for health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the administration has made clear the changes will limit access to low-cost care for one group of people in particular: undocumented immigrants. Blocking this group from Medicaid is necessary “to preserve it for hardworking Americans who need it,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said before the bill’s passage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The OBBB reduced federal funds that helped states provide emergency Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/WFTCA-Illegal-Immigrant-Healthcare-Memo-FINAL.pdf\">White House memo\u003c/a> went as far as calling this move “closing the California loophole.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078937\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078937\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_001_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_001_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_001_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_001_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pro-farmworker posters adorn the walls inside the Hijas del Campo workspace. The group helps coordinate services including food distribution, healthcare access and legal aid for farmworkers and their families, on March 31, 2026, in Brentwood, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This change — along with other expected healthcare cuts from the federal government — prompted state lawmakers last year to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/06/california-budget-newsom-democrats/\">block new Medi-Cal enrollment\u003c/a> for undocumented immigrants aged 19 and older.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means Marisol can no longer sign up for Medi-Cal, leaving her with only the mobile clinic outside Hijas del Campo for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is an injustice,” the farmworker said. “Our work is very intense, and it’s what brings food to people’s tables. But this work is not valued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078938\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078938\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_008_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_008_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_008_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/033126Free-Clinics-Brentwood_GH_008_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dorina Salgado-Moraida, co-founder of Hijas del Campo, stands beside a Contra Costa Health Department mobile clinic used to provide free and low-cost medical services to farmworkers and underserved residents, on March 31, 2026, in Brentwood, California. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When she first felt those bumps on her breasts in 2023, a doctor at the clinic confirmed she had a tumor — but a benign one that was treated thanks to the county program. Marisol still comes to the mobile clinic for follow-ups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People are still going to be sick,” said Hijas del Campo co-founder Dorina Salgado-Moraida, who pointed out that there are thousands of undocumented immigrants in other parts of the state who will be left with no options for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had some learnings from the pandemic, but then at the same time, we didn’t really learn much,” she said. “We didn’t put systems in place to protect those who are the most essential.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story was updated to clarify medical terminology. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "driving-in-the-bay-area-is-essential-for-many-its-only-gotten-more-expensive",
"title": "Driving in the Bay Area Is Essential for Many. It’s Only Gotten More Expensive",
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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>Running late between work and school, Naomi Rodriguez pulled her blue 2000 Nissan Quest minivan into one of the most expensive gas stations in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located in San Francisco’s SoMA neighborhood, the gas station is a last chance for commuters like Rodriguez to fill up before heading east on the Bay Bridge. During the afternoon rush hour in early April, the marquee of the Shell station displayed $6.80 for a gallon of regular gas, about $3 higher than the national average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez paid $17 for around two and a half gallons, just enough to make it across the bridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ The gas is making it impossible to even survive,” said Rodriguez, a 32-year-old student who graduated with a degree in political science from UC Berkeley last May and is working on a separate degree there in legal studies. “ I can’t even focus on putting my money toward getting a place for myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area and California have long had some of the country’s highest gas prices, and they’ve soared in recent weeks, driven in part by the war with Iran. But sky-high gas prices are only one piece of a broader surge in driving costs that is reshaping life in the Bay Area, where residents already endure grueling, car-dependent commutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081540\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081540\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px.jpg 1000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px-160x302.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px-813x1536.jpg 813w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cost breakdown of owning and driving a new car in San Francisco includes multiple factors, such as gas, maintenance and insurance. \u003ccite>(\n\u003cp>Sources: \u003ca href=\"https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-california/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bankrate\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/drivingcosts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA Driving Costs Calculator\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA Gas Prices\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.edmunds.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Edmunds\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/daily-miles-traveled\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Metropolitan Transportation Commission\u003c/a>. Graphic: Marnette Federis/KQED\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>)\u003c/p>\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rising vehicle prices, insurance, maintenance and loan payments are forcing many drivers to make stark tradeoffs — stretching budgets, delaying major purchases or abandoning car ownership altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The total expense of owning a car rose 40% from January 2020 to August 2025, with the sharpest increases associated with insurance, gasoline and repair costs, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.navyfederal.org/about/press-releases/2025-press-releases/coco-index-car-costs-rising.html\">index\u003c/a> from Navy Federal Credit Union. In 2025, the average cost to own and operate a new car in the U.S. was $11,577, or nearly $965 a month, according to \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/UPDATE-AAA-Fact-Sheet-Your-Driving-Cost-9.2025-1.pdf\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ The affordability crisis for cars right now is fairly intense,” said Jessica Caldwell, assistant vice president of insights at Edmunds, an automotive analytics company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outer reaches of the Bay Area have long had some of the country’s highest \u003ca href=\"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=9fbef2021ab54de19615985df01ddb49\">populations \u003c/a>of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11706621/the-life-of-a-bay-area-on-demand-super-commuter\">super commuters\u003c/a>, people who travel more than 90 minutes one-way. Contra Costa County residents had the longest commutes, averaging over 40 minutes by car or more than an hour on public transit, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low-income workers may be more affected by sudden spikes in transportation costs, said Michael Anderson, who researches transportation economics at UC Berkeley. He explained that people with low-income jobs are more likely to be required to work in person and outside of normal business hours, when public transportation is unavailable, forcing them to drive more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Rodriguez, the rising price of driving means she can’t save for other necessities, like housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her daughter had to move out of on-campus family housing in February and have since been living with friends in Albany, Walnut Creek and Oakland, while Rodriguez commutes into San Francisco for work at a social justice nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you can’t make it to places on time, you lose everything. I can’t lose my job. I can’t not finish school,” Rodriguez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said her own car is having trouble, and the minivan she pulled into the station is on loan from a friend. If she went shopping for a replacement, she’d likely find a market geared toward selling her something less than ideal for a penny-pinched Bay Area commuter.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Bigger, more expensive cars\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>People shopping for a budget-friendly new car or truck don’t have a lot of options in today’s market, increasing costs across the entire auto industry, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Cars are expensive because Americans want bigger vehicles with more amenities and more features, and automakers are happy to produce them because they make more money on them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The number of vehicles priced at $60,000 or more has almost doubled since 2017, from 61 to 117, according to Sean Tucker, the managing editor at Kelley Blue Book. Meanwhile, the number of models priced at $25,000 or under has dropped from 36 to four, Tucker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12033975 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2207060270-scaled-e1777317412637.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1309\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brand new Toyota trucks are displayed on the sales lot at City Toyota on March 26, 2025, in Daly City, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The average age of a vehicle on American roads is now nearly 13 years old, a figure that has steadily increased since from almost 9 years in 2020, according to Kelley Blue Book and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Caldwell said this has, in part, led to shrinking inventory in the used car market, making it harder for used car shoppers to find a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bay Area drivers seeking shelter from the volatility of fuel prices, Tucker said a flood of lightly-used electric vehicles has hit the market, as three-year EV leases are running out for people who took advantage of a federal government tax credit. (Until last year, the federal government offered up to \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/credits-for-new-clean-vehicles-purchased-in-2023-or-after\">$7,500\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher prices for new cars and trucks are driving up insurance rates, repair costs and the length of auto loans.[aside postID=news_12080289 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260420-SLEEP-PODS-MD-01-KQED_1.jpg']“ It used to be that if you and I were in a fender bender, we needed a new bumper. Now we need a new bumper, a new radar, a new lidar, and two new cameras. We’re seeing even minor accidents are now costing $10,000,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance rates nationwide are up 12% on average annually over the past five years, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/replay-available-cox-automotive-q1-2026-industry-insights-and-sales-forecast-call/\">Cox Automotive\u003c/a>, a technology services company for the automotive industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average cost of full coverage auto insurance in California is $3,119 per year — or 16% more than the national average — and people in dense cities like San Francisco pay significantly more than the state average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-california/\">Bankrate\u003c/a>, a financial planning website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, drivers who opt for more expensive cars, or who have a tight budget, may decide to finance their purchase with auto loans over a longer period of time to reduce monthly payments, even if it means they will pay more interest overall, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Right or wrong, when most people think about the price of their vehicle, they’re looking at the monthly payment,” she said. “If the average is 70, it’s not unusual to have a loan term of 84 months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of March, buyers financing a new vehicle at an average 7% annual percentage rate over about 70 months would pay roughly $10,000 in interest, Caldwell said. For used cars, the average APR was higher, at 11% in March, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Calculating the cost\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As costs associated with cars rise, drivers are keeping their vehicles on the road for longer, driving less or changing how they get around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erin Rabourn relies on her 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid to get her 11-year-old son to school, soccer practice and friend hangouts. The family moved from South Berkeley to Richmond in 2023, when she and her husband bought a home after years of saving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We can’t be without a car. I can’t e-bike him from Richmond to South Berkeley. It’s not gonna happen,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081499\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081499\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RichmondCaliforniaNewCarsGetty-scaled-e1777318176581.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1307\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A truck carries brand new cars on March 4, 2025, in Richmond, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rabourn said her car needs its 120,000-mile service and a new hybrid battery, and that her mechanic estimated it would cost $10,000 to keep it on the road over the next few years, suggesting it may be time to invest in a new vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Rabourn said she’s leaning toward keeping the Highlander, given the state of the market. Comparable SUVs, like a 2023 Toyota Rav4, would cost between $29,000 and $45,000, according to Kelley Blue Book, not to mention insurance and loan payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As maintenance costs on his 2011 Volkswagen Jetta grew, Albert Flynn DeSilver decided he had had enough. The resident of Woodacre in Marin County sold his car last year and now gets around on a Class 1 e-bike, though he still keeps a 2017 Honda Fit “mostly sitting in the driveway” for when he or his wife needs a car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It became too much. I realized I could be saving thousands of dollars every year by just letting go of that car,” DeSilver said, estimating he saves between $3,000 and $5,000 a year. DeSilver commutes eight miles to a coworking space in San Rafael, where he works as a publisher — a journey that takes him around 40 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081453\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas shows her gas log on her phone while she waits in line at a Costco gas station in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Shekinah Samaya-Thomas, 61, of East Oakland, the cost of driving is a matter of survival. On a recent March afternoon, she waited in line with other Bay Area drivers at a Costco gas station in San Leandro, where regular was $5.19 for a gallon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Every time I have to put an extra $25 or $30 into our car, that’s money I don’t have for food, utility bills, retirement or savings,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samaya-Thomas, a substitute adult educator, described herself and her husband, who works in security, as “very much under-employed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081454\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas fills up her gas tank at a Costco gas station in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said they have both been searching for full-time work for years. Combined, they made just $34,000 last year, and low housing costs through a partnership with the Oakland Community Land Trust are what keep them from becoming homeless, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samaya-Thomas said when she drives, she bundles her errands into one trip to save.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Driving is reserved for getting to and from work and getting our basic needs met. I don’t see friends. I don’t go out. I don’t do social things,” Samaya-Thomas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas (left) and her husband Christopher Samaya-Thomas (right) walk into a food distribution center to pick up groceries in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When she or her husband, who share a 2016 Toyota Prius, are offered job opportunities, she said the first consideration is the logistics of showing up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are some substitute opportunities that are just too far away from me to feel like I can drive to them with gas prices the way they are,” Samaya-Thomas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other times, she said her husband has been unable to take a job because it required showing up at 6 a.m. on a weekend, before BART service begins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081450\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081450\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christopher Samaya-Thomas (left) and his wife Shekinah Samaya-Thomas (right) pick up groceries at a food distribution center in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Waiting to pump her gas at Costco, she said the line was longer than usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a constant calculation trying to manage all this. It’s emotionally and physically exhausting, and it’s not easy on a marriage either,” she said, gripping her faded Mickey Mouse steering wheel cover, a reminder of her happy place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faced with rising transportation costs and what she described as an already “bare bones” lifestyle, she said if prices kept rising, she’d be forced to cut one of the few things left that bring her and her husband joy: their streaming subscriptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Other than that, I don’t know what’s left to cut,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Car ownership has gotten more expensive in recent years, and the rising costs have strained many Bay Area drivers who are already stretched thin.",
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"title": "Driving in the Bay Area Is Essential for Many. It’s Only Gotten More Expensive | 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>Running late between work and school, Naomi Rodriguez pulled her blue 2000 Nissan Quest minivan into one of the most expensive gas stations in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located in San Francisco’s SoMA neighborhood, the gas station is a last chance for commuters like Rodriguez to fill up before heading east on the Bay Bridge. During the afternoon rush hour in early April, the marquee of the Shell station displayed $6.80 for a gallon of regular gas, about $3 higher than the national average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez paid $17 for around two and a half gallons, just enough to make it across the bridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ The gas is making it impossible to even survive,” said Rodriguez, a 32-year-old student who graduated with a degree in political science from UC Berkeley last May and is working on a separate degree there in legal studies. “ I can’t even focus on putting my money toward getting a place for myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area and California have long had some of the country’s highest gas prices, and they’ve soared in recent weeks, driven in part by the war with Iran. But sky-high gas prices are only one piece of a broader surge in driving costs that is reshaping life in the Bay Area, where residents already endure grueling, car-dependent commutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081540\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081540\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px.jpg 1000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px-160x302.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px-813x1536.jpg 813w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cost breakdown of owning and driving a new car in San Francisco includes multiple factors, such as gas, maintenance and insurance. \u003ccite>(\n\u003cp>Sources: \u003ca href=\"https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-california/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bankrate\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/drivingcosts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA Driving Costs Calculator\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA Gas Prices\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.edmunds.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Edmunds\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/daily-miles-traveled\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Metropolitan Transportation Commission\u003c/a>. Graphic: Marnette Federis/KQED\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>)\u003c/p>\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rising vehicle prices, insurance, maintenance and loan payments are forcing many drivers to make stark tradeoffs — stretching budgets, delaying major purchases or abandoning car ownership altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The total expense of owning a car rose 40% from January 2020 to August 2025, with the sharpest increases associated with insurance, gasoline and repair costs, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.navyfederal.org/about/press-releases/2025-press-releases/coco-index-car-costs-rising.html\">index\u003c/a> from Navy Federal Credit Union. In 2025, the average cost to own and operate a new car in the U.S. was $11,577, or nearly $965 a month, according to \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/UPDATE-AAA-Fact-Sheet-Your-Driving-Cost-9.2025-1.pdf\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ The affordability crisis for cars right now is fairly intense,” said Jessica Caldwell, assistant vice president of insights at Edmunds, an automotive analytics company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outer reaches of the Bay Area have long had some of the country’s highest \u003ca href=\"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=9fbef2021ab54de19615985df01ddb49\">populations \u003c/a>of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11706621/the-life-of-a-bay-area-on-demand-super-commuter\">super commuters\u003c/a>, people who travel more than 90 minutes one-way. Contra Costa County residents had the longest commutes, averaging over 40 minutes by car or more than an hour on public transit, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low-income workers may be more affected by sudden spikes in transportation costs, said Michael Anderson, who researches transportation economics at UC Berkeley. He explained that people with low-income jobs are more likely to be required to work in person and outside of normal business hours, when public transportation is unavailable, forcing them to drive more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Rodriguez, the rising price of driving means she can’t save for other necessities, like housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her daughter had to move out of on-campus family housing in February and have since been living with friends in Albany, Walnut Creek and Oakland, while Rodriguez commutes into San Francisco for work at a social justice nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you can’t make it to places on time, you lose everything. I can’t lose my job. I can’t not finish school,” Rodriguez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said her own car is having trouble, and the minivan she pulled into the station is on loan from a friend. If she went shopping for a replacement, she’d likely find a market geared toward selling her something less than ideal for a penny-pinched Bay Area commuter.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Bigger, more expensive cars\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>People shopping for a budget-friendly new car or truck don’t have a lot of options in today’s market, increasing costs across the entire auto industry, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Cars are expensive because Americans want bigger vehicles with more amenities and more features, and automakers are happy to produce them because they make more money on them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The number of vehicles priced at $60,000 or more has almost doubled since 2017, from 61 to 117, according to Sean Tucker, the managing editor at Kelley Blue Book. Meanwhile, the number of models priced at $25,000 or under has dropped from 36 to four, Tucker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12033975 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2207060270-scaled-e1777317412637.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1309\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brand new Toyota trucks are displayed on the sales lot at City Toyota on March 26, 2025, in Daly City, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The average age of a vehicle on American roads is now nearly 13 years old, a figure that has steadily increased since from almost 9 years in 2020, according to Kelley Blue Book and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Caldwell said this has, in part, led to shrinking inventory in the used car market, making it harder for used car shoppers to find a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bay Area drivers seeking shelter from the volatility of fuel prices, Tucker said a flood of lightly-used electric vehicles has hit the market, as three-year EV leases are running out for people who took advantage of a federal government tax credit. (Until last year, the federal government offered up to \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/credits-for-new-clean-vehicles-purchased-in-2023-or-after\">$7,500\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher prices for new cars and trucks are driving up insurance rates, repair costs and the length of auto loans.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“ It used to be that if you and I were in a fender bender, we needed a new bumper. Now we need a new bumper, a new radar, a new lidar, and two new cameras. We’re seeing even minor accidents are now costing $10,000,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance rates nationwide are up 12% on average annually over the past five years, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/replay-available-cox-automotive-q1-2026-industry-insights-and-sales-forecast-call/\">Cox Automotive\u003c/a>, a technology services company for the automotive industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average cost of full coverage auto insurance in California is $3,119 per year — or 16% more than the national average — and people in dense cities like San Francisco pay significantly more than the state average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-california/\">Bankrate\u003c/a>, a financial planning website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, drivers who opt for more expensive cars, or who have a tight budget, may decide to finance their purchase with auto loans over a longer period of time to reduce monthly payments, even if it means they will pay more interest overall, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Right or wrong, when most people think about the price of their vehicle, they’re looking at the monthly payment,” she said. “If the average is 70, it’s not unusual to have a loan term of 84 months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of March, buyers financing a new vehicle at an average 7% annual percentage rate over about 70 months would pay roughly $10,000 in interest, Caldwell said. For used cars, the average APR was higher, at 11% in March, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Calculating the cost\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As costs associated with cars rise, drivers are keeping their vehicles on the road for longer, driving less or changing how they get around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erin Rabourn relies on her 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid to get her 11-year-old son to school, soccer practice and friend hangouts. The family moved from South Berkeley to Richmond in 2023, when she and her husband bought a home after years of saving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We can’t be without a car. I can’t e-bike him from Richmond to South Berkeley. It’s not gonna happen,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081499\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081499\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RichmondCaliforniaNewCarsGetty-scaled-e1777318176581.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1307\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A truck carries brand new cars on March 4, 2025, in Richmond, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rabourn said her car needs its 120,000-mile service and a new hybrid battery, and that her mechanic estimated it would cost $10,000 to keep it on the road over the next few years, suggesting it may be time to invest in a new vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Rabourn said she’s leaning toward keeping the Highlander, given the state of the market. Comparable SUVs, like a 2023 Toyota Rav4, would cost between $29,000 and $45,000, according to Kelley Blue Book, not to mention insurance and loan payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As maintenance costs on his 2011 Volkswagen Jetta grew, Albert Flynn DeSilver decided he had had enough. The resident of Woodacre in Marin County sold his car last year and now gets around on a Class 1 e-bike, though he still keeps a 2017 Honda Fit “mostly sitting in the driveway” for when he or his wife needs a car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It became too much. I realized I could be saving thousands of dollars every year by just letting go of that car,” DeSilver said, estimating he saves between $3,000 and $5,000 a year. DeSilver commutes eight miles to a coworking space in San Rafael, where he works as a publisher — a journey that takes him around 40 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081453\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas shows her gas log on her phone while she waits in line at a Costco gas station in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Shekinah Samaya-Thomas, 61, of East Oakland, the cost of driving is a matter of survival. On a recent March afternoon, she waited in line with other Bay Area drivers at a Costco gas station in San Leandro, where regular was $5.19 for a gallon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Every time I have to put an extra $25 or $30 into our car, that’s money I don’t have for food, utility bills, retirement or savings,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samaya-Thomas, a substitute adult educator, described herself and her husband, who works in security, as “very much under-employed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081454\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas fills up her gas tank at a Costco gas station in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said they have both been searching for full-time work for years. Combined, they made just $34,000 last year, and low housing costs through a partnership with the Oakland Community Land Trust are what keep them from becoming homeless, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samaya-Thomas said when she drives, she bundles her errands into one trip to save.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Driving is reserved for getting to and from work and getting our basic needs met. I don’t see friends. I don’t go out. I don’t do social things,” Samaya-Thomas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas (left) and her husband Christopher Samaya-Thomas (right) walk into a food distribution center to pick up groceries in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When she or her husband, who share a 2016 Toyota Prius, are offered job opportunities, she said the first consideration is the logistics of showing up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are some substitute opportunities that are just too far away from me to feel like I can drive to them with gas prices the way they are,” Samaya-Thomas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other times, she said her husband has been unable to take a job because it required showing up at 6 a.m. on a weekend, before BART service begins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081450\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081450\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christopher Samaya-Thomas (left) and his wife Shekinah Samaya-Thomas (right) pick up groceries at a food distribution center in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Waiting to pump her gas at Costco, she said the line was longer than usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a constant calculation trying to manage all this. It’s emotionally and physically exhausting, and it’s not easy on a marriage either,” she said, gripping her faded Mickey Mouse steering wheel cover, a reminder of her happy place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faced with rising transportation costs and what she described as an already “bare bones” lifestyle, she said if prices kept rising, she’d be forced to cut one of the few things left that bring her and her husband joy: their streaming subscriptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Other than that, I don’t know what’s left to cut,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "want-to-save-on-groceries-you-can-grow-your-own-garden",
"title": "Want to Save on Groceries? You Can Grow Your Own Garden",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of\u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem> \u003cstrong>How We Get By\u003c/strong>\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>If you’ve been feeling the sticker shock of grocery prices these days, it’s not just you. The cost of food at Bay Area grocery stores went up by almost 6% in the last year alone, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/consumerpriceindex_sanfrancisco.htm\">according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scouring the shelves for deals, buying off-brand or purchasing items in bulk are some options for reducing your food bills. But here in the Bay Area, with our year-round good weather, you could consider growing your own food — even if you’ve never done it before, or don’t have a big yard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how can you get started growing your own garden, and what could you grow here in the Bay Area that might help reduce your grocery bill? We talked to the experts for their top tips and practical information for starting your own garden, no matter how small.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ThreesimplefoodstogrowhereintheBayArea\">Three simple foods to grow here in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Thebeginnermistakeseveryonemakesthatyoucanavoid\">The beginner mistakes everyone makes (that you can avoid)\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Why grow your own garden?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Take it from the experts: Growing your own food at home isn’t just beneficial to your wallet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost as important as saving money on your food is, what you grow is likely to be healthier,” said Maggie Mah, one of the University of California’s Master Gardeners who specialize in helping people grow their own food here in the Bay Area and nationwide. The food you grow is “going to be fresher,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080116\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080116\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maggie Mah, Marketing & Media Co-Chair and UC Master Gardener, stands beside her car with trays of tomato plants at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can also have greater control over the food itself, she said, by growing a pesticide-free garden and producing the fruits and veggies you know you’ll eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But on top of that is really the sense of being empowered,” Mah said. “I find that it’s just great to be able to go out and pick big handfuls of green beans that I grew myself, or tomatoes or whatever it is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a sense of reclaiming yourself in this day and age,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Start small\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first thing you should do, Mah said, is assess how much space you have and let that determine your gardening potential — and your path forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And don’t worry: You don’t need all that much space. All it takes is \u003cem>some \u003c/em>access to the outdoors, even if that’s just a windowsill or railing which can hold a pot big enough for basics like herbs, some lettuce, tomatoes or even potatoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, advised Mah, decide what you want to grow. If your square footage is small, consider plants that produce a lot of fruits or veggies relative to their size — like tomatoes, rather than a space-intensive plant like a watermelon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080118\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080118\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Helen Lew removes deep-rooted weeds while seated in a demonstration garden at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And if you’re really pressed for space, remember you can always utilize vertical space for crops like pole beans or squash. You could even try \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/companion-planting-vegetable-garden\">inter-cropping or companion planting,\u003c/a> which is pairing similar plants to make the most of your space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Start small, and then as you build success and you build learning about your particular location and what works and what doesn’t work, you can really build upon that,” Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plants like tomatoes or broccoli thrive \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/container-gardening-basics\">even in somewhat small pots or buckets\u003c/a>. And lettuces need just a few inches of soil. Arugula in particular is a very quick, easy and nutritious crop, Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You throw the seeds in the ground and a couple of days later, you’ve got arugula — and you can keep on harvesting it,” Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Assess conditions\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While you can work with different space limitations, one nonnegotiable when it comes to growing your own food is consistent access to sun, Mah said. “It takes six to eight hours of sun to be successful growing pretty much anything,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, “you don’t want to plant something that’s going to take a bunch of months to be able to harvest,” Mah said — so you’ll want to look for varieties that mature quickly, and that might depend on exactly where you’re located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080117\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080117\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Robeson tomato seedlings grow among dozens of varieties cultivated at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can find that information on the seed packet itself — but be aware that how quickly your food will grow is entirely location-dependent. And the Bay Area’s fog and microclimates, which can create dramatically different temperatures just a few miles away, can heavily influence a plant’s timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before choosing a plant, you should also consult a \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mgsmsf/edible-gardening-and-planting-calendars\">planting calendar\u003c/a>, Mah said, and make sure you’re planting something that can grow at this time of year. The calendars are \u003ca href=\"https://ecologycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/seed_chart.pdf\">location-specific\u003c/a> and often available where seeds and plants are sold or lent, so be sure you’re looking at information for your specific geographic region.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Prep your soil\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Once you’ve decided on a plant, make sure your soil is prepared. You can get soil and — more importantly — compost from many different sources. \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/ucce-master-gardeners-stanislaus-county/composting-basics\">Compost is decomposed organic material\u003c/a> that helps add nutrients to your soil and boosts its health, and as a result, boosts the growth potential for your plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For one, you can get free compost via giveaway programs like the one for Berkeley residents \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/city-services/trash-recycling/free-compost-program\">at the Berkeley Marina.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eddie Mendoza, who works at the marina, said the compost is usually delivered on Fridays from the Central Valley and that the supply lasts through the weekend. They sometimes also have \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/program/uc-master-gardener-program/mulch\">woodchips and mulch\u003c/a> available, which can also boost the health of your soil or help with drainage, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12080270 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1262\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr-1536x969.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Velveteen Bean produces and sells small-batch compost and teaches people how to build and maintain their own compost piles. \u003ccite>(Brian Hicks/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But you have to bring your own tools to the marina — Mendoza suggested you pack a shovel and a few buckets — and it’s best to get there early, especially during peak weekends during the summer, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By Monday morning, it’s all gone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can even make your own compost pile, although Mah warned it might take a few months if starting from scratch. It’s easier than many people imagine, said Maggie Owsley, whose East Bay group \u003ca href=\"https://www.thevelveteenbean.com/\">The Velveteen Bean\u003c/a> produces and sells small-batch compost and teaches people how to build and maintain their own compost piles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a myth that you need a huge bag of compost to start seeds, to start a garden,” Owsley said. “You actually can do a lot with what you’re making at home or what your neighbors are making.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Decide whether you’ll choose seeds or plants — and get to know your local resources\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seeds are the least expensive option when it comes to starting your garden — but be aware that where they lack in cost, they more than make up in time. So only go the seed route if you’re not in a hurry to harvest, said Odette Pollar, executive director of the East Bay-based Plant Exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you have the time, “seeds are always the easiest, the least expensive way to go,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While you can purchase seeds at a garden store, you could also head to your local seed lending library for free seeds, where you’ll be highly encouraged to then harvest seeds from whatever resulting plant you grow and donate them back to the library (more on this below). The San Francisco Public Library system maintains a \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/locations/potrero/potrero-branch-seed-lending-library\">Seed Lending Library at its Potrero Branch\u003c/a>, as does the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.org/seed-lending/\">Oakland Public Library\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://smcl.org/blogs/post/san-mateo-county-libraries-has-seed-libraries/\">many Peninsula libraries\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080123\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080123\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anne Blenman Hare, a UC Master Gardener since 2003, trims tomato plant stems at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley Ecology Center, too, now hosts the \u003ca href=\"https://ecologycenter.org/basil/\">Bay Area Seed Interchange Library\u003c/a>, which is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. and also does periodic seed exchange events, where participants can come learn about seed saving and shop for free seeds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really cool to see these little things go in the dirt and you think, oh, this is never going to happen,” Mah said. “Then, all of a sudden, ‘boom.’ It’s really fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is one advantage to starting with a plant: “You know they were alive when you brought them home,” Pollar said. You can get plants for relatively cheap at nurseries or at large stores like Home Depot.[aside postID=news_12040961 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/GettyImages-1312721999-1020x680.jpg']You can also find free (albeit mostly non-edible) plants at places like \u003ca href=\"https://theplantexchange.com/\">The Plant Exchange\u003c/a>, along with the pots to grow them in. While this East Bay group isn’t fully operational anymore since executive director Pollar retired in 2023, the group still promotes grassroots exchanges, cohosts events with other organizations and throws one-day plant sale events every few months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At sales like these, you can find an abundance of tools like rakes and shovels, soil, decorative rocks and pots — and they’re all priced to sell, Pollar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our goal is for all neighborhoods to have exchanges,” Pollar said. “Just do it — throw it in your driveway. It’s a great way to get to know neighbors, but also to reuse and recycle and rehome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollar also suggested scouring thrift stores, secondhand stores and online forums like Craigslist for free or low-cost gardening supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most effective way to lower your overall food costs at home, Pollar said, is to start growing plants like herbs that take up relatively little space but tend to be expensive at the grocery store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And from there, you can graduate from herbs to experimenting with slightly bigger plants like tomatoes, and even dwarf citrus fruit trees in pots.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lean on community\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The absolutely best free resource you’ll find, Pollar said, is people with experience in gardening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You might find them at your local nursery or garden store, or even at your local gardening club, where Pollar suggested you can meet people with experience and get your questions answered immediately. “And then that keeps \u003cem>you \u003c/em>motivated as well,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You could also source expertise from your neighbors or your local \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040961/in-the-bay-area-community-gardens-can-help-you-make-the-most-of-spring\">community garden\u003c/a>, Owsley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080122\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080122\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Susan Patton-Fox and Kathy Fleming trim tomato plant stems among dense foliage at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Connect with people in your neighborhood,” Owsley said. “Connect with your community garden. Connect with someone who has nice pots outside their house. They are probably more than willing to talk to you about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Gardeners are also extremely generous, and they’ll generally give you a clipping if you ask for it,” Pollar said. “They’ll usually offer — ‘do you want some?’ That’s a great way to start.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alternatively, you could draw wisdom from a \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mgsmsf\">UC Master Gardener\u003c/a> like Mah. She’s one of a whole staff that is available to help people grow their own food, for free. Their planting calendar, books and other no-cost resources are on hand to help anyone start a garden here in the Bay Area and beyond.[aside postID=news_12078915 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_011-KQED.jpg']The UC Master Gardeners’ best resource is their free help line, which “will give very detailed personal responses to people who call in with problems” about gardening, Mah said. You can reach the help line at 650-276-7430 for San Francisco and San Mateo counties, or 510-670-5645 for Alameda County. You can also reach the master gardeners via email or by \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/counties\">visiting their office in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the right advice, struggling gardeners often end up with the opposite problem: an overabundance of what they’ve grown. And soon, you’ll be the one giving back to the community, Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Start small, and focus on what you and your family are going to eat reasonably,” she said. “Because it becomes kind of addictive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you have one successfully producing plant, you can propagate it for your or others’ future use — or find out \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/seed-saving-basics\">how to save seeds\u003c/a> to use in the future or donate back to your local seed library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there’s one thing Rebecca Newburn, who founded the \u003ca href=\"https://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/\">Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library\u003c/a>, has learned from growing her own garden and the gardening community, it’s generosity, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You plant a lettuce plant, and you’re gonna get 500 from one,” she said. “It’s the most generous part of the universe — just planting a seed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Thebeginnermistakeseveryonemakesthatyoucanavoid\">\u003c/a>What \u003cem>not\u003c/em> to do when gardening\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mah said the key to gardening — and where many new gardeners get tripped up — is putting “the right plant in the right place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means not only keeping your plant healthy, but also giving it the particular balance of sun, drainage and compost it needs to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollar warned about over- and under-watering, especially for beginner gardeners. Bugs can also be a problem, she said, but growing a garden in a planter or on a deck can help mitigate pests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080121\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kathy Fleming, the UC Master Gardener Program’s first president, laughs as volunteers prepare plants for the Spring Garden Market sale at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Keep your expectations realistic and start slow, Pollar said: “What you want to do is have fun with this and not say, ‘OK, now half my vegetable intake I will be growing immediately,’” she said. “Maybe not so much.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re really intent on making a dent in your food bill, you’ll need to plan ahead, Mah said. “There’s a rotation to pay attention to — what you’re planting and when,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-placer-county/article/vegetable-crop-rotation\">Rotating your crops\u003c/a> not only ensures you’ll have food all year round, but it is also critical to keeping your soil healthy. Luckily, even “\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/cover-crops-soil-enhancement\">cover crops\u003c/a>” — the ones intended to replenish the nutrients in your soil, like fava beans — can be delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"ThreesimplefoodstogrowhereintheBayArea\">\u003c/a>How to grow three simple produce staples at home in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Broccoli\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can grow \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/broccoli\">broccoli\u003c/a> both in the spring and the fall, so no matter when you get your garden started, the planting season won’t be too far away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can even start your broccoli seeds indoors to avoid any near-freezing temperatures — which may stunt the growth of young plants — then transfer them outside after six weeks into a bucket or planter at least 1 foot deep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12080267 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Broccoli is a vegetable that can grow in the spring and fall. \u003ccite>(Ann Gahagen/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Make sure your plants are 12 inches apart (or maybe just start with one plant) and that your soil has adequate drainage and enough water, watering two to three times a week or less if leaves begin to turn yellow. And always harvest broccoli as soon as it’s mature and firm. You can keep harvesting even after you remove the main head, as smaller offshoots will start to form.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be sure to rotate this crop — by planting something else or moving its location between seasons — to avoid pest buildups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener broccoli guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/broccoli\">Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/broccoli\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mg-sonoma/broccoli\">Sonoma County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tomatoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The big thing to know about \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/guide-growing-tomatoes\">tomatoes \u003c/a>is that they’re sun-lovers — they need at least 6 full hours of direct sunlight per day — so make sure you can provide that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can start your tomatoes as seeds or full plants, but wait to put them outside until daytime temperatures are regularly above 70 degrees and nights are above 50 degrees. Until then, keep them indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080273\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2-160x98.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2-1536x942.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tomatoes. \u003ccite>(Thomas Johnson/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tomatoes should be planted in at least 18 inches of soil to let them take root and need to be watered consistently, so don’t let them dry out. You may need stakes to support the plants if they’re especially tall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvest tomatoes when they have a little bit of “give” to them and aren’t rock hard, but before they’re fully soft. The more you harvest them, the more fruit they produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener tomato guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/guide-growing-tomatoes\">Alameda County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/tomatoes\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2025-06/5795_FactSheet_Growing%20Container%20Tomatoes%20in%20SF_v6.6.pdf\">San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Potatoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most fun and easy staple to grow is the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/potato\">potato\u003c/a>, which can be planted all the way through the spring and summer, depending on your local microclimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t even need seeds for this one, as you can actually plant an entire potato or just a piece of it. Just make sure any potato chunk you plant has an “eye”: the discolored, pocked part of the potato.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A honeybee pollinates a flowering plant in the demonstration garden at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Just dig about 8 inches down into a bucket or planter (it should be at least 18 inches deep with soil) and place your potato pieces around a foot apart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep adding soil once the plant starts to grow and water the tubers once or twice a week — but only lightly to avoid rot. Once the leaves of the plant have gone yellow, use your hands to dig up the potatoes and discard any green ones, as those are toxic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener potato guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/potato\">Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/potatoes\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/growing-potatoes-grow-bags\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Not interested in any of these veggies? Take a look at the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/your-alameda-county-garden-month-month\">Alameda County month-by-month planting calendar\u003c/a> for more ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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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> \u003cstrong>How We Get By\u003c/strong>\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>If you’ve been feeling the sticker shock of grocery prices these days, it’s not just you. The cost of food at Bay Area grocery stores went up by almost 6% in the last year alone, \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/consumerpriceindex_sanfrancisco.htm\">according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scouring the shelves for deals, buying off-brand or purchasing items in bulk are some options for reducing your food bills. But here in the Bay Area, with our year-round good weather, you could consider growing your own food — even if you’ve never done it before, or don’t have a big yard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So how can you get started growing your own garden, and what could you grow here in the Bay Area that might help reduce your grocery bill? We talked to the experts for their top tips and practical information for starting your own garden, no matter how small.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ThreesimplefoodstogrowhereintheBayArea\">Three simple foods to grow here in the Bay Area\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#Thebeginnermistakeseveryonemakesthatyoucanavoid\">The beginner mistakes everyone makes (that you can avoid)\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Why grow your own garden?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Take it from the experts: Growing your own food at home isn’t just beneficial to your wallet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost as important as saving money on your food is, what you grow is likely to be healthier,” said Maggie Mah, one of the University of California’s Master Gardeners who specialize in helping people grow their own food here in the Bay Area and nationwide. The food you grow is “going to be fresher,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080116\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080116\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maggie Mah, Marketing & Media Co-Chair and UC Master Gardener, stands beside her car with trays of tomato plants at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can also have greater control over the food itself, she said, by growing a pesticide-free garden and producing the fruits and veggies you know you’ll eat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But on top of that is really the sense of being empowered,” Mah said. “I find that it’s just great to be able to go out and pick big handfuls of green beans that I grew myself, or tomatoes or whatever it is.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a sense of reclaiming yourself in this day and age,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Start small\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The first thing you should do, Mah said, is assess how much space you have and let that determine your gardening potential — and your path forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And don’t worry: You don’t need all that much space. All it takes is \u003cem>some \u003c/em>access to the outdoors, even if that’s just a windowsill or railing which can hold a pot big enough for basics like herbs, some lettuce, tomatoes or even potatoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, advised Mah, decide what you want to grow. If your square footage is small, consider plants that produce a lot of fruits or veggies relative to their size — like tomatoes, rather than a space-intensive plant like a watermelon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080118\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080118\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Helen Lew removes deep-rooted weeds while seated in a demonstration garden at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And if you’re really pressed for space, remember you can always utilize vertical space for crops like pole beans or squash. You could even try \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/companion-planting-vegetable-garden\">inter-cropping or companion planting,\u003c/a> which is pairing similar plants to make the most of your space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Start small, and then as you build success and you build learning about your particular location and what works and what doesn’t work, you can really build upon that,” Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plants like tomatoes or broccoli thrive \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/container-gardening-basics\">even in somewhat small pots or buckets\u003c/a>. And lettuces need just a few inches of soil. Arugula in particular is a very quick, easy and nutritious crop, Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You throw the seeds in the ground and a couple of days later, you’ve got arugula — and you can keep on harvesting it,” Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Assess conditions\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While you can work with different space limitations, one nonnegotiable when it comes to growing your own food is consistent access to sun, Mah said. “It takes six to eight hours of sun to be successful growing pretty much anything,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, “you don’t want to plant something that’s going to take a bunch of months to be able to harvest,” Mah said — so you’ll want to look for varieties that mature quickly, and that might depend on exactly where you’re located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080117\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080117\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_006-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Robeson tomato seedlings grow among dozens of varieties cultivated at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>You can find that information on the seed packet itself — but be aware that how quickly your food will grow is entirely location-dependent. And the Bay Area’s fog and microclimates, which can create dramatically different temperatures just a few miles away, can heavily influence a plant’s timeline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before choosing a plant, you should also consult a \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mgsmsf/edible-gardening-and-planting-calendars\">planting calendar\u003c/a>, Mah said, and make sure you’re planting something that can grow at this time of year. The calendars are \u003ca href=\"https://ecologycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/seed_chart.pdf\">location-specific\u003c/a> and often available where seeds and plants are sold or lent, so be sure you’re looking at information for your specific geographic region.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Prep your soil\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Once you’ve decided on a plant, make sure your soil is prepared. You can get soil and — more importantly — compost from many different sources. \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/ucce-master-gardeners-stanislaus-county/composting-basics\">Compost is decomposed organic material\u003c/a> that helps add nutrients to your soil and boosts its health, and as a result, boosts the growth potential for your plants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For one, you can get free compost via giveaway programs like the one for Berkeley residents \u003ca href=\"https://berkeleyca.gov/city-services/trash-recycling/free-compost-program\">at the Berkeley Marina.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eddie Mendoza, who works at the marina, said the compost is usually delivered on Fridays from the Central Valley and that the supply lasts through the weekend. They sometimes also have \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/program/uc-master-gardener-program/mulch\">woodchips and mulch\u003c/a> available, which can also boost the health of your soil or help with drainage, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12080270 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1262\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr-160x101.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/CompostFlickr-1536x969.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Velveteen Bean produces and sells small-batch compost and teaches people how to build and maintain their own compost piles. \u003ccite>(Brian Hicks/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But you have to bring your own tools to the marina — Mendoza suggested you pack a shovel and a few buckets — and it’s best to get there early, especially during peak weekends during the summer, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By Monday morning, it’s all gone,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can even make your own compost pile, although Mah warned it might take a few months if starting from scratch. It’s easier than many people imagine, said Maggie Owsley, whose East Bay group \u003ca href=\"https://www.thevelveteenbean.com/\">The Velveteen Bean\u003c/a> produces and sells small-batch compost and teaches people how to build and maintain their own compost piles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a myth that you need a huge bag of compost to start seeds, to start a garden,” Owsley said. “You actually can do a lot with what you’re making at home or what your neighbors are making.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Decide whether you’ll choose seeds or plants — and get to know your local resources\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Seeds are the least expensive option when it comes to starting your garden — but be aware that where they lack in cost, they more than make up in time. So only go the seed route if you’re not in a hurry to harvest, said Odette Pollar, executive director of the East Bay-based Plant Exchange.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you have the time, “seeds are always the easiest, the least expensive way to go,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While you can purchase seeds at a garden store, you could also head to your local seed lending library for free seeds, where you’ll be highly encouraged to then harvest seeds from whatever resulting plant you grow and donate them back to the library (more on this below). The San Francisco Public Library system maintains a \u003ca href=\"https://sfpl.org/locations/potrero/potrero-branch-seed-lending-library\">Seed Lending Library at its Potrero Branch\u003c/a>, as does the \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandlibrary.org/seed-lending/\">Oakland Public Library\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://smcl.org/blogs/post/san-mateo-county-libraries-has-seed-libraries/\">many Peninsula libraries\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080123\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080123\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_018-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Anne Blenman Hare, a UC Master Gardener since 2003, trims tomato plant stems at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley Ecology Center, too, now hosts the \u003ca href=\"https://ecologycenter.org/basil/\">Bay Area Seed Interchange Library\u003c/a>, which is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. and also does periodic seed exchange events, where participants can come learn about seed saving and shop for free seeds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really cool to see these little things go in the dirt and you think, oh, this is never going to happen,” Mah said. “Then, all of a sudden, ‘boom.’ It’s really fun.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There is one advantage to starting with a plant: “You know they were alive when you brought them home,” Pollar said. You can get plants for relatively cheap at nurseries or at large stores like Home Depot.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>You can also find free (albeit mostly non-edible) plants at places like \u003ca href=\"https://theplantexchange.com/\">The Plant Exchange\u003c/a>, along with the pots to grow them in. While this East Bay group isn’t fully operational anymore since executive director Pollar retired in 2023, the group still promotes grassroots exchanges, cohosts events with other organizations and throws one-day plant sale events every few months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At sales like these, you can find an abundance of tools like rakes and shovels, soil, decorative rocks and pots — and they’re all priced to sell, Pollar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our goal is for all neighborhoods to have exchanges,” Pollar said. “Just do it — throw it in your driveway. It’s a great way to get to know neighbors, but also to reuse and recycle and rehome.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollar also suggested scouring thrift stores, secondhand stores and online forums like Craigslist for free or low-cost gardening supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the most effective way to lower your overall food costs at home, Pollar said, is to start growing plants like herbs that take up relatively little space but tend to be expensive at the grocery store.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And from there, you can graduate from herbs to experimenting with slightly bigger plants like tomatoes, and even dwarf citrus fruit trees in pots.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Lean on community\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The absolutely best free resource you’ll find, Pollar said, is people with experience in gardening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You might find them at your local nursery or garden store, or even at your local gardening club, where Pollar suggested you can meet people with experience and get your questions answered immediately. “And then that keeps \u003cem>you \u003c/em>motivated as well,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You could also source expertise from your neighbors or your local \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12040961/in-the-bay-area-community-gardens-can-help-you-make-the-most-of-spring\">community garden\u003c/a>, Owsley said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080122\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080122\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_017-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Susan Patton-Fox and Kathy Fleming trim tomato plant stems among dense foliage at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Connect with people in your neighborhood,” Owsley said. “Connect with your community garden. Connect with someone who has nice pots outside their house. They are probably more than willing to talk to you about it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Gardeners are also extremely generous, and they’ll generally give you a clipping if you ask for it,” Pollar said. “They’ll usually offer — ‘do you want some?’ That’s a great way to start.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alternatively, you could draw wisdom from a \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mgsmsf\">UC Master Gardener\u003c/a> like Mah. She’s one of a whole staff that is available to help people grow their own food, for free. Their planting calendar, books and other no-cost resources are on hand to help anyone start a garden here in the Bay Area and beyond.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The UC Master Gardeners’ best resource is their free help line, which “will give very detailed personal responses to people who call in with problems” about gardening, Mah said. You can reach the help line at 650-276-7430 for San Francisco and San Mateo counties, or 510-670-5645 for Alameda County. You can also reach the master gardeners via email or by \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/counties\">visiting their office in person.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the right advice, struggling gardeners often end up with the opposite problem: an overabundance of what they’ve grown. And soon, you’ll be the one giving back to the community, Mah said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Start small, and focus on what you and your family are going to eat reasonably,” she said. “Because it becomes kind of addictive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you have one successfully producing plant, you can propagate it for your or others’ future use — or find out \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/seed-saving-basics\">how to save seeds\u003c/a> to use in the future or donate back to your local seed library.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If there’s one thing Rebecca Newburn, who founded the \u003ca href=\"https://www.richmondgrowsseeds.org/\">Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library\u003c/a>, has learned from growing her own garden and the gardening community, it’s generosity, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You plant a lettuce plant, and you’re gonna get 500 from one,” she said. “It’s the most generous part of the universe — just planting a seed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Thebeginnermistakeseveryonemakesthatyoucanavoid\">\u003c/a>What \u003cem>not\u003c/em> to do when gardening\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Mah said the key to gardening — and where many new gardeners get tripped up — is putting “the right plant in the right place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means not only keeping your plant healthy, but also giving it the particular balance of sun, drainage and compost it needs to thrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollar warned about over- and under-watering, especially for beginner gardeners. Bugs can also be a problem, she said, but growing a garden in a planter or on a deck can help mitigate pests.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080121\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080121\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_014-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kathy Fleming, the UC Master Gardener Program’s first president, laughs as volunteers prepare plants for the Spring Garden Market sale at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Keep your expectations realistic and start slow, Pollar said: “What you want to do is have fun with this and not say, ‘OK, now half my vegetable intake I will be growing immediately,’” she said. “Maybe not so much.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re really intent on making a dent in your food bill, you’ll need to plan ahead, Mah said. “There’s a rotation to pay attention to — what you’re planting and when,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-placer-county/article/vegetable-crop-rotation\">Rotating your crops\u003c/a> not only ensures you’ll have food all year round, but it is also critical to keeping your soil healthy. Luckily, even “\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/cover-crops-soil-enhancement\">cover crops\u003c/a>” — the ones intended to replenish the nutrients in your soil, like fava beans — can be delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"ThreesimplefoodstogrowhereintheBayArea\">\u003c/a>How to grow three simple produce staples at home in the Bay Area\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Broccoli\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can grow \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/broccoli\">broccoli\u003c/a> both in the spring and the fall, so no matter when you get your garden started, the planting season won’t be too far away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can even start your broccoli seeds indoors to avoid any near-freezing temperatures — which may stunt the growth of young plants — then transfer them outside after six weeks into a bucket or planter at least 1 foot deep.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12080267 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/BroccoliFlickr1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Broccoli is a vegetable that can grow in the spring and fall. \u003ccite>(Ann Gahagen/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Make sure your plants are 12 inches apart (or maybe just start with one plant) and that your soil has adequate drainage and enough water, watering two to three times a week or less if leaves begin to turn yellow. And always harvest broccoli as soon as it’s mature and firm. You can keep harvesting even after you remove the main head, as smaller offshoots will start to form.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Be sure to rotate this crop — by planting something else or moving its location between seasons — to avoid pest buildups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener broccoli guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/broccoli\">Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/broccoli\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/mg-sonoma/broccoli\">Sonoma County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tomatoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The big thing to know about \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/guide-growing-tomatoes\">tomatoes \u003c/a>is that they’re sun-lovers — they need at least 6 full hours of direct sunlight per day — so make sure you can provide that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can start your tomatoes as seeds or full plants, but wait to put them outside until daytime temperatures are regularly above 70 degrees and nights are above 50 degrees. Until then, keep them indoors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080273\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1227\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2-160x98.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/TomatoesFlickr2-1536x942.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tomatoes. \u003ccite>(Thomas Johnson/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tomatoes should be planted in at least 18 inches of soil to let them take root and need to be watered consistently, so don’t let them dry out. You may need stakes to support the plants if they’re especially tall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harvest tomatoes when they have a little bit of “give” to them and aren’t rock hard, but before they’re fully soft. The more you harvest them, the more fruit they produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener tomato guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/guide-growing-tomatoes\">Alameda County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/tomatoes\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2025-06/5795_FactSheet_Growing%20Container%20Tomatoes%20in%20SF_v6.6.pdf\">San Francisco\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Potatoes\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most fun and easy staple to grow is the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/potato\">potato\u003c/a>, which can be planted all the way through the spring and summer, depending on your local microclimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You don’t even need seeds for this one, as you can actually plant an entire potato or just a piece of it. Just make sure any potato chunk you plant has an “eye”: the discolored, pocked part of the potato.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041526GROWN-YOUR-OWN-GARDEN_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A honeybee pollinates a flowering plant in the demonstration garden at the Gardening Education Center on April 15, 2026, in San Mateo. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Just dig about 8 inches down into a bucket or planter (it should be at least 18 inches deep with soil) and place your potato pieces around a foot apart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep adding soil once the plant starts to grow and water the tubers once or twice a week — but only lightly to avoid rot. Once the leaves of the plant have gone yellow, use your hands to dig up the potatoes and discard any green ones, as those are toxic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specific UC Master Gardener potato guides for:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-marin-master-gardeners/document/potato\">Marin County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-santa-clara-county/potatoes\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/blog/hort-coco-uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa/article/growing-potatoes-grow-bags\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>Not interested in any of these veggies? Take a look at the \u003ca href=\"https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-alameda-county/your-alameda-county-garden-month-month\">Alameda County month-by-month planting calendar\u003c/a> for more ideas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "as-some-oil-deliveries-to-us-stop-flowing-california-braces-for-an-energy-crisis",
"title": "As Some Oil Deliveries to US Stop Flowing, California Braces for an Energy Crisis",
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"headTitle": "As Some Oil Deliveries to US Stop Flowing, California Braces for an Energy Crisis | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The final oil tankers to clear the Strait of Hormuz before t\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913572/what-will-it-take-to-end-the-war-in-iran\">he U.S.-Israeli war on Iran\u003c/a> began are expected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-when-oil-deliveries-to-us-could-stop-11762782\">dock\u003c/a> at West Coast ports this week, marking the end of a more than 45-day buffer that has largely shielded California’s economy from the closure’s full cost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war began, killing thousands and triggering a wave of violence across the Middle East, Iran has cut off most maritime traffic through the narrow gulf passage, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913326/what-do-rising-gas-prices-mean-for-californians\">ratcheting up oil prices in California\u003c/a> and around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some analysts believe prices have plateaued for now, the incoming deliveries mark a potential transition from sticker shock to a supply crisis for California — one that could worsen if Iran follows through on a fresh \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-04-15-2026#0000019d-90f6-d025-a59d-98fe909f0000\">threat\u003c/a> issued Wednesday to disrupt Red Sea trade if the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports continues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kyle Meng, an economics professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and formerly the White House’s senior climate and energy economist during the Biden administration, said oil and futures markets have likely already priced in the arrival of the final deliveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, should Iran interfere with Saudi shipments out of the Red Sea, “that’s when you will see the next discrete jump in oil prices around the world,\u003cem>” \u003c/em>Meng said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Due to a lack of easy access to pipelines and globally uncompetitive production of its own, California imports most of its fuel. Of its imports, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/foreign-sources-crude-oil-imports\">17%\u003c/a> of crude comes from Iraq, which has also been affected by the war — compared to around \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67407#:~:text=The%20Middle%20East%20Gulf%20was,U.S.%20Energy%20Information%20Administration%20(EIA)\">8%\u003c/a> nationwide for imports overall from the Middle East Gulf region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state also gets refined products, like gasoline and jet fuel, from South Korea and other Asian countries, which are facing their own supply squeeze.[aside postID=news_12075377 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/RoKhannaGetty1.jpg']Kate Gordon, CEO of economics policy group California Forward, and a former Biden administration energy adviser, said the dominance of the agricultural sector makes the Golden State “uniquely vulnerable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Diesel prices are incredibly connected to food and ag — and logistics, which is a huge sector for California,” Gordon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The repercussions could potentially reach the skies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Jet-fuel prices are bonkers,” said Tom O’Connor, an ICF energy consultant who advises California’s Energy Commission after 30 years with ExxonMobil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jet fuel prices have nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/\">tripled\u003c/a> since February, and O’Connor said he believes airlines won’t have many options if Asian countries can’t meet demand coming from major airports in California, as well as Phoenix and Vegas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re going to have to cut flights,” O’Connor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>O’Connor said he’s advised the state to come up with a plan for addressing shortages. Even if normal flow resumes, he said, things could remain elevated for at least four months. Both Meng and O’Connor advise Californians to “hedge” their bets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that means going down and getting an electric vehicle, try to do it, get a cheap one … if you can afford it,” O’Connor said. “Carpool with neighbors, things like that. I don’t want to make it sound overly dramatic, but as COVID proved, there’s one thing that will [drive] prices lower, and that’s lower demand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California is uniquely vulnerable to oil and gas shortages. Here’s how residents could be affected.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The final oil tankers to clear the Strait of Hormuz before t\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913572/what-will-it-take-to-end-the-war-in-iran\">he U.S.-Israeli war on Iran\u003c/a> began are expected to \u003ca href=\"https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-when-oil-deliveries-to-us-could-stop-11762782\">dock\u003c/a> at West Coast ports this week, marking the end of a more than 45-day buffer that has largely shielded California’s economy from the closure’s full cost.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war began, killing thousands and triggering a wave of violence across the Middle East, Iran has cut off most maritime traffic through the narrow gulf passage, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913326/what-do-rising-gas-prices-mean-for-californians\">ratcheting up oil prices in California\u003c/a> and around the world.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some analysts believe prices have plateaued for now, the incoming deliveries mark a potential transition from sticker shock to a supply crisis for California — one that could worsen if Iran follows through on a fresh \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-04-15-2026#0000019d-90f6-d025-a59d-98fe909f0000\">threat\u003c/a> issued Wednesday to disrupt Red Sea trade if the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports continues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kyle Meng, an economics professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and formerly the White House’s senior climate and energy economist during the Biden administration, said oil and futures markets have likely already priced in the arrival of the final deliveries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, should Iran interfere with Saudi shipments out of the Red Sea, “that’s when you will see the next discrete jump in oil prices around the world,\u003cem>” \u003c/em>Meng said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Due to a lack of easy access to pipelines and globally uncompetitive production of its own, California imports most of its fuel. Of its imports, about \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/californias-petroleum-market/foreign-sources-crude-oil-imports\">17%\u003c/a> of crude comes from Iraq, which has also been affected by the war — compared to around \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=67407#:~:text=The%20Middle%20East%20Gulf%20was,U.S.%20Energy%20Information%20Administration%20(EIA)\">8%\u003c/a> nationwide for imports overall from the Middle East Gulf region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state also gets refined products, like gasoline and jet fuel, from South Korea and other Asian countries, which are facing their own supply squeeze.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Kate Gordon, CEO of economics policy group California Forward, and a former Biden administration energy adviser, said the dominance of the agricultural sector makes the Golden State “uniquely vulnerable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Diesel prices are incredibly connected to food and ag — and logistics, which is a huge sector for California,” Gordon said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The repercussions could potentially reach the skies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Jet-fuel prices are bonkers,” said Tom O’Connor, an ICF energy consultant who advises California’s Energy Commission after 30 years with ExxonMobil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jet fuel prices have nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.iata.org/en/publications/economics/fuel-monitor/\">tripled\u003c/a> since February, and O’Connor said he believes airlines won’t have many options if Asian countries can’t meet demand coming from major airports in California, as well as Phoenix and Vegas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re going to have to cut flights,” O’Connor said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>O’Connor said he’s advised the state to come up with a plan for addressing shortages. Even if normal flow resumes, he said, things could remain elevated for at least four months. Both Meng and O’Connor advise Californians to “hedge” their bets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If that means going down and getting an electric vehicle, try to do it, get a cheap one … if you can afford it,” O’Connor said. “Carpool with neighbors, things like that. I don’t want to make it sound overly dramatic, but as COVID proved, there’s one thing that will [drive] prices lower, and that’s lower demand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "‘No Hope for Someone Like Me’: Immigrants in California Pull Back From Filing Taxes",
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"content": "\u003cp>A bell chimes every time a new customer enters Martha Valencia’s tax shop in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sonoma-county\">Sonoma County.\u003c/a> The space is filled with knickknacks, gifts from customers and photos of family. During tax season, it’s usually filled with customers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this year has been slower than normal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bell used to be ringing off the hook, says Valencia, with lines out the door. She and her son would fit walk-ins between appointments, trying to keep wait times under an hour. But today, “it’s empty,” Valencia says. “They have to wait nothing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valencia, who has been doing immigration and tax services for over 20 years, says around 80% of her clients file with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, the tax number used by people — like undocumented immigrants — who don’t qualify for a Social Security number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, business isn’t just slow; it’s the worst she’s ever seen. Valencia says she’s seeing a 60% drop in clients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not even in the pandemic I had a drop like this,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valencia believes the drop is linked to larger governmental changes and fear in the current political climate. This year, H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, \u003ca href=\"https://lulac.org/impact_of_hr_1_one_big_beautiful_bill_act_on_immigrants_and_children_of_immigrants_who_are_us_citizens/\">tightened restrictions\u003c/a> on ITIN filers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the biggest changes for undocumented taxpayers as a result of H.R. 1’s passage includes restrictions on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-tax-credit\">Additional Child Tax Credit\u003c/a>, which previously allowed many mixed‑status families to receive thousands of dollars back. That means ITIN filers can expect much smaller refunds, Valencia says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074131 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-1536x961.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is seen during an enrollment ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The House passed the sweeping tax and spending bill after winning over fiscal hawks and moderate Republicans. The bill makes permanent President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increases spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cuts taxes on tips, while at the same time, cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance for the poor, clean energy and raises the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion. \u003ccite>(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Many of Valencia’s clients are long-term customers. The tax business is built on trust, she says. This year, before accepting any work, Valencia feels an ethical obligation to tell clients the bad news that their refunds will be smaller, and maybe nonexistent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mixed-status household could, in a normal year, expect to receive around $2,000 in the Additional Child Tax Credit. But this year, they’re lucky to get $500, she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valencia says the reaction to this information has been immediate. Prospective customers tell her: “You know what? I’m not going to file because I’m not getting any refund. So what’s the point of doing taxes?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an undocumented immigrant, having proof of taxes is important. It builds a paper trail, so if the day comes to receive legal status, it shows work history, engagement with the system and U.S. presence.[aside postID=news_12079829 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/ImmigrantTaxes-GilsTaxServices.jpg']But Valencia says customers are coming in worn-down, without a vision for future immigration relief. They tell her their faith in the system is dropping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Southern California city of Pomona, tax preparer Hayde Vigil says her business is also seeing about half its usual filings this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet the steep drop looks different in Southern California, she explains. Most of her clients are documented, Vigil says in Spanish, but status doesn’t seem to be the issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re afraid to leave their homes because there are so many raids, and they’re scared they’ll be detained and deported,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immigration enforcement agents have been active in that region, and her customers are afraid they’ll be picked up because they’re Latino, even if they are here legally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They weren’t going out at all before, and now they only go out for the bare minimum,” says Vigil, which doesn’t seem to include leaving the house to file taxes this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘There’s nothing for you’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Claudia, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, sits wringing her hands in her lap. As names are called out in the Northern California day labor hall where she sits in, she waits for the sound of her own, hoping to pick up some work for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claudia, who did not want her full name to be used because her immigration status puts her at risk of deportation, has been living in California for over 20 years. In these decades, her work has ebbed and flowed, sometimes working multiple jobs at once. These days, Claudia is lucky to have her name called a few times a week. Regardless of workflow, she files her taxes every year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet it’s not just around tax season that she pays, Claudia explains in Spanish. “You pay taxes on what you earn, on what you buy, on everything you consume in this country,” Claudia says. “But you can’t get anything back from it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030566\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1993px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030566\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1993\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed.jpg 1993w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-1920x1284.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1993px) 100vw, 1993px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Current federal tax forms are distributed at the offices of the Internal Revenue Service on Nov. 1, 2005, in Chicago, Illinois. \u003ccite>(Scott Olson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Claudia keeps filing year after year in the hope that one day she’ll have a pathway to documentation that would let her visit her family in Mexico, find work more easily and live with no fear about status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You hold onto the hope that, in the future, you’ll be able to do things the right way,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after over 20 years of filing, her hope toward legalization only seems to be dwindling. “In the end, there’s nothing there for you, is there?” she asks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claudia still sees no pathway to legal status and receives no Social Security benefits, no MediCal — and this year, for the first time, she was told she’ll receive no credits back for her son, who is a U.S. citizen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her voice grows soft. “So, what’s the point in paying?” she asks. “There’s no hope for someone like me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claudia says she went back and forth in her head, deciding if this would be the year she broke her commitment to a stable future here. In the end, she filed, but her doubt continues to grow, both in the system and her future in the United States.[aside postID=news_12079441 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260226-GovRaceForum-49-BL_qed.jpg']Yet for others, the doubt has already reached a tipping point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Northern California day labor facility, Velasco waits to hear his own name called.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why should I pay taxes?” he asks in Spanish. “When you realize you’re paying in but not receiving anything in return, there’s no point anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Velasco, who also asked for his full name not to be shared out of fear of deportation, has lived in Northern California for 24 years. For the majority of that time, he worked at a lumber company and filed his taxes consistently. Filing always felt like a no‑brainer, he says — part of his civic responsibility, even without legal status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He always considered himself a rule follower. “After all, that’s how the country keeps running,” he says. “But lately, I’ve changed my tune.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like many undocumented immigrants across the state, Velasco fears being seen in public, afraid he’ll be picked up and deported. He says he feels at odds with the federal government and has begun questioning why he should contribute to a system he believes wants him gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t exactly give you the desire to comply,” he says. “Yet when it comes to collecting taxes, [the government] certainly want to do that, don’t they?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Velasco no longer files. Now, he picks up odd jobs doing house maintenance and gets paid in cash, under the table.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Undocumented taxpayers are ‘extremely important’ to economy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s a common belief that immigrants don’t pay taxes, says Abby Raisz, vice president of research at the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. But it’s not true. “Undocumented immigrants maintain very high effective tax rates,” Raisz says — \u003ca href=\"https://itep.org/undocumented-immigrants-state-local-tax-contributions-2017/\">averaging 7.1% in state and local taxes\u003c/a>, higher than the rate paid by the top 1% of earners nationally, according to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaeconomy.org/\">Raisz’s team estimates\u003c/a> undocumented Californians contribute about \u003ca href=\"https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/our-work/publications/economic-impact-mass-deportation-california\">9% of the state’s GDP\u003c/a>, or roughly $278 billion, a figure on the order of the entire GDP of Nevada or Oregon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also \u003ca href=\"https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/do-immigrants-pay-taxes\">pay more\u003c/a> than $10.6 billion in state and local taxes and $13 billion in federal taxes, despite being excluded from most federal benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11863601\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11863601 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut.jpg\" alt=\"woman doing taxes with calculator\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1012\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut-800x422.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut-1020x538.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Undocumented Californians generate about 9% of the state’s GDP — roughly $278 billion — and pay more than $10.6 billion in state and local taxes and $13 billion in federal taxes, despite being excluded from most federal benefits. \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Josh Stehlik, policy director for the California Immigrant Policy Center, says those contributions are essential to the state’s fiscal health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Undocumented taxpayers are extremely important to the national economy and to California’s economy,” Stehlik says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But both Raisz and Stehlik say trust in the tax system is quickly eroding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, the IRS was directed by the Trump administration to \u003ca href=\"https://www.epi.org/policywatch/ice-and-irs-reach-agreement-to-share-taxpayer-information-of-suspected-undocumented-immigrants/\">share taxpayer information\u003c/a> with the Department of Homeland Security, a move that immigrant rights groups called unprecedented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal courts \u003ca href=\"https://www.epi.org/policywatch/ice-and-irs-reach-agreement-to-share-taxpayer-information-of-suspected-undocumented-immigrants/\">have since blocked\u003c/a> the IRS‑DHS data‑sharing agreement, but the episode has already shaken confidence in the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raisz says, after speaking with tax providers throughout the state, the implications for an already fragile trust could be \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaeconomy.org/report/economic-impact-of-immigration-enforcement-bayarea/\">long‑lasting\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12077664 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/IRSGetty.jpg']“If this taxpayer information does in fact get related to other departments, ITIN is going to lose all of the trust that it currently has,” she says, and warned it probably won’t ever gain it back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stehlik says new federal policy changes have only deepened the fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Immigrant taxpayers are afraid to file because of the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on immigrant taxpayer confidentiality,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts warn that if undocumented immigrants disengage from the tax system, the consequences would be severe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We could be looking at an $8.5 billion loss in revenue,” Stehlik says, referencing the amount that ITEP says undocumented Californians paid in state and local tax contributions in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raisz agrees that the long‑term implications would be enormous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Undocumented immigrants contribute billions in sales tax revenue, and their consumer spending powers local businesses already struggling with post‑pandemic declines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The larger concern seems to be the loss of trust and disengagement from the tax system,” Raisz says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She adds that undocumented taxpayers are often economically engaged, starting businesses, buying homes, and supporting local economies. If they continue to disengage, she says, the \u003ca href=\"https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/californias-undocumented-residents-make-significant-tax-contributions/\">economic fallout\u003c/a> “would be massive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Shandra Back covers immigration for Northern California Public Media through the \u003ca href=\"https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/\">California Local News Fellowship\u003c/a>. This story was edited with help from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A bell chimes every time a new customer enters Martha Valencia’s tax shop in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sonoma-county\">Sonoma County.\u003c/a> The space is filled with knickknacks, gifts from customers and photos of family. During tax season, it’s usually filled with customers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this year has been slower than normal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bell used to be ringing off the hook, says Valencia, with lines out the door. She and her son would fit walk-ins between appointments, trying to keep wait times under an hour. But today, “it’s empty,” Valencia says. “They have to wait nothing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valencia, who has been doing immigration and tax services for over 20 years, says around 80% of her clients file with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, the tax number used by people — like undocumented immigrants — who don’t qualify for a Social Security number.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, business isn’t just slow; it’s the worst she’s ever seen. Valencia says she’s seeing a 60% drop in clients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not even in the pandemic I had a drop like this,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valencia believes the drop is linked to larger governmental changes and fear in the current political climate. This year, H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, \u003ca href=\"https://lulac.org/impact_of_hr_1_one_big_beautiful_bill_act_on_immigrants_and_children_of_immigrants_who_are_us_citizens/\">tightened restrictions\u003c/a> on ITIN filers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the biggest changes for undocumented taxpayers as a result of H.R. 1’s passage includes restrictions on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-tax-credit\">Additional Child Tax Credit\u003c/a>, which previously allowed many mixed‑status families to receive thousands of dollars back. That means ITIN filers can expect much smaller refunds, Valencia says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074131 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-1536x961.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is seen during an enrollment ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The House passed the sweeping tax and spending bill after winning over fiscal hawks and moderate Republicans. The bill makes permanent President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increases spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cuts taxes on tips, while at the same time, cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance for the poor, clean energy and raises the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion. \u003ccite>(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Many of Valencia’s clients are long-term customers. The tax business is built on trust, she says. This year, before accepting any work, Valencia feels an ethical obligation to tell clients the bad news that their refunds will be smaller, and maybe nonexistent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mixed-status household could, in a normal year, expect to receive around $2,000 in the Additional Child Tax Credit. But this year, they’re lucky to get $500, she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Valencia says the reaction to this information has been immediate. Prospective customers tell her: “You know what? I’m not going to file because I’m not getting any refund. So what’s the point of doing taxes?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an undocumented immigrant, having proof of taxes is important. It builds a paper trail, so if the day comes to receive legal status, it shows work history, engagement with the system and U.S. presence.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But Valencia says customers are coming in worn-down, without a vision for future immigration relief. They tell her their faith in the system is dropping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Southern California city of Pomona, tax preparer Hayde Vigil says her business is also seeing about half its usual filings this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet the steep drop looks different in Southern California, she explains. Most of her clients are documented, Vigil says in Spanish, but status doesn’t seem to be the issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re afraid to leave their homes because there are so many raids, and they’re scared they’ll be detained and deported,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Immigration enforcement agents have been active in that region, and her customers are afraid they’ll be picked up because they’re Latino, even if they are here legally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They weren’t going out at all before, and now they only go out for the bare minimum,” says Vigil, which doesn’t seem to include leaving the house to file taxes this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘There’s nothing for you’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Claudia, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, sits wringing her hands in her lap. As names are called out in the Northern California day labor hall where she sits in, she waits for the sound of her own, hoping to pick up some work for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claudia, who did not want her full name to be used because her immigration status puts her at risk of deportation, has been living in California for over 20 years. In these decades, her work has ebbed and flowed, sometimes working multiple jobs at once. These days, Claudia is lucky to have her name called a few times a week. Regardless of workflow, she files her taxes every year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet it’s not just around tax season that she pays, Claudia explains in Spanish. “You pay taxes on what you earn, on what you buy, on everything you consume in this country,” Claudia says. “But you can’t get anything back from it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030566\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1993px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030566\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1993\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed.jpg 1993w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-1536x1027.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/taxes041511_qed-1920x1284.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1993px) 100vw, 1993px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Current federal tax forms are distributed at the offices of the Internal Revenue Service on Nov. 1, 2005, in Chicago, Illinois. \u003ccite>(Scott Olson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Claudia keeps filing year after year in the hope that one day she’ll have a pathway to documentation that would let her visit her family in Mexico, find work more easily and live with no fear about status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You hold onto the hope that, in the future, you’ll be able to do things the right way,” she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after over 20 years of filing, her hope toward legalization only seems to be dwindling. “In the end, there’s nothing there for you, is there?” she asks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claudia still sees no pathway to legal status and receives no Social Security benefits, no MediCal — and this year, for the first time, she was told she’ll receive no credits back for her son, who is a U.S. citizen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her voice grows soft. “So, what’s the point in paying?” she asks. “There’s no hope for someone like me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claudia says she went back and forth in her head, deciding if this would be the year she broke her commitment to a stable future here. In the end, she filed, but her doubt continues to grow, both in the system and her future in the United States.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Yet for others, the doubt has already reached a tipping point.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the Northern California day labor facility, Velasco waits to hear his own name called.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why should I pay taxes?” he asks in Spanish. “When you realize you’re paying in but not receiving anything in return, there’s no point anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Velasco, who also asked for his full name not to be shared out of fear of deportation, has lived in Northern California for 24 years. For the majority of that time, he worked at a lumber company and filed his taxes consistently. Filing always felt like a no‑brainer, he says — part of his civic responsibility, even without legal status.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He always considered himself a rule follower. “After all, that’s how the country keeps running,” he says. “But lately, I’ve changed my tune.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like many undocumented immigrants across the state, Velasco fears being seen in public, afraid he’ll be picked up and deported. He says he feels at odds with the federal government and has begun questioning why he should contribute to a system he believes wants him gone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t exactly give you the desire to comply,” he says. “Yet when it comes to collecting taxes, [the government] certainly want to do that, don’t they?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Velasco no longer files. Now, he picks up odd jobs doing house maintenance and gets paid in cash, under the table.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Undocumented taxpayers are ‘extremely important’ to economy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It’s a common belief that immigrants don’t pay taxes, says Abby Raisz, vice president of research at the Bay Area Council Economic Institute. But it’s not true. “Undocumented immigrants maintain very high effective tax rates,” Raisz says — \u003ca href=\"https://itep.org/undocumented-immigrants-state-local-tax-contributions-2017/\">averaging 7.1% in state and local taxes\u003c/a>, higher than the rate paid by the top 1% of earners nationally, according to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaeconomy.org/\">Raisz’s team estimates\u003c/a> undocumented Californians contribute about \u003ca href=\"https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/our-work/publications/economic-impact-mass-deportation-california\">9% of the state’s GDP\u003c/a>, or roughly $278 billion, a figure on the order of the entire GDP of Nevada or Oregon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also \u003ca href=\"https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/do-immigrants-pay-taxes\">pay more\u003c/a> than $10.6 billion in state and local taxes and $13 billion in federal taxes, despite being excluded from most federal benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11863601\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11863601 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut.jpg\" alt=\"woman doing taxes with calculator\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1012\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut-800x422.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut-1020x538.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/03/RS47577_iStock-915488206-qut-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Undocumented Californians generate about 9% of the state’s GDP — roughly $278 billion — and pay more than $10.6 billion in state and local taxes and $13 billion in federal taxes, despite being excluded from most federal benefits. \u003ccite>(Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Josh Stehlik, policy director for the California Immigrant Policy Center, says those contributions are essential to the state’s fiscal health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Undocumented taxpayers are extremely important to the national economy and to California’s economy,” Stehlik says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But both Raisz and Stehlik say trust in the tax system is quickly eroding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, the IRS was directed by the Trump administration to \u003ca href=\"https://www.epi.org/policywatch/ice-and-irs-reach-agreement-to-share-taxpayer-information-of-suspected-undocumented-immigrants/\">share taxpayer information\u003c/a> with the Department of Homeland Security, a move that immigrant rights groups called unprecedented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal courts \u003ca href=\"https://www.epi.org/policywatch/ice-and-irs-reach-agreement-to-share-taxpayer-information-of-suspected-undocumented-immigrants/\">have since blocked\u003c/a> the IRS‑DHS data‑sharing agreement, but the episode has already shaken confidence in the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raisz says, after speaking with tax providers throughout the state, the implications for an already fragile trust could be \u003ca href=\"https://www.bayareaeconomy.org/report/economic-impact-of-immigration-enforcement-bayarea/\">long‑lasting\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“If this taxpayer information does in fact get related to other departments, ITIN is going to lose all of the trust that it currently has,” she says, and warned it probably won’t ever gain it back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stehlik says new federal policy changes have only deepened the fear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Immigrant taxpayers are afraid to file because of the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on immigrant taxpayer confidentiality,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts warn that if undocumented immigrants disengage from the tax system, the consequences would be severe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We could be looking at an $8.5 billion loss in revenue,” Stehlik says, referencing the amount that ITEP says undocumented Californians paid in state and local tax contributions in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raisz agrees that the long‑term implications would be enormous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Undocumented immigrants contribute billions in sales tax revenue, and their consumer spending powers local businesses already struggling with post‑pandemic declines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The larger concern seems to be the loss of trust and disengagement from the tax system,” Raisz says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She adds that undocumented taxpayers are often economically engaged, starting businesses, buying homes, and supporting local economies. If they continue to disengage, she says, the \u003ca href=\"https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/californias-undocumented-residents-make-significant-tax-contributions/\">economic fallout\u003c/a> “would be massive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Shandra Back covers immigration for Northern California Public Media through the \u003ca href=\"https://fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows/\">California Local News Fellowship\u003c/a>. This story was edited with help from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">The California Newsroom\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "tax-credits-trump-2026-refund-tips-child-tax-credit-car-loan-interest-documents",
"title": "How Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Could Change How You File Taxes This Year",
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"headTitle": "How Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Could Change How You File Taxes This Year | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>It’s been over half a year since President Donald Trump \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047824/trump-got-his-tax-bill-over-the-finish-line-now-he-has-to-sell-it-to-voters\">signed into law\u003c/a> the massive spending plan known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” And families are still grappling with the full impact of this legislation, which has brought major changes to the nation’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047647/trumps-health-law-spurs-big-medi-cal-changes-what-californians-need-to-know\">health care sector\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/07/03/g-s1-75609/big-beautiful-bill-ice-funding-immigration\">immigration enforcement\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policy-topics/social-policy/explainer-understanding-snap-program-and-what-cuts\">food assistance benefits\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law also overhauls the federal tax system, leading the White House to \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/01/president-trump-delivers-largest-tax-refund-season-in-u-s-history/\">claim\u003c/a> that this year will be “the biggest tax refund season ever,” with average refunds increasing by at least $1,000 from the previous year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some taxpayers are already sharing \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/IRS/comments/1qo15nc/for_those_who_successfully_filed_expect_a_refund/\">different experiences online\u003c/a> when it comes to their refunds, noting that they are actually smaller this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OBBB has expanded some existing rebates, like the Child Tax Credit, and created new ones, like a $25,000 deduction on income made from tips. But there are limits on how much these credits can actually reduce what you owe the IRS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And other filers — specifically immigrant families that file with an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073445/tax-day-filing-2026-ice-irs-trump-itin-number-no-social-security-number\">Individual Taxpayer Identification Number\u003c/a> — are now blocked from receiving many existing credits, potentially cutting their refunds by thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To understand who’s able to claim some of the latest federal credits, KQED spoke to tax professionals across California about what taxpayers should know — and some of the restrictions that could impact how much you ultimately end up receiving in your refund.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No taxes on tips (to a point)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re a waiter, bartender, hairstylist or working in \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-issue-guidance-listing-occupations-where-workers-customarily-and-regularly-receive-tips-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill\">another profession\u003c/a> in which you make tips along with your regular wages, you can now deduct up to $25,000 from tips you made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What this means: When you’re calculating your total income, you can subtract up to $25,000 from the full amount of tips you received in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, if you earned $40,000 in wages and made $30,000 in tips, you can deduct $25,000 from tips, giving you a total income of $45,000 (that is, your wages plus $5,000 in tips). If you earned $40,000 in wages and $10,000 in tips, you can deduct tips entirely — as that tip amount is smaller than $25,000 — and only list $40,000 as your total income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074099\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074099 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/TaxonTipsGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1248\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/TaxonTipsGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/TaxonTipsGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/TaxonTipsGetty-1536x958.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“Some workers keep a log of all their tips,” said Lindsay Rojas, director of free tax help at United Way Bay Area. “And if they have one, they should bring that with them.” \u003ccite>(Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Don’t remember how much you made in tips last year? Your employer should have listed that amount in your W-2 form, usually in box 14, said Minnie Sage, program director of San Francisco-based Tax-Aid. “The best thing to do when you’re heading to file is to bring your W-2,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you made additional tips besides the amount reported on your W-2, let your tax preparer know, recommended Lindsay Rojas, director of free tax help at \u003ca href=\"https://uwba.org/what-we-do/free-tax-help/\">United Way Bay Area\u003c/a>. “Some workers keep a log of all their tips,” she said, “and if they have one, they should bring that with them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep in mind that this deduction only applies to what the IRS \u003ca href=\"http://irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-issue-guidance-listing-occupations-where-workers-customarily-and-regularly-receive-tips-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill\">calls “qualified tips,”\u003c/a> which are those customers give directly, or which come from a tip pool organized by workers. If a business charges customers an extra \u003cem>fee \u003c/em>for services — say a service charge at a restaurant for large parties — and then distributes that amount to employees, that is not a qualified tip, given the customer was required to pay that charge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> No: Taxpayers need to file with a Social Security number to be eligible for this credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No taxes on \u003cem>some\u003c/em> overtime payments\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You can now deduct up to $12,500 from how much you made in overtime when calculating your total income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In most cases, \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime\">federal law\u003c/a> requires that hourly wage employees be paid at least 1.5 times their regular pay for each extra hour worked. Overtime is any hour worked over 40 in one week.[aside postID=news_11909786 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/04/pexels-sora-shimazaki-5668869-672x372.jpg']If you’re paid $20 an hour and your boss asks you to work 48 hours in one week, you should be paid at least $30 an hour for those additional eight hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The extra $10 you made each hour is what can be deducted when calculating your total income. In this example, if you only worked eight hours of overtime throughout 2025, you could deduct $80 from your yearly total. The maximum deduction available for overtime is $12,500.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some employers will mark your extra overtime income on box 14 of your W-2, you can also bring your last pay stub from 2025, said Rojas from United Way Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The last pay stub usually states the overtime amount that they worked,” she explained. “From there, the tax preparer can see what amount would qualify.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> No. Taxpayers need to file with a Social Security number to be eligible for this credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A bigger Child Tax Credit — with restrictions\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Parents and guardians will now receive a $2,200 credit for each child who is their dependent — $200 more than what was available for the 2024 tax year. To be eligible for this rebate, a child must have been younger than 17 before the end of 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, only $1,700 of the $2,200 credit is \u003cem>refundable \u003c/em>— meaning that while the total $2,200 can be used to pay off what you owe the IRS, you can only get up to $1,700 per child as part of your actual refund. If you owe $1,000 to the IRS and have one eligible child, only $700 will go to your refund check.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, there are credits that are not refundable,” said Sage from Tax-Aid. “You may get the credit to offset your tax liability, but you don’t get the full $2,200 back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> No: Both the filer and any child under 17 claimed as a dependent need to have a Social Security number to be eligible for this credit. However, families filing with an ITIN are still eligible for California’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/personal/credits/young-child-tax-credit.html\">Young Child Tax Credit\u003c/a> if they have kids under 6 years old, as the state does not require filers to provide a Social Security number to receive this rebate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Larger deductions for seniors\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Filers who are 65 or older can claim a $6,000 deduction for taxable income from 2025, on top of whatever standard deduction they already qualify for. If someone is no longer working, this deduction can apply to money they receive from pension funds or gambling winnings — and even some Social Security benefits if their total annual income \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/faqs/social-security-income\">exceeds certain thresholds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For couples who are married and filing jointly, the deduction maximum doubles to $12,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074131 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-1536x961.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is seen during an enrollment ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The bill makes permanent President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increases spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cuts taxes on tips, while at the same time cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance, clean energy and raising the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion. \u003ccite>(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This credit is not refundable, meaning it won’t contribute to someone’s refund check, Rojas said. “If there’s no taxes owed, then it won’t really affect them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But “if they have other taxable income there, that will potentially bring down what they may owe for taxes,” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> No. Taxpayers need to file with a Social Security number to be eligible for this credit. But many seniors living in California are still eligible for the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/personal/credits/caleitc/eligibility-and-credit-information.html\">Earned Income Tax Credit\u003c/a>, as the state does not require filers to provide a Social Security Number for this rebate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Deductions for car loan interest payments\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you purchased a car in 2025, you can deduct the interest paid on any loan you took out to pay for that vehicle. The maximum deduction available is $10,000. If you’re leasing your car, this deduction does not apply.[aside postID=news_12073445 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/internal-revenue-service_qed-1020x680.jpg']In addition to only being for cars that are for personal use, there’s another requirement: Your vehicle’s “last assembly has to be completed in the United States,” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Acknowledging that it may be confusing for some folks to figure out where their car was last assembled, she recommended that tax filers “should bring whatever documentation they received at the time of the purchase” to their tax preparation appointment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The IRS requires that filers also include their car’s vehicle identification number, a 17-character number marked “VIN” that you can usually find on the interior of the driver’s door or on the closest dashboard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> Potentially, as the IRS does not require having a Social Security number to claim this credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No e-file and longer wait times to receive refunds without direct deposit\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Last November, the IRS announced that it would \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/irs-ends-free-direct-file-tax-program-best-alternatives/\">end its Direct File Tool\u003c/a>, which allowed taxpayers to file directly for free without needing the help of a tax professional or an online tax service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can still \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11909786/how-to-find-free-tax-help-near-you-and-prepare-everything-you-need-for-your-appointment\">find free tax help from a community organization\u003c/a> certified by the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Many VITA sites offer assistance in Spanish, Cantonese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and other languages, and some also offer unscheduled walk-in appointments. Find the VITA site closest to you using United Way Bay Area’s \u003ca href=\"https://uwba.org/what-we-do/free-tax-help/#fthMap\">interactive map\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The IRS is also \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts\">strongly encouraging filers\u003c/a> to sign up for direct deposit to receive their refund. Taxpayers can still request to receive their refund in the mail as a check, but that may end up taking a lot longer, Sage said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really encouraging people who don’t have a bank account to sign up for one,” she said, “so they can get direct deposit and access that money quicker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Many filers will be able to claim bigger deductions this year, thanks to new rules in the tax code. We spoke to the experts to learn who's eligible for these credits and how to claim them.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>It’s been over half a year since President Donald Trump \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047824/trump-got-his-tax-bill-over-the-finish-line-now-he-has-to-sell-it-to-voters\">signed into law\u003c/a> the massive spending plan known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” And families are still grappling with the full impact of this legislation, which has brought major changes to the nation’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047647/trumps-health-law-spurs-big-medi-cal-changes-what-californians-need-to-know\">health care sector\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/07/03/g-s1-75609/big-beautiful-bill-ice-funding-immigration\">immigration enforcement\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policy-topics/social-policy/explainer-understanding-snap-program-and-what-cuts\">food assistance benefits\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law also overhauls the federal tax system, leading the White House to \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/01/president-trump-delivers-largest-tax-refund-season-in-u-s-history/\">claim\u003c/a> that this year will be “the biggest tax refund season ever,” with average refunds increasing by at least $1,000 from the previous year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some taxpayers are already sharing \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/IRS/comments/1qo15nc/for_those_who_successfully_filed_expect_a_refund/\">different experiences online\u003c/a> when it comes to their refunds, noting that they are actually smaller this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OBBB has expanded some existing rebates, like the Child Tax Credit, and created new ones, like a $25,000 deduction on income made from tips. But there are limits on how much these credits can actually reduce what you owe the IRS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And other filers — specifically immigrant families that file with an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073445/tax-day-filing-2026-ice-irs-trump-itin-number-no-social-security-number\">Individual Taxpayer Identification Number\u003c/a> — are now blocked from receiving many existing credits, potentially cutting their refunds by thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To understand who’s able to claim some of the latest federal credits, KQED spoke to tax professionals across California about what taxpayers should know — and some of the restrictions that could impact how much you ultimately end up receiving in your refund.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No taxes on tips (to a point)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’re a waiter, bartender, hairstylist or working in \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-issue-guidance-listing-occupations-where-workers-customarily-and-regularly-receive-tips-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill\">another profession\u003c/a> in which you make tips along with your regular wages, you can now deduct up to $25,000 from tips you made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What this means: When you’re calculating your total income, you can subtract up to $25,000 from the full amount of tips you received in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For example, if you earned $40,000 in wages and made $30,000 in tips, you can deduct $25,000 from tips, giving you a total income of $45,000 (that is, your wages plus $5,000 in tips). If you earned $40,000 in wages and $10,000 in tips, you can deduct tips entirely — as that tip amount is smaller than $25,000 — and only list $40,000 as your total income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074099\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074099 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/TaxonTipsGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1248\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/TaxonTipsGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/TaxonTipsGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/TaxonTipsGetty-1536x958.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">“Some workers keep a log of all their tips,” said Lindsay Rojas, director of free tax help at United Way Bay Area. “And if they have one, they should bring that with them.” \u003ccite>(Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Don’t remember how much you made in tips last year? Your employer should have listed that amount in your W-2 form, usually in box 14, said Minnie Sage, program director of San Francisco-based Tax-Aid. “The best thing to do when you’re heading to file is to bring your W-2,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you made additional tips besides the amount reported on your W-2, let your tax preparer know, recommended Lindsay Rojas, director of free tax help at \u003ca href=\"https://uwba.org/what-we-do/free-tax-help/\">United Way Bay Area\u003c/a>. “Some workers keep a log of all their tips,” she said, “and if they have one, they should bring that with them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep in mind that this deduction only applies to what the IRS \u003ca href=\"http://irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-issue-guidance-listing-occupations-where-workers-customarily-and-regularly-receive-tips-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill\">calls “qualified tips,”\u003c/a> which are those customers give directly, or which come from a tip pool organized by workers. If a business charges customers an extra \u003cem>fee \u003c/em>for services — say a service charge at a restaurant for large parties — and then distributes that amount to employees, that is not a qualified tip, given the customer was required to pay that charge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> No: Taxpayers need to file with a Social Security number to be eligible for this credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No taxes on \u003cem>some\u003c/em> overtime payments\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>You can now deduct up to $12,500 from how much you made in overtime when calculating your total income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In most cases, \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime\">federal law\u003c/a> requires that hourly wage employees be paid at least 1.5 times their regular pay for each extra hour worked. Overtime is any hour worked over 40 in one week.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>If you’re paid $20 an hour and your boss asks you to work 48 hours in one week, you should be paid at least $30 an hour for those additional eight hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The extra $10 you made each hour is what can be deducted when calculating your total income. In this example, if you only worked eight hours of overtime throughout 2025, you could deduct $80 from your yearly total. The maximum deduction available for overtime is $12,500.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some employers will mark your extra overtime income on box 14 of your W-2, you can also bring your last pay stub from 2025, said Rojas from United Way Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The last pay stub usually states the overtime amount that they worked,” she explained. “From there, the tax preparer can see what amount would qualify.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> No. Taxpayers need to file with a Social Security number to be eligible for this credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A bigger Child Tax Credit — with restrictions\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Parents and guardians will now receive a $2,200 credit for each child who is their dependent — $200 more than what was available for the 2024 tax year. To be eligible for this rebate, a child must have been younger than 17 before the end of 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, only $1,700 of the $2,200 credit is \u003cem>refundable \u003c/em>— meaning that while the total $2,200 can be used to pay off what you owe the IRS, you can only get up to $1,700 per child as part of your actual refund. If you owe $1,000 to the IRS and have one eligible child, only $700 will go to your refund check.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the end of the day, there are credits that are not refundable,” said Sage from Tax-Aid. “You may get the credit to offset your tax liability, but you don’t get the full $2,200 back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> No: Both the filer and any child under 17 claimed as a dependent need to have a Social Security number to be eligible for this credit. However, families filing with an ITIN are still eligible for California’s own \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/personal/credits/young-child-tax-credit.html\">Young Child Tax Credit\u003c/a> if they have kids under 6 years old, as the state does not require filers to provide a Social Security number to receive this rebate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Larger deductions for seniors\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Filers who are 65 or older can claim a $6,000 deduction for taxable income from 2025, on top of whatever standard deduction they already qualify for. If someone is no longer working, this deduction can apply to money they receive from pension funds or gambling winnings — and even some Social Security benefits if their total annual income \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/faqs/social-security-income\">exceeds certain thresholds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For couples who are married and filing jointly, the deduction maximum doubles to $12,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074131\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074131 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1251\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/OneBigBeautifulBillGetty-1536x961.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is seen during an enrollment ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on July 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The bill makes permanent President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, increases spending on defense and immigration enforcement and temporarily cuts taxes on tips, while at the same time cutting funding for Medicaid, food assistance, clean energy and raising the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion. \u003ccite>(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This credit is not refundable, meaning it won’t contribute to someone’s refund check, Rojas said. “If there’s no taxes owed, then it won’t really affect them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But “if they have other taxable income there, that will potentially bring down what they may owe for taxes,” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> No. Taxpayers need to file with a Social Security number to be eligible for this credit. But many seniors living in California are still eligible for the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/personal/credits/caleitc/eligibility-and-credit-information.html\">Earned Income Tax Credit\u003c/a>, as the state does not require filers to provide a Social Security Number for this rebate.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Deductions for car loan interest payments\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you purchased a car in 2025, you can deduct the interest paid on any loan you took out to pay for that vehicle. The maximum deduction available is $10,000. If you’re leasing your car, this deduction does not apply.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In addition to only being for cars that are for personal use, there’s another requirement: Your vehicle’s “last assembly has to be completed in the United States,” Rojas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Acknowledging that it may be confusing for some folks to figure out where their car was last assembled, she recommended that tax filers “should bring whatever documentation they received at the time of the purchase” to their tax preparation appointment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The IRS requires that filers also include their car’s vehicle identification number, a 17-character number marked “VIN” that you can usually find on the interior of the driver’s door or on the closest dashboard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do ITIN holders qualify?\u003c/strong> Potentially, as the IRS does not require having a Social Security number to claim this credit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No e-file and longer wait times to receive refunds without direct deposit\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Last November, the IRS announced that it would \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/irs-ends-free-direct-file-tax-program-best-alternatives/\">end its Direct File Tool\u003c/a>, which allowed taxpayers to file directly for free without needing the help of a tax professional or an online tax service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can still \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11909786/how-to-find-free-tax-help-near-you-and-prepare-everything-you-need-for-your-appointment\">find free tax help from a community organization\u003c/a> certified by the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Many VITA sites offer assistance in Spanish, Cantonese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and other languages, and some also offer unscheduled walk-in appointments. Find the VITA site closest to you using United Way Bay Area’s \u003ca href=\"https://uwba.org/what-we-do/free-tax-help/#fthMap\">interactive map\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The IRS is also \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/refunds/get-your-refund-faster-tell-irs-to-direct-deposit-your-refund-to-one-two-or-three-accounts\">strongly encouraging filers\u003c/a> to sign up for direct deposit to receive their refund. Taxpayers can still request to receive their refund in the mail as a check, but that may end up taking a lot longer, Sage said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really encouraging people who don’t have a bank account to sign up for one,” she said, “so they can get direct deposit and access that money quicker.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> government officials are calling for refund checks following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling slapping down President \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Donald Trump\u003c/a>’s unilateral tariffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The court’s 6-3 decision found that Trump’s imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was illegal. The decision followed a year of market anxiety and global tensions over the sweeping economic changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump was quick to attack the ruling, saying on Friday that he was “absolutely ashamed” of the court’s decision, and has dismissed calls for refunds. The president said he is seeking to reimpose a global 10% tariff through other means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families, so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Friday after the ruling. “Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately — with interest. Cough up!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The court ruling did not say whether or how businesses are entitled to refunds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a press conference on Friday, Attorney General Rob Bonta said that those seeking claims could attempt to go through the Court of International Trade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063671\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters as Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, left, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, right, listen outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite>(Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“California is going to remain vigilant as the refund process moves forward to ensure that businesses harmed by these illegal tariffs receive the relief that they’re owed,” Bonta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent report from a U.S. Senate committee found that American consumers have paid tens of billions of dollars in tariff costs over the past year, averaging more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/press-releases?ID=9E4D02A7-A9B3-4307-A11D-D44F6C1A60F8\">$1,700 per family\u003c/a>. Businesses across the Bay Area and the country have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034827/bay-area-business-already-tough-trumps-tariffs-preparing-pain\">struggled\u003c/a> to shoulder the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025963/bay-area-businesses-brace-higher-import-costs-trumps-new-tariffs\"> rising costs of international goods\u003c/a>, from construction materials to toilet paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve got the largest port infrastructure in the nation. We are the fourth-largest economy in the world. We do trade with pretty much every major region of the world that you can think of. This is big,” Xavier Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, who is now running for California governor, told KQED. “Thank god we now have a ruling that at least tells us that Donald Trump can’t cause this chaos with his tariff mania.”[aside postID=news_12064613 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2209401664-1020x718.jpg']But officials at the Port of Oakland, one of the biggest import and export hubs on the West Coast, took a cautious view of Friday’s ruling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We expect this will not be the final word on trade and tariffs,” said Bryan Brandes, maritime director at the Port of Oakland. “Our trade community seeks stability and certainty, as increased volume at the Port of Oakland means increased prosperity across the region.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Total imports at the Port of Oakland were down in some months in 2025, but overall, the terminal had a slight increase from September 2024 to September 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In last month’s State of the Port address, Executive Director Kristi McKenney said maritime operations remained steady despite short-term dips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tariffs imposed under IEEPA were projected to cost California’s economy $25 billion and result in the loss of over 64,000 jobs, according to data from the Attorney General’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The order comes after several states, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036199/trumps-tariffs-could-wreck-californias-economy-the-state-is-suing\">California, sued the Trump administration\u003c/a> in April 2025 for abuse of power by issuing the tariffs without congressional approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tariffs “have been creating chaos and uncertainty. They have been raising costs for Americans, everyday consumers, as well as businesses,” Bonta said. “Today is a day for affordability, something that Americans and Californians have been screaming for, for months now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/scottshafer\">\u003cem>Scott Shafer\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\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/california\">California\u003c/a> government officials are calling for refund checks following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling slapping down President \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Donald Trump\u003c/a>’s unilateral tariffs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The court’s 6-3 decision found that Trump’s imposition of tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) was illegal. The decision followed a year of market anxiety and global tensions over the sweeping economic changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump was quick to attack the ruling, saying on Friday that he was “absolutely ashamed” of the court’s decision, and has dismissed calls for refunds. The president said he is seeking to reimpose a global 10% tariff through other means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These tariffs were nothing more than an illegal cash grab that drove up prices and hurt working families, so you could wreck longstanding alliances and extort them,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Friday after the ruling. “Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately — with interest. Cough up!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The court ruling did not say whether or how businesses are entitled to refunds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a press conference on Friday, Attorney General Rob Bonta said that those seeking claims could attempt to go through the Court of International Trade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12063671\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12063671\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/RobBontaAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters as Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, left, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, right, listen outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite>(Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“California is going to remain vigilant as the refund process moves forward to ensure that businesses harmed by these illegal tariffs receive the relief that they’re owed,” Bonta said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent report from a U.S. Senate committee found that American consumers have paid tens of billions of dollars in tariff costs over the past year, averaging more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/press-releases?ID=9E4D02A7-A9B3-4307-A11D-D44F6C1A60F8\">$1,700 per family\u003c/a>. Businesses across the Bay Area and the country have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034827/bay-area-business-already-tough-trumps-tariffs-preparing-pain\">struggled\u003c/a> to shoulder the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025963/bay-area-businesses-brace-higher-import-costs-trumps-new-tariffs\"> rising costs of international goods\u003c/a>, from construction materials to toilet paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve got the largest port infrastructure in the nation. We are the fourth-largest economy in the world. We do trade with pretty much every major region of the world that you can think of. This is big,” Xavier Becerra, a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, who is now running for California governor, told KQED. “Thank god we now have a ruling that at least tells us that Donald Trump can’t cause this chaos with his tariff mania.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But officials at the Port of Oakland, one of the biggest import and export hubs on the West Coast, took a cautious view of Friday’s ruling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We expect this will not be the final word on trade and tariffs,” said Bryan Brandes, maritime director at the Port of Oakland. “Our trade community seeks stability and certainty, as increased volume at the Port of Oakland means increased prosperity across the region.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Total imports at the Port of Oakland were down in some months in 2025, but overall, the terminal had a slight increase from September 2024 to September 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In last month’s State of the Port address, Executive Director Kristi McKenney said maritime operations remained steady despite short-term dips.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tariffs imposed under IEEPA were projected to cost California’s economy $25 billion and result in the loss of over 64,000 jobs, according to data from the Attorney General’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The order comes after several states, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036199/trumps-tariffs-could-wreck-californias-economy-the-state-is-suing\">California, sued the Trump administration\u003c/a> in April 2025 for abuse of power by issuing the tariffs without congressional approval.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tariffs “have been creating chaos and uncertainty. They have been raising costs for Americans, everyday consumers, as well as businesses,” Bonta said. “Today is a day for affordability, something that Americans and Californians have been screaming for, for months now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/scottshafer\">\u003cem>Scott Shafer\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"id": "here-and-now",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
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},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
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