window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"news_12040001": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12040001",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12040001",
"found": true
},
"title": "250513-HUD FUNDS-MD-05-KQED",
"publishDate": 1747191099,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1747785109,
"caption": "The courtyard at the Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. The Trump administration wants blue cities and counties to renounce DEI and immigration policies, or lose crucial homelessness funding. ",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-05-KQED-800x534.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 534,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-05-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1025,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-05-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-05-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-05-KQED-1920x1281.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1281,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-05-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1334
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12000354": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12000354",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12000354",
"found": true
},
"title": "080924-ENCAMPMENT SWEEP-MD-01-KQED",
"publishDate": 1723743099,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12000606,
"modified": 1747068054,
"caption": "Gary Lai carefully folds a blanket while packing up his encampment in the Tenderloin in San Francisco on Aug. 8, 2024. ",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12038590": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12038590",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12038590",
"found": true
},
"title": "040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12 copy",
"publishDate": 1746213971,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12038589,
"modified": 1746213995,
"caption": "Julie Crossman, sister of Nanie Crossman, in Oakland on April 8, 2025. After losing contact for six years, the sisters reunited after Julie saw that Nanie, who is unhoused, was quoted in a CalMatters article. ",
"credit": "Florence Middleton for CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12-copy-800x534.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 534,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12-copy-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12-copy-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12-copy-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1025,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12-copy-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12-copy-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12-copy-1920x1281.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1281,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_12-copy.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1334
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12036668": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12036668",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12036668",
"found": true
},
"title": "041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35 copy",
"publishDate": 1745006676,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12036665,
"modified": 1745006696,
"caption": "Wickey Two Hands, 77, awaits Fresno Superior Court Judge Brian Alvarez’s decision on April 10, 2025. \n",
"credit": "Adam Perez for CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35-copy-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35-copy-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35-copy-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35-copy-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35-copy-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35-copy-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35-copy-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_35-copy.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12036442": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12036442",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12036442",
"found": true
},
"title": "20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1",
"publishDate": 1744918107,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1744918283,
"caption": "Mayor Daniel Lurie delivers remarks on a progress report of his first 100 days in office at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in San Francisco on April 17, 2025.",
"credit": "Gina Castro/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-8-KQED_1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12034409": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12034409",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12034409",
"found": true
},
"title": "Houses line a street in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 25, 2025.",
"publishDate": 1743702595,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12033966,
"modified": 1743705463,
"caption": "Houses line a street in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 25, 2025.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250325-ApartmentsonWestside-06-BL_qed-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250325-ApartmentsonWestside-06-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250325-ApartmentsonWestside-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250325-ApartmentsonWestside-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250325-ApartmentsonWestside-06-BL_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250325-ApartmentsonWestside-06-BL_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250325-ApartmentsonWestside-06-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250325-ApartmentsonWestside-06-BL_qed.jpg",
"width": 1999,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12033297": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12033297",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12033297",
"found": true
},
"title": "01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled copy",
"publishDate": 1743095764,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12033293,
"modified": 1743095791,
"caption": "Jorge poses for a portrait at a park in East Oakland on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. ",
"credit": "Hiram Alejandro Durán for El Tímpano/Catchlight/Report for America corps member",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy-800x532.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 532,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy-1020x679.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 679,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy-160x106.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 106,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy-1536x1022.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1022,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"2048x2048": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy-2048x1362.jpg",
"width": 2048,
"height": 1362,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy-1920x1277.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1277,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-01-scaled-copy.jpg",
"width": 2560,
"height": 1703
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12033317": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12033317",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12033317",
"found": true
},
"title": "New Housing Starts Rise Higher Than Expected In January",
"publishDate": 1743098021,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12033092,
"modified": 1743098104,
"caption": "A condo complex takes shape in a growing housing development under construction on Feb. 16, 2011, in Dublin, California.",
"credit": "Justin Sullivan/Getty Images",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/construction072011_qed-800x506.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 506,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/construction072011_qed-1020x645.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 645,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/construction072011_qed-160x101.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 101,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/construction072011_qed-1536x971.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 971,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/construction072011_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/construction072011_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/construction072011_qed-1920x1213.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1213,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/construction072011_qed.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1264
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12032921": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12032921",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12032921",
"found": true
},
"title": "092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36 copy",
"publishDate": 1742925785,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12032918,
"modified": 1742925814,
"caption": "The Share Center, a shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Monterey County in Salinas, on Sept. 20, 2024. The center's previous operator faced a long list of allegations, including fraud and inappropriate relationships with clients.",
"credit": "Manuel Obregozo for CalMatters",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36-copy-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36-copy-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36-copy-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36-copy-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36-copy-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36-copy-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36-copy-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/092024-Salinas-Shelter-MO-CM-36-copy.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12032752": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12032752",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12032752",
"found": true
},
"title": "005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed",
"publishDate": 1742839566,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12032734,
"modified": 1742927250,
"caption": "A tiny home is trucked into the Wood Street Cabin Community, a planned 100-bed shelter program on the second portion of the Game Changer lot located at 2601 Wood St., in Oakland on Dec. 16, 2022.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12031106": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12031106",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12031106",
"found": true
},
"title": "250311-VALLEJO HOMELESS DEATH VIGIL-MD-01-KQED",
"publishDate": 1741822357,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12031016,
"modified": 1741823337,
"caption": "Participants of a rally outside of Vallejo City Hall for James Oakley hold homemade signs on March 11, 2025.",
"credit": "Aryk Copley for KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250311-VALLEJO-HOMELESS-DEATH-VIGIL-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250311-VALLEJO-HOMELESS-DEATH-VIGIL-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250311-VALLEJO-HOMELESS-DEATH-VIGIL-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250311-VALLEJO-HOMELESS-DEATH-VIGIL-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250311-VALLEJO-HOMELESS-DEATH-VIGIL-MD-01-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250311-VALLEJO-HOMELESS-DEATH-VIGIL-MD-01-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250311-VALLEJO-HOMELESS-DEATH-VIGIL-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250311-VALLEJO-HOMELESS-DEATH-VIGIL-MD-01-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12031817": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12031817",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12031817",
"found": true
},
"title": "A tent sits in St. James Park in San José on April 9, 2024.",
"publishDate": 1742316428,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12031813,
"modified": 1742316439,
"caption": "A tent sits in St. James Park in San José on April 9, 2024.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed.jpg",
"width": 1999,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"byline_news_12038589": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12038589",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12038589",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/marisa-kendall/\">Marisa Kendall\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12036665": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12036665",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12036665",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/marisa-kendall/\">Marisa Kendall\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12033293": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12033293",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12033293",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://www.eltimpano.org/author/cgaribay/\">Cassandra Garibay\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eltimpano.org/author/xloeza/\">Ximena Loeza \u003c/a>, El Tímpano",
"isLoading": false
},
"byline_news_12032918": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "byline_news_12032918",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"slug": "byline_news_12032918",
"name": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/laurenhepler/\">Lauren Hepler\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"isLoading": false
},
"gmarzorati": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "227",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "227",
"found": true
},
"name": "Guy Marzorati",
"firstName": "Guy",
"lastName": "Marzorati",
"slug": "gmarzorati",
"email": "gmarzorati@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Correspondent",
"bio": "Guy Marzorati is a correspondent on KQED's California Politics and Government Desk, based in San Jose. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Guy joined KQED in 2013. He reports on state and local politics and produces KQED's digital voter guide.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/771cddf45ce3a8ed533d82dcc214e9ef925d76d2af5794a33da1ce439eb54a32?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "guymarzorati",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "elections",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Guy Marzorati | KQED",
"description": "Correspondent",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/771cddf45ce3a8ed533d82dcc214e9ef925d76d2af5794a33da1ce439eb54a32?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/771cddf45ce3a8ed533d82dcc214e9ef925d76d2af5794a33da1ce439eb54a32?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/gmarzorati"
},
"mlagos": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "3239",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "3239",
"found": true
},
"name": "Marisa Lagos",
"firstName": "Marisa",
"lastName": "Lagos",
"slug": "mlagos",
"email": "mlagos@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Marisa Lagos is a correspondent for KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk and co-hosts the award-winning show and podcast, Political Breakdown. At KQED, Lagos also conducts reporting, analysis and investigations into state, local and national politics for radio, TV, online and onstage. In 2022, she and co-host, Scott Shafer, moderated the only gubernatorial debate in California. In 2020, the \u003ci>Washington Post\u003c/i> named her one of the top political journalists in California; she was nominated for a Peabody and won several other awards for her work investigating the 2017 California wildfires. She has worked at the \u003ci>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/i>, \u003ci>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/i> and \u003ci>Los Angeles Times\u003c/i>. A UC Santa Barbara graduate, she lives in San Francisco with her two sons and husband.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a261a0d3696fc066871ef96b85b5e7d2?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "@mlagos",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Marisa Lagos | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a261a0d3696fc066871ef96b85b5e7d2?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a261a0d3696fc066871ef96b85b5e7d2?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/mlagos"
},
"ecruzguevarra": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "8654",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "8654",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra",
"firstName": "Ericka",
"lastName": "Cruz Guevarra",
"slug": "ecruzguevarra",
"email": "ecruzguevarra@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Producer, The Bay Podcast",
"bio": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra is host of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay\">\u003cem>The Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/a> podcast at KQED. Before host, she was the show’s producer. Her work in that capacity includes a three-part reported series on policing in Vallejo, which won a 2020 excellence in journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Ericka has worked as a breaking news reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting, helped produce the Code Switch podcast, and was KQED’s inaugural Raul Ramirez Diversity Fund intern. She’s also an alumna of NPR’s Next Generation Radio program. Send her an email if you have strong feelings about whether Fairfield and Suisun City are the Bay. Ericka is represented by SAG-AFTRA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/accefc1de4bafc7e234b69bcb9b6f6536c130fd84709bc3069ef11a78787e1bb?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "NotoriousECG",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra | KQED",
"description": "Producer, The Bay Podcast",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/accefc1de4bafc7e234b69bcb9b6f6536c130fd84709bc3069ef11a78787e1bb?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/accefc1de4bafc7e234b69bcb9b6f6536c130fd84709bc3069ef11a78787e1bb?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ecruzguevarra"
},
"vrancano": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11276",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11276",
"found": true
},
"name": "Vanessa Rancaño",
"firstName": "Vanessa",
"lastName": "Rancaño",
"slug": "vrancano",
"email": "vrancano@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Reporter",
"bio": "Vanessa Rancaño is a features reporter for KQED. She’s also covered homelessness and education for the station and reported from the Central Valley. Her work has aired across public radio, from flagship national news shows to longform narrative podcasts. Before taking up a mic, she worked as a freelance print journalist. She’s been recognized with a number of national and regional awards. Vanessa grew up in California's Central Valley. She's a former NPR Kroc Fellow, and a graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b3a383dfb0e7ee1c17568f2cf067904ab654d6e3de9743fc661f3c788ade1bed?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "vanessarancano",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Vanessa Rancaño | KQED",
"description": "Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b3a383dfb0e7ee1c17568f2cf067904ab654d6e3de9743fc661f3c788ade1bed?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b3a383dfb0e7ee1c17568f2cf067904ab654d6e3de9743fc661f3c788ade1bed?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/vrancano"
},
"amontecillo": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11649",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11649",
"found": true
},
"name": "Alan Montecillo",
"firstName": "Alan",
"lastName": "Montecillo",
"slug": "amontecillo",
"email": "amontecillo@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Alan Montecillo is the senior editor of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/thebay\">The Bay\u003c/a>, \u003c/em> KQED's local news podcast. Before moving to the Bay Area, he worked as a senior talk show producer for WILL in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and at Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland, Oregon. He has won journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California, the Public Media Journalists Association, The Signal Awards, and has also received a regional Edward R. Murrow award. Alan is a Filipino American from Hong Kong and a graduate of Reed College.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/268f53a2066899ea9efdd8a5900218b17c822d9862cbc9326cccec53ef41d349?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "alanmontecillo",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Alan Montecillo | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/268f53a2066899ea9efdd8a5900218b17c822d9862cbc9326cccec53ef41d349?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/268f53a2066899ea9efdd8a5900218b17c822d9862cbc9326cccec53ef41d349?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/amontecillo"
},
"ebaldassari": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11652",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11652",
"found": true
},
"name": "Erin Baldassari",
"firstName": "Erin",
"lastName": "Baldassari",
"slug": "ebaldassari",
"email": "ebaldassari@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Senior Editor",
"bio": "Erin Baldassari oversees the housing and early childhood education and care desks, as well as several of the station’s enterprise and accountability reporters. She joined KQED in 2020 to cover housing and co-host its housing podcast, \u003cem>SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America\u003c/em>. Prior to that, she worked as a print journalist for roughly a decade, most recently at the \u003cem>Mercury News\u003c/em> and \u003cem>East Bay Times\u003c/em>, where she served on its 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning team for coverage of the Ghost Ship Fire in Oakland. A Tufts University alumna, Erin grew up in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and in Sonoma County.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5e95cad64a8ca08288082212e199d2b0cbeb4fd8e8ef5339395f361032bbe005?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"edit_others_posts",
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Erin Baldassari | KQED",
"description": "Senior Editor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5e95cad64a8ca08288082212e199d2b0cbeb4fd8e8ef5339395f361032bbe005?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5e95cad64a8ca08288082212e199d2b0cbeb4fd8e8ef5339395f361032bbe005?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ebaldassari"
},
"abandlamudi": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11672",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11672",
"found": true
},
"name": "Adhiti Bandlamudi",
"firstName": "Adhiti",
"lastName": "Bandlamudi",
"slug": "abandlamudi",
"email": "abandlamudi@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Housing Reporter",
"bio": "Adhiti Bandlamudi reports for KQED's Housing desk. She focuses on how housing gets built across the Bay Area. Before joining KQED in 2020, she reported for WUNC in Durham, North Carolina, WABE in Atlanta, Georgia and Capital Public Radio in Sacramento. In 2017, she was awarded a Kroc Fellowship at NPR where she reported on everything from sprinkles to the Golden State Killer's arrest. When she's not reporting, she's baking new recipes in her kitchen or watching movies with friends and family. She's originally from Georgia and has strong opinions about Great British Bake Off.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/868129c8b257bb99a3500e2c86a65400?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twitter": "oddity_adhiti",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Adhiti Bandlamudi | KQED",
"description": "KQED Housing Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/868129c8b257bb99a3500e2c86a65400?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/868129c8b257bb99a3500e2c86a65400?s=600&d=mm&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/abandlamudi"
},
"jessicakariisa": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11831",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11831",
"found": true
},
"name": "Jessica Kariisa",
"firstName": "Jessica",
"lastName": "Kariisa",
"slug": "jessicakariisa",
"email": "jkariisa@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "Producer, The Bay",
"bio": "Jessica Kariisa is the producer of The Bay. She first joined KQED as an intern for The California Report Magazine, after which she became an on-call producer. She reported a Bay Curious episode on the use of rap lyrics in criminal trials which won a Society of Professional Journalists award in 2023 for Excellence in Features Journalism and the 2023 Signal Award for Best Conversation Starter. She’s worked on podcasts for Snap Judgment and American Public Media. Before embarking on her audio career, she was a music journalist.\r\n\r\nJessica Kariisa is represented by SAG-AFTRA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/522e97b28ac0b3d411621c0fde8f3419c7b71ea2c5c262c57c4bb600963f328c?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Jessica Kariisa | KQED",
"description": "Producer, The Bay",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/522e97b28ac0b3d411621c0fde8f3419c7b71ea2c5c262c57c4bb600963f328c?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/522e97b28ac0b3d411621c0fde8f3419c7b71ea2c5c262c57c4bb600963f328c?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/jessicakariisa"
},
"mvelasquez": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11939",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11939",
"found": true
},
"name": "Mel Velasquez",
"firstName": "Mel",
"lastName": "Velasquez",
"slug": "mvelasquez",
"email": "mvelasquez@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/409094312d56fab09fef4251e949ffa6?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": "www.linkedin.com/in/melanievelasquezz",
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Mel Velasquez | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/409094312d56fab09fef4251e949ffa6?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/409094312d56fab09fef4251e949ffa6?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/mvelasquez"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"news_tag_homelessness": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4020",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4020",
"score": 8.561366
},
"name": "Homelessness",
"slug": "homelessness",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Homelessness | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "index"
},
"ttid": 4039,
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Homelessness",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "news",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 7
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/news?tag=homelessness",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 7
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://hls.kqed.org/hls/kqed_app/playlist.m3u8",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"news_12041026": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12041026",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12041026",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1747836035000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "new-trump-administration-rules-could-cut-off-crucial-federal-homelessness-funding",
"title": "New Trump Administration Rules Could Cut Off Crucial Federal Homelessness Funding",
"publishDate": 1747836035,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "New Trump Administration Rules Could Cut Off Crucial Federal Homelessness Funding | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Since taking office in January, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> and his administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12024387/california-22-other-states-sue-to-block-trumps-federal-funding-freeze\">have repeatedly\u003c/a> moved \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037376/sf-santa-clara-counties-ask-us-court-halt-trumps-sanctuary-city-funding-freeze\">to cut off funding\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975661/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-canceled-nonprofits\">cities and counties\u003c/a> that have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027607/sfs-long-history-as-sanctuary-city-faces-renewed-challenges-under-trump\">policies counter\u003c/a> to the president’s agenda — leaving people like R.J. Sloan caught in the middle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twenty years ago, Sloan didn’t think he would need government help to keep his life on track. He was living the American Dream: working for a giant pharmaceutical company and owning two homes. Then a health issue triggered a bout of depression that led to more serious mental health challenges — and eventually, a psychotic break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I started running away from helicopters, trying to read my thoughts, I was certain they were the CIA,” he recalled. “I left my apartment, lost everything, including my two dogs. … And I started running around San Francisco, living in Golden Gate Park, eating out of trash cans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After several years living on the streets, Sloan, now age 60, connected with Episcopal Community Services, a nonprofit that operates 23 permanent supportive housing sites around the Bay Area, serving more than 2,300 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He secured an apartment at Bishop Swing Community House, a 134-unit supportive housing development in San Francisco’s South of Market District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Initially, just surviving was a struggle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My first five years here, I wore the same clothes every single day. I never changed my clothes. I rarely showered or brushed my teeth. I was in such a bottomed-out phase of life,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040771\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">R. J. Sloan, who requested that his face not be shown, stands in the patio of the Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But over time — and with a lot of help — Sloan said he’s been able to rebuild his life. He credits the resources available at Bishop Swing Community House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These kinds of supportive housing developments don’t just provide a safe place to live: they offer mental health services, medical care, and, crucially for Sloan, case managers who encouraged him to move forward — when he was ready.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The supportive part of supportive housing is crucial,” he said. ”You’re encouraged to make your appointments and you’re encouraged to keep up with the goals that you set. Every six months, we set new goals. You know, what are you capable of now, R.J.? Of course, you couldn’t do this 10 years ago, but you know what, I have a feeling you could do this now.”[aside postID=news_12039730 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg']Eventually, Sloan started working part-time as a front desk clerk at a nearby homeless shelter — work that now helps pay for his apartment. However, the bulk of his rent is covered by the federal government through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/\">Continuum of Care\u003c/a> — a key source of funding for local governments and nonprofits trying to tackle homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program helps cover housing costs and support services for thousands of homeless individuals like Sloan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County receives around $34 million a year. San Francisco gets about $50 million annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, that funding is now at risk as the Trump administration moves to impose new conditions on the federal money. It’s part of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026179/san-francisco-leads-lawsuit-against-trumps-threats-to-punish-sanctuary-cities\">broader pattern of the Trump administration seeking to withhold money\u003c/a> to pressure democratically led cities and counties to change policies the administration doesn’t like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, when HUD sent out grant applications, local officials balked. Under the new rules, local governments must certify that they do not have diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, don’t promote “gender ideology,” and don’t have sanctuary immigration policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039999\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A studio unit in the Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Francisco and Santa Clara joined six other counties in suing the Trump administration over these new conditions. Earlier this month, they won a temporary restraining order halting the new grant conditions. Today, the counties return to court where the same judge will consider a permanent injunction as the case moves forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen this kind of dynamic with the Trump administration again and again, where they’re placing unlawful and unconstitutional conditions on federal funding,” Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti said. “They’re essentially weaponizing federal funding to force locals to take action that they cannot force local governments to take.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HUD did not respond to a request for comment, but in March, HUD Secretary Scott Turner \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/SecretaryTurner/status/1900257331184570703\">defended the change on the social media site X\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“HUD’s Continuum of Care Program was meant to provide funds to end homelessness, unfortunately, it was used as a tool by the left to push a woke agenda at the expense of people in need,” Turner wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LoPresti, however, insists that the new conditions are illegal, partly because they exceed what Congress outlined when authorizing the program. He also notes that many of the requirements are so vague that they’re impossible to comply with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039998\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039998\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The ongoing focus around diversity, equity, and inclusion is a great example of that,” he said, noting that there’s no clear definition of what qualifies as DEI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit also highlights that while the new grants prohibit recipients from recognizing transgender people, “HUD’s own regulations mandate ‘equal access’ to CoC ‘programs, shelters, other buildings and facilities, benefits, services, and accommodations is provided to an individual in accordance with the individual’s gender identity.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LoPresti said the stakes are incredibly high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our ability to really make progress in combating homelessness and making sure that those families have not only shelter, but the services that they need, really hinges in large part on our ability to access these federal funds,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Homelessness in the expensive Bay Area is a problem that leaders have struggled to address for decades. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11986620/san-francisco-homelessness-up-7-despite-decline-in-street-camping#:~:text=The%20overall%20number%20of%20people,the%20Point%20in%20Time%20Count.\">More than 8,000 people are unhoused in San Francisco\u003c/a>, a number that’s ticked up slightly in recent years. Santa Clara County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11977258/despite-progress-santa-clara-county-sees-sharp-rise-in-first-time-homelessness\">has also struggled to curb homelessness\u003c/a> and saw a sizable increase in the number of unhoused people in its last count in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beth Stokes, executive director of Episcopal Community Services, warned that cutting off funding to developments like Bishop Swing Community House would be incredibly shortsighted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040747\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040747\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beth Stokes, Executive Director at Episcopal Community Services, at the Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center run in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Would you rather have people on the street, suffering, their health completely deteriorating, with no quality of life?” she asked, “Versus being here — this is stable. This is peaceful. People get well here. And it’s actually a better bargain for the taxpayers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stokes said if the new grant conditions go through, she is hopeful that her organization will be able to find other funding sources to help cover Sloan and other residents’ rent. However, she acknowledged that they might have to delay other projects aimed at getting even more homeless people off the streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sloan, the Bishop Swing Community House resident, said he cannot imagine a world without the supportive housing he’s relied on for 15 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without it, he said, “I would have entered homelessness, exited and entered and exited, and entered homelessness many, many times.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t imagine not living here, to be honest with you. I’m scared to death of that third psychotic break. I don’t know what caused the first two. So I think I’d like to age in place right here,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The Trump administration wants blue cities and counties to renounce DEI and immigration policies or lose crucial homelessness funding. Formerly unhoused people like R.J. Sloan are the ones who would suffer.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1747848759,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 32,
"wordCount": 1377
},
"headData": {
"title": "New Trump Administration Rules Could Cut Off Crucial Federal Homelessness Funding | KQED",
"description": "The Trump administration wants blue cities and counties to renounce DEI and immigration policies or lose crucial homelessness funding. Formerly unhoused people like R.J. Sloan are the ones who would suffer.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "New Trump Administration Rules Could Cut Off Crucial Federal Homelessness Funding",
"datePublished": "2025-05-21T07:00:35-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-05-21T10:32:39-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-4[…]f-aaef00f5a073/dbd629e8-0a3b-4b03-8199-b2e40104a3d6/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12041026",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12041026/new-trump-administration-rules-could-cut-off-crucial-federal-homelessness-funding",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Since taking office in January, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">President Donald Trump\u003c/a> and his administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12024387/california-22-other-states-sue-to-block-trumps-federal-funding-freeze\">have repeatedly\u003c/a> moved \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12037376/sf-santa-clara-counties-ask-us-court-halt-trumps-sanctuary-city-funding-freeze\">to cut off funding\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13975661/national-endowment-for-the-arts-grants-canceled-nonprofits\">cities and counties\u003c/a> that have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027607/sfs-long-history-as-sanctuary-city-faces-renewed-challenges-under-trump\">policies counter\u003c/a> to the president’s agenda — leaving people like R.J. Sloan caught in the middle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twenty years ago, Sloan didn’t think he would need government help to keep his life on track. He was living the American Dream: working for a giant pharmaceutical company and owning two homes. Then a health issue triggered a bout of depression that led to more serious mental health challenges — and eventually, a psychotic break.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I started running away from helicopters, trying to read my thoughts, I was certain they were the CIA,” he recalled. “I left my apartment, lost everything, including my two dogs. … And I started running around San Francisco, living in Golden Gate Park, eating out of trash cans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After several years living on the streets, Sloan, now age 60, connected with Episcopal Community Services, a nonprofit that operates 23 permanent supportive housing sites around the Bay Area, serving more than 2,300 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He secured an apartment at Bishop Swing Community House, a 134-unit supportive housing development in San Francisco’s South of Market District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Initially, just surviving was a struggle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My first five years here, I wore the same clothes every single day. I never changed my clothes. I rarely showered or brushed my teeth. I was in such a bottomed-out phase of life,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040771\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040771\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-11-KQED-1-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">R. J. Sloan, who requested that his face not be shown, stands in the patio of the Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But over time — and with a lot of help — Sloan said he’s been able to rebuild his life. He credits the resources available at Bishop Swing Community House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These kinds of supportive housing developments don’t just provide a safe place to live: they offer mental health services, medical care, and, crucially for Sloan, case managers who encouraged him to move forward — when he was ready.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The supportive part of supportive housing is crucial,” he said. ”You’re encouraged to make your appointments and you’re encouraged to keep up with the goals that you set. Every six months, we set new goals. You know, what are you capable of now, R.J.? Of course, you couldn’t do this 10 years ago, but you know what, I have a feeling you could do this now.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12039730",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/080924-ENCAMPMENT-SWEEP-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Eventually, Sloan started working part-time as a front desk clerk at a nearby homeless shelter — work that now helps pay for his apartment. However, the bulk of his rent is covered by the federal government through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program known as \u003ca href=\"https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/\">Continuum of Care\u003c/a> — a key source of funding for local governments and nonprofits trying to tackle homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program helps cover housing costs and support services for thousands of homeless individuals like Sloan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara County receives around $34 million a year. San Francisco gets about $50 million annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, that funding is now at risk as the Trump administration moves to impose new conditions on the federal money. It’s part of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026179/san-francisco-leads-lawsuit-against-trumps-threats-to-punish-sanctuary-cities\">broader pattern of the Trump administration seeking to withhold money\u003c/a> to pressure democratically led cities and counties to change policies the administration doesn’t like.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, when HUD sent out grant applications, local officials balked. Under the new rules, local governments must certify that they do not have diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, don’t promote “gender ideology,” and don’t have sanctuary immigration policies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039999\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039999\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-02-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A studio unit in the Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>San Francisco and Santa Clara joined six other counties in suing the Trump administration over these new conditions. Earlier this month, they won a temporary restraining order halting the new grant conditions. Today, the counties return to court where the same judge will consider a permanent injunction as the case moves forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen this kind of dynamic with the Trump administration again and again, where they’re placing unlawful and unconstitutional conditions on federal funding,” Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti said. “They’re essentially weaponizing federal funding to force locals to take action that they cannot force local governments to take.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>HUD did not respond to a request for comment, but in March, HUD Secretary Scott Turner \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/SecretaryTurner/status/1900257331184570703\">defended the change on the social media site X\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“HUD’s Continuum of Care Program was meant to provide funds to end homelessness, unfortunately, it was used as a tool by the left to push a woke agenda at the expense of people in need,” Turner wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LoPresti, however, insists that the new conditions are illegal, partly because they exceed what Congress outlined when authorizing the program. He also notes that many of the requirements are so vague that they’re impossible to comply with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12039998\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12039998\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-01-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The ongoing focus around diversity, equity, and inclusion is a great example of that,” he said, noting that there’s no clear definition of what qualifies as DEI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit also highlights that while the new grants prohibit recipients from recognizing transgender people, “HUD’s own regulations mandate ‘equal access’ to CoC ‘programs, shelters, other buildings and facilities, benefits, services, and accommodations is provided to an individual in accordance with the individual’s gender identity.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LoPresti said the stakes are incredibly high.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our ability to really make progress in combating homelessness and making sure that those families have not only shelter, but the services that they need, really hinges in large part on our ability to access these federal funds,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Homelessness in the expensive Bay Area is a problem that leaders have struggled to address for decades. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11986620/san-francisco-homelessness-up-7-despite-decline-in-street-camping#:~:text=The%20overall%20number%20of%20people,the%20Point%20in%20Time%20Count.\">More than 8,000 people are unhoused in San Francisco\u003c/a>, a number that’s ticked up slightly in recent years. Santa Clara County \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11977258/despite-progress-santa-clara-county-sees-sharp-rise-in-first-time-homelessness\">has also struggled to curb homelessness\u003c/a> and saw a sizable increase in the number of unhoused people in its last count in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beth Stokes, executive director of Episcopal Community Services, warned that cutting off funding to developments like Bishop Swing Community House would be incredibly shortsighted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12040747\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12040747\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250513-HUD-FUNDS-MD-08-KQED-1-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beth Stokes, Executive Director at Episcopal Community Services, at the Bishop Swing Community House supportive housing center run in San Francisco on May 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Would you rather have people on the street, suffering, their health completely deteriorating, with no quality of life?” she asked, “Versus being here — this is stable. This is peaceful. People get well here. And it’s actually a better bargain for the taxpayers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stokes said if the new grant conditions go through, she is hopeful that her organization will be able to find other funding sources to help cover Sloan and other residents’ rent. However, she acknowledged that they might have to delay other projects aimed at getting even more homeless people off the streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sloan, the Bishop Swing Community House resident, said he cannot imagine a world without the supportive housing he’s relied on for 15 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without it, he said, “I would have entered homelessness, exited and entered and exited, and entered homelessness many, many times.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t imagine not living here, to be honest with you. I’m scared to death of that third psychotic break. I don’t know what caused the first two. So I think I’d like to age in place right here,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12041026/new-trump-administration-rules-could-cut-off-crucial-federal-homelessness-funding",
"authors": [
"3239"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_3921",
"news_18538",
"news_1323",
"news_35095",
"news_20466",
"news_34377",
"news_35063",
"news_35129",
"news_4020",
"news_1775",
"news_17968"
],
"featImg": "news_12040001",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12039730": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12039730",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12039730",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1747069225000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "newsom-pushes-cities-ban-homeless-encampments-across-california",
"title": "Newsom Pushes Cities to Ban Homeless Encampments Across California",
"publishDate": 1747069225,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Newsom Pushes Cities to Ban Homeless Encampments Across California | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated at 4:56 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom is making his most aggressive salvo yet in an increasingly contentious \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11997352/newsom-orders-state-agencies-to-dismantle-homeless-encampments-across-california\">war on visible homelessness\u003c/a> across the Golden State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday, in an effort to urge more \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/05/12/governor-newsom-releases-state-model-for-cities-and-counties-to-immediately-address-encampments-with-urgency-and-dignity/\">California cities and counties\u003c/a> to ban encampments, he released a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Encampment-Ordinance-formatted.pdf\">model ordinance\u003c/a> to use as a template for barring camping on public property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s time to take back the streets,” Newsom said during a Monday press conference. “It cannot be a way of life — living out on the streets and sidewalk in what have almost become permanent structures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom can’t force cities to adopt the template, but the new guidance is paired with the release of $3.3 billion in new funding from Proposition 1, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11980236/california-voters-pass-proposition-1-requiring-counties-to-fund-programs-tackling-homelessness\">which voters passed last year\u003c/a> to fund supportive housing, mental health and substance use treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though he hasn’t yet explicitly called for withholding Prop. 1 funds from cities that don’t comply, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011525/newsom-announces-830-million-in-homelessness-spending-with-strings\">he has threatened in the past\u003c/a> to hold back other state grants from cities that don’t take action to reduce homelessness. Asked why he introduced the proposal with no accountability measures built in, Newsom said it was about setting “basic expectations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re also previewing expectations moving forward in terms of what we’ve been saying privately to cities and counties and our mayors and to what now we are socializing much more publicly,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030729\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030729\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign says, “Homeless and Hungery” near an encampment in Fresno, California, on Dec. 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman seized on the announcement to reiterate calls for increased and ongoing funding to address homelessness. Like other critics of the approach, she highlighted funding cuts in the governor’s budget proposal as a threat to cities’ ability to make progress on the issue. The governor is expected to release a revised budget proposal on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearing encampments may be the most visible part of this crisis, but without addressing the underlying root causes of homelessness, the cycle will only repeat itself,” Coleman said in a statement. “We have the blueprint to drive real solutions…sustained funding leads to decreases in homelessness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While conservative activists are lauding the announcement, advocates for people experiencing homelessness are condemning it as cruel and counterproductive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This ordinance is no model,” said Alex Visotzy, senior California policy fellow for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “The proven model for reducing encampments is by bringing services and connections to housing to folks that are in encampments. That has to be coupled with taking the time to build trust and understand what people’s needs are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Paul Webster, a California-based fellow with the Cicero Institute, said in a statement that the proposal did not go far enough, calling it “a step in the right direction,” but also a “half-measure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He could easily ban deadly encampments statewide,” Webster said, pointing to a handful of other states that have implemented statewide bans, which \u003ca href=\"https://ciceroinstitute.org/issues/homelessness/protecting-public-spaces/\">Cicero has promoted\u003c/a>, as examples.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under Newsom’s leadership, the state has invested some $27 billion to address affordable housing and homelessness, but frustrated with slow progress, he’s become a leading champion for cracking down on encampments. California’s homeless population is still the largest in the country, with more than 187,000 people \u003ca href=\"https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf\">at last count\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12039111 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250507-ALEXANDRIA-THEATER-MD-02-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg']After the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991340/supreme-court-says-laws-criminalizing-homeless-camping-do-not-violate-constitution\">Supreme Court \u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991340/supreme-court-says-laws-criminalizing-homeless-camping-do-not-violate-constitution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cleared the way\u003c/a> for cities to enforce camping bans last year\u003c/span>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Encampments-EO-7-24.pdf\">Newsom directed state agencies\u003c/a> to institute policies to remove encampments and encouraged cities to follow suit. Since then, dozens of cities and counties in California have passed new laws or begun enforcing existing bans governing homelessness, according to the National Homelessness Law Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eric Tars, senior policy director for the center, drew a parallel between Newsom’s approach and President Donald Trump’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Politicians want to blame and punish people for being poor and sleeping outside in a country where more and more people struggle to make ends meet,” he said in a statement, noting that high housing costs are a key driver of homelessness. “Newson’s ordinance, like Trump’s budget cuts and bad policies, will make homelessness worse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s new template ordinance prohibits public camping that blocks sidewalks or remains in the same place for more than three days — an approach Visotzky described as “a recipe for creating chaos and confusion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a recipe for making it harder for outreach workers and case managers to stay in touch with the folks they’re trying to get inside. It’s a recipe for confusion between local jurisdictions,” he said. “So, I’m hard-pressed to believe that many local jurisdictions are going to see this model and think it’s workable for their jurisdiction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The model encourages local governments to tailor policies to their needs, but calls on them to follow basic principles, including limits on criminal punishment for sleeping outside when no alternatives exist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12037895 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250505-SFSHELTEREQUITY-13-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Policies that prohibit individuals from sleeping outside anywhere in the jurisdiction without offering adequate indoor shelter, effectively banishing homeless individuals from the jurisdiction’s borders, are both inhumane and impose externalities on neighboring jurisdictions, which must face the costs and challenges of an increased unsheltered homeless population,” the template states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also requires officials to give notice and make reasonable attempts to house people before clearing camps, to “prioritize shelter and services” and ensure unhoused people and their belongings “are treated with respect.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s great to have the governor pushing alongside us to end the era of encampments,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. Mahan has invested heavily in emergency shelter to move people off the streets and is now pursuing a policy of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029843/san-jose-mayor-pushes-to-arrest-unhoused-who-refuse-shelter\">arresting unhoused people who refuse multiple offers of shelter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the long-term success of Newsom’s approach requires ensuring local governments share the responsibility of providing shelter and treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without sufficient beds and a requirement that people use them, we end up spending millions of dollars simply shuffling vulnerable people across jurisdictional lines,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "To urge more California cities and counties to ban encampments, Gov. Gavin Newsom released a model ordinance on Monday to use as a template for barring camping on public property. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1747161857,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 27,
"wordCount": 1128
},
"headData": {
"title": "Newsom Pushes Cities to Ban Homeless Encampments Across California | KQED",
"description": "To urge more California cities and counties to ban encampments, Gov. Gavin Newsom released a model ordinance on Monday to use as a template for barring camping on public property. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Newsom Pushes Cities to Ban Homeless Encampments Across California",
"datePublished": "2025-05-12T10:00:25-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-05-13T11:44:17-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12039730",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12039730/newsom-pushes-cities-ban-homeless-encampments-across-california",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated at 4:56 p.m.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom is making his most aggressive salvo yet in an increasingly contentious \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11997352/newsom-orders-state-agencies-to-dismantle-homeless-encampments-across-california\">war on visible homelessness\u003c/a> across the Golden State.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday, in an effort to urge more \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/05/12/governor-newsom-releases-state-model-for-cities-and-counties-to-immediately-address-encampments-with-urgency-and-dignity/\">California cities and counties\u003c/a> to ban encampments, he released a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Encampment-Ordinance-formatted.pdf\">model ordinance\u003c/a> to use as a template for barring camping on public property.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s time to take back the streets,” Newsom said during a Monday press conference. “It cannot be a way of life — living out on the streets and sidewalk in what have almost become permanent structures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom can’t force cities to adopt the template, but the new guidance is paired with the release of $3.3 billion in new funding from Proposition 1, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11980236/california-voters-pass-proposition-1-requiring-counties-to-fund-programs-tackling-homelessness\">which voters passed last year\u003c/a> to fund supportive housing, mental health and substance use treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though he hasn’t yet explicitly called for withholding Prop. 1 funds from cities that don’t comply, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011525/newsom-announces-830-million-in-homelessness-spending-with-strings\">he has threatened in the past\u003c/a> to hold back other state grants from cities that don’t take action to reduce homelessness. Asked why he introduced the proposal with no accountability measures built in, Newsom said it was about setting “basic expectations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re also previewing expectations moving forward in terms of what we’ve been saying privately to cities and counties and our mayors and to what now we are socializing much more publicly,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12030729\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12030729\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/241203-FresnoCampingBan-67-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign says, “Homeless and Hungery” near an encampment in Fresno, California, on Dec. 3, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman seized on the announcement to reiterate calls for increased and ongoing funding to address homelessness. Like other critics of the approach, she highlighted funding cuts in the governor’s budget proposal as a threat to cities’ ability to make progress on the issue. The governor is expected to release a revised budget proposal on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearing encampments may be the most visible part of this crisis, but without addressing the underlying root causes of homelessness, the cycle will only repeat itself,” Coleman said in a statement. “We have the blueprint to drive real solutions…sustained funding leads to decreases in homelessness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While conservative activists are lauding the announcement, advocates for people experiencing homelessness are condemning it as cruel and counterproductive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This ordinance is no model,” said Alex Visotzy, senior California policy fellow for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “The proven model for reducing encampments is by bringing services and connections to housing to folks that are in encampments. That has to be coupled with taking the time to build trust and understand what people’s needs are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Paul Webster, a California-based fellow with the Cicero Institute, said in a statement that the proposal did not go far enough, calling it “a step in the right direction,” but also a “half-measure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He could easily ban deadly encampments statewide,” Webster said, pointing to a handful of other states that have implemented statewide bans, which \u003ca href=\"https://ciceroinstitute.org/issues/homelessness/protecting-public-spaces/\">Cicero has promoted\u003c/a>, as examples.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under Newsom’s leadership, the state has invested some $27 billion to address affordable housing and homelessness, but frustrated with slow progress, he’s become a leading champion for cracking down on encampments. California’s homeless population is still the largest in the country, with more than 187,000 people \u003ca href=\"https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf\">at last count\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12039111",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250507-ALEXANDRIA-THEATER-MD-02-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991340/supreme-court-says-laws-criminalizing-homeless-camping-do-not-violate-constitution\">Supreme Court \u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991340/supreme-court-says-laws-criminalizing-homeless-camping-do-not-violate-constitution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cleared the way\u003c/a> for cities to enforce camping bans last year\u003c/span>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Encampments-EO-7-24.pdf\">Newsom directed state agencies\u003c/a> to institute policies to remove encampments and encouraged cities to follow suit. Since then, dozens of cities and counties in California have passed new laws or begun enforcing existing bans governing homelessness, according to the National Homelessness Law Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eric Tars, senior policy director for the center, drew a parallel between Newsom’s approach and President Donald Trump’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Politicians want to blame and punish people for being poor and sleeping outside in a country where more and more people struggle to make ends meet,” he said in a statement, noting that high housing costs are a key driver of homelessness. “Newson’s ordinance, like Trump’s budget cuts and bad policies, will make homelessness worse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state’s new template ordinance prohibits public camping that blocks sidewalks or remains in the same place for more than three days — an approach Visotzky described as “a recipe for creating chaos and confusion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a recipe for making it harder for outreach workers and case managers to stay in touch with the folks they’re trying to get inside. It’s a recipe for confusion between local jurisdictions,” he said. “So, I’m hard-pressed to believe that many local jurisdictions are going to see this model and think it’s workable for their jurisdiction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The model encourages local governments to tailor policies to their needs, but calls on them to follow basic principles, including limits on criminal punishment for sleeping outside when no alternatives exist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12037895",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/250505-SFSHELTEREQUITY-13-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Policies that prohibit individuals from sleeping outside anywhere in the jurisdiction without offering adequate indoor shelter, effectively banishing homeless individuals from the jurisdiction’s borders, are both inhumane and impose externalities on neighboring jurisdictions, which must face the costs and challenges of an increased unsheltered homeless population,” the template states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also requires officials to give notice and make reasonable attempts to house people before clearing camps, to “prioritize shelter and services” and ensure unhoused people and their belongings “are treated with respect.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s great to have the governor pushing alongside us to end the era of encampments,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. Mahan has invested heavily in emergency shelter to move people off the streets and is now pursuing a policy of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029843/san-jose-mayor-pushes-to-arrest-unhoused-who-refuse-shelter\">arresting unhoused people who refuse multiple offers of shelter\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the long-term success of Newsom’s approach requires ensuring local governments share the responsibility of providing shelter and treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without sufficient beds and a requirement that people use them, we end up spending millions of dollars simply shuffling vulnerable people across jurisdictional lines,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12039730/newsom-pushes-cities-ban-homeless-encampments-across-california",
"authors": [
"11276"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_3921",
"news_18538",
"news_16",
"news_21214",
"news_4020",
"news_1775"
],
"featImg": "news_12000354",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12038589": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12038589",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12038589",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1746374427000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "they-found-their-homeless-loved-ones-after-years-apart-but-that-was-just-the-beginning",
"title": "They Found Their Homeless Loved Ones After Years Apart. But That Was Just the Beginning.",
"publishDate": 1746374427,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "They Found Their Homeless Loved Ones After Years Apart. But That Was Just the Beginning. | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The last time Julie Crossman saw her little sister, Nanie Crossman, it was 2019 and Nanie was moving out of Julie’s San Francisco apartment, destination unknown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the next six years, Julie worried — especially every time it rained. She assumed Nanie was homeless, but she had no idea where she was or how to find her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just couldn’t sleep at night because I was so scared,” Julie said, her voice breaking. “I was really scared that she was just, like, cold and alone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in January, Julie got a text from her half-brother. It was a link to a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/10/california-homeless-voting-election/\">CalMatters article\u003c/a> about unhoused people voting. \u003cem>And it quoted Nanie\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That article launched Julie on a quest to find her long-lost sister, rekindle their relationship and — maybe — help her get off the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s estimated more than \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/01/hud-pit-count-2024/\">187,000 Californians\u003c/a> are homeless. But no one counts the number of people like Julie, who stay up late worrying, compulsively Googling their sister, father or child’s name for a clue to their whereabouts. The people who scan every face each time they pass a homeless encampment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their numbers are likely far greater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some nonprofits that work in the homeless services sector say reconnecting with family is a crucial, and often overlooked, step in getting clients off the street. Even if a family member can’t offer up their guest room or couch, they might help their loved one find housing, access addiction treatment, sign up for benefits, or simply provide emotional support — reminding them that they are important and worthy of love. But the process of finding and reconnecting with someone living outside can be difficult, both logistically and emotionally, for everyone involved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once the person is found, it opens up a new question: What, if anything, can be done to help? The answer is almost never simple. Despite a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/11/california-homeless-busing/\">growing effort\u003c/a> by homeless service providers to reunite clients with their families, there’s little data to show how often those reunifications end someone’s homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, as Julie found when she searched for guidance, few resources exist to help families navigate this terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I haven’t found anything,” Julie said. “It’s frustrating because this whole thing is happenstance and coincidence and lucky breaks but there’s not really a road map that I can find of other people’s methods, or things they’ve done that have been helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Two sisters reunite\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>From the CalMatters article, Julie gleaned one important fact: Nanie was living in an RV parked on a West Oakland street. It felt like a lucky break — Julie had since moved to Oakland as well. She emailed the CalMatters reporter to find out more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12035360 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/RS31143_GettyImages-514351304-qut-1020x674.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three weeks later, on a sunny Tuesday morning, she and the reporter stood outside a row of RVs on a trash-strewn side street next to a graffiti-covered warehouse wall. It had taken a few tries to get there. Police had forced Nanie to move from her prior parking spot a week and a half earlier, so Julie and the reporter walked up and down the nearby streets, asking other RV-dwellers if they knew her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, they found an RV that had Nanie’s name sketched near the door. Julie was scared. She worried Nanie wouldn’t want to talk to her after all these years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They knocked — no answer. Nanie wasn’t in her RV. But they soon found her in the RV next door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Julie!” Nanie exclaimed, stepping outside. The sisters threw their arms around each other in a tight hug.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s up, dude?” Nanie asked when they separated, as if it hadn’t been six years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nothing is up,” Julie replied, beaming. The resemblance between the two sisters, now both in their 40s, was obvious: Matching dark hair, pale complexions and smiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/040225-Reunification-MK-CM-02-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Two people stand outside an RV, smiling and holding canned drinks. One person wears a hooded rain jacket and the other wears glasses and a rain poncho. A sign on the RV door reads “Do Not Disturb Occupants.\">\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/040225-Reunification-MK-CM-01-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Two people embrace tightly outside a weathered RV, one holding a cigarette and visibly emotional. A sign on the door reads “Do Not Disturb Occupant.”\">\u003c/figure>\u003cfigcaption>Sisters Julie Crossman and Nanie Crossman reunite outside of Nanie’s trailer in West Oakland, after going 6 years with no contact, on April 1, 2025. \u003cem>Marisa Kendall/CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Julie and Nanie immediately launched into a remarkably ordinary conversation, updating each other on their lives. They discovered they both have cats. Neither has a driver’s license. Nanie described what it was like being homeless in San Francisco during the COVID-19 pandemic (she liked having the streets to herself) and talked about the time she spent living in Sacramento. Julie wanted to know about the logistical details of her sister’s life: How do you get clothes? What about food?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They kept it light. They didn’t unpack old traumas or air past grievances. Julie didn’t ask Nanie if she was using drugs or badger her about getting a job and moving inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later, Julie said it took some willpower to tamp down her protective, older-sister instincts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to judge her life where it’s just a fact of life. I just don’t think that’s a good way to approach it,” Julie said. “If it were me, I would just shut down. I would not want to talk to someone like that, who was asking me that kind of question.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie presented Nanie with the offerings she brought: A few cans of sparkling water, wet wipes, socks and a fancy pen. She offered to do Nanie’s laundry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nanie, I’m so glad to see you,” Julie said with a squeal, giving her sister another hug. “I feel like we’re just chit-chatting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘It’s tougher than I even imagined’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Julie and Nanie were close as kids growing up in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. They invented games, such as using \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/gp17pm/barbie_boombox_from_the_90s/?rdt=37798\">a Barbie boombox\u003c/a> to record themselves reading children’s books in funny voices. As they got older, their conversations were so full of inside references that outsiders, including one of Julie’s former boyfriends, were left in the dark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nanie told a CalMatters reporter that after she became homeless, she avoided trying to find Julie. She was afraid her sister would be mad at her or judgmental — or worse, that she’d died in an accident and Nanie hadn’t known. Seeing her again was a big relief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel a lot less all alone out here,” Nanie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie walked away from their meeting with mixed emotions. She was relieved that overall, Nanie seemed OK. The fears she had — that Nanie might have physically or mentally deteriorated due to drugs, or been forced to do sex work to survive — seemed unfounded. Nanie was safe from the elements in her RV and had a community of friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_02-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing tortoiseshell glasses, a black shirt, and a red zip-up jacket stands in front of a fence covered with green leaves and bright pink flowers. Sunlight casts shadows across their face.\">\u003cfigcaption>Julie Crossman, sister of Nanie Crossman, in Oakland on April 8, 2025. After losing contact for six years, the sisters reunited after Julie saw that Nanie, who is unhoused, was quoted in a CalMatters article. \u003cem>Florence Middleton for CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the meeting also raised a big question: What could Julie do to help her sister?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nanie says she wants a relationship, not help. In the past, after moving indoors, she became depressed. In her RV, within her street community, she feels like herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For now,” Nanie said, “I’m content out here. And I guess what I want from her is to understand that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie understands that as well as someone who hasn’t lived on the streets can — which is to say, not completely. She still wants to help, but she’s struggling with how. Part of her wants to open up her home so Nanie can shower, do laundry and hang out, while another part of her thinks she should instead set boundaries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then she feels guilty for even considering keeping her sister at a distance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s tougher than I even imagined it would be,” Julie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Does reconnecting with family help?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Programs throughout the state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/11/california-homeless-busing/\">offer bus tickets\u003c/a> out of town to unhoused people trying to reunite with family or friends. That can result in people simply becoming homeless again in a new location. But proponents say that if done with the proper support, sending someone back into the arms of loved ones can be a lifesaver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We heal in community,” said Gabby Cordell, who runs the reunification program at the San Francisco-based nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.miraclemessages.org/\">Miracle Messages\u003c/a>. “We’re not meant to go through life alone. And everyone matters. Everyone is someone’s somebody.”[aside postID=forum_2010101909090 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2025/02/Kevin-Fagan-1020x574.png']Using Google, social media and anything else they can think of, Miracle Messages helps unhoused clients find their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, or anyone else they are looking for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organization receives about 50 referrals a month — mostly for cases within California, Cordell said. She and her team are able to find and get a hold of the person they’re looking for about half of the time. Sometimes, the family member is thrilled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s astounding how often we get an, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve been looking for him,’” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other times, the relationship has been badly damaged, and the family member isn’t interested in reconnecting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group also offers the reverse, helping people who are housed find loved ones living on the street. That’s much harder, Cordell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Trying to find your brother is looking for a needle in a haystack,” she said. “Trying to find your brother who is unhoused is looking for a moving needle in 10 haystacks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nonprofit has succeeded in arranging more than 115 of these more difficult reunions since around 2017, according to its website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nonprofit LifeMoves also offers reunification services across 17 of its homeless shelter and temporary housing sites in Silicon Valley. Only a small percentage of clients leave homelessness that way (the nonprofit doesn’t track exactly how many), said Heather Griffin, director of shelter and services for Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s impossible to know how successful these efforts are. Neither LifeMoves nor Miracle Messages tracks what happens to people after they reunite with family.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘That was hard:’ Another family reconnects after decades on the street\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ashanti Terrell lived a lot of her life without her father, Ashby Dancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was on and off the streets of Oakland for most of her childhood, while she grew up in and out of foster care and then with her mother’s family. She lost touch with him as the years passed and she earned a master’s degree, launched a career in public safety and had three children of her own in Atlanta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as she got older, she felt a void. Her mother had died and her father was all she had left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I was 18 years old, (I) graduated, I had nobody to go to my graduation,” Terrell said. “I wanted my dad to at least be at my graduation. I haven’t gotten married because I wanted my dad to be there, you know. I haven’t done a lot of stuff because I wanted my dad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terrell had glimpses of her father over the years. Two years ago, he landed in subsidized housing in Oakland and she went to visit him. But he didn’t know who she was, she said. Whether that was because of drug use, mental illness or both, she wasn’t sure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last fall, Terrell got a call from a social worker. The social worker said her father was trying to get to Atlanta to see her, but got stuck in Texas and ended up in a hospital. Terrell started planning with her sister to help him. But when she called the hospital again, he was already gone. No one knew where.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She decided to pack up her life in Georgia, move to the Bay Area, and find him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, while Googling her father’s name, Terrell saw him quoted in an October \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/10/california-homeless-voting-election/\">CalMatters article\u003c/a> — coincidentally, the same article that helped reunite Julie and Nanie Crossman. The article said he was at a tent encampment in East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/041825_Reunification_JK_CM_01-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Two people, one adult and one child, stand close together on a sunny sidewalk, holding hands and looking at something obscured in the foreground. Both wear black hoodies and jeans. Palm trees and apartment buildings line the background.\">\u003cfigcaption>Ashanti Terrell and her son Mekhi Terrell stand outside her father’s tent in Oakland on April 18, 2025. \u003cem>Jungho Kim for CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Terrell went looking. She drove around the area at different times of day, hoping to catch a glimpse of her father. She asked the workers at a nearby Burger King if they’d seen him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, Terrell emailed the CalMatters reporter for help. The reporter showed her where to find her father’s tarp-covered tent, sitting by itself on the sidewalk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, Terrell started visiting her father, stopping by to check on him, talk and give him food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent Friday afternoon, she brought her 7-year-old son, Mekhi. Dancy gave the boy a fistbump and asked about his school, and about the family’s upcoming move to Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood. But then he started talking about the 22 kids he’d had with his ex-girlfriend (something Terrell is positive didn’t happen). He mumbled, making it hard for her to understand him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mekhi asked his mom if they could buy Grandpa some Burger King, and she said yes, promising to come back with a burger after they picked the other kids up from school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just wanted to let you know that I’m here,” Terrell told her father, as they left. “As soon as I get myself together, I’m going to help you out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love you, sweetheart,” he said. And then to Mekhi: “Take care of your mom, OK?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terrell teared up as she and Mekhi walked away from her father’s tent. “That was hard,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/041825_Reunification_JK_CM_25-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Three people stand outdoors on a sunny day. One person holds a smartphone, showing something on the screen to an older person in a blue jacket who is smiling. A child in the foreground is smiling and looking downward. Palm trees and buildings line the background.\">\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/041825_Reunification_JK_CM_10-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Two people interact outdoors on a sunny day. One person, in a dark athletic jacket, stands in focus with a slight smile, while another person in a blue coat is partially visible in the foreground. Palm trees and residential buildings are in the background.\">\u003c/figure>\u003cfigcaption>First: Ashby Dancy talks with one of his daughters over FaceTime as his daughter Ashanti Terrell holds the phone and grandson Mekhi Terrell stands nearby. Last: From left, Ashby Dancy speaks with his daughter Ashanti Terrell in Oakland on April 18, 2025. \u003cem>Jungho Kim for CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He had admitted he was drunk, which disappointed her. Just like today’s Oakland — with its massive homeless encampment along East 12th Street — is unrecognizable as the city she grew up in, the man she just talked to is not the father who raised her. The father she remembers won trophies for boxing. He was a “big kid,” a gentle soul who ran around and played with her and her two sisters, did their hair in cute braids and took them camping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know who he is,” she said of the man in the tent. “I come from him, but I don’t know him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/041825_Reunification_JK_CM_26-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A person sits in an upholstered chair inside a makeshift shelter made of tarps and blankets. They appear to be smiling and holding a plastic bag. The area around the shelter is cluttered with debris, and part of another person is visible in the foreground, out of focus.\">\u003cfigcaption>Ashby Dancy sits in a chair next to his tent while looking at his grandson Mekhi Terrell, whom he is meeting for the first time, in Oakland on April 18, 2025. \u003cem>Jungho Kim for CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The last real memory Terrell has of her father is from July 1998, at the same Burger King across the street from her father’s tent. It was Terrell’s 8th birthday. She was in foster care, but was visiting with her parents at the fast food chain — her favorite — to celebrate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She moved with her mother to Chicago and then Atlanta shortly after, and lost touch with her father, who stayed behind in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Terrell wants to repair their relationship. She wants him to get to know his grandchildren, and she wants to take him to visit his 86-year-old mother in Stockton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also wants to save him, before it’s too late. He’s 63, and Terrell is scared that if he stays outside, he’ll fall victim to fentanyl, or one of the many other dangers of the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terrell imagines helping her father will involve rehab and an assessment of his mental state — if he’s willing. She wants to figure out why he lost his subsidized housing, and if he can get it back. But she’s not sure where to start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe 20 years might be too late,” she said. “I don’t know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/05/homeless-family-reunite/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "After reading a CalMatters article, two people were able to reconnect with their homeless relatives. Here’s what happened next.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1748387764,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 74,
"wordCount": 2876
},
"headData": {
"title": "They Found Their Homeless Loved Ones After Years Apart. But That Was Just the Beginning. | KQED",
"description": "After reading a CalMatters article, two people were able to reconnect with their homeless relatives. Here’s what happened next.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "They Found Their Homeless Loved Ones After Years Apart. But That Was Just the Beginning.",
"datePublished": "2025-05-04T09:00:27-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-05-27T16:16:04-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/76952ff9-2955-45e6-b9c7-b2ea01031cfb/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/marisa-kendall/\">Marisa Kendall\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12038589",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12038589/they-found-their-homeless-loved-ones-after-years-apart-but-that-was-just-the-beginning",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The last time Julie Crossman saw her little sister, Nanie Crossman, it was 2019 and Nanie was moving out of Julie’s San Francisco apartment, destination unknown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the next six years, Julie worried — especially every time it rained. She assumed Nanie was homeless, but she had no idea where she was or how to find her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just couldn’t sleep at night because I was so scared,” Julie said, her voice breaking. “I was really scared that she was just, like, cold and alone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in January, Julie got a text from her half-brother. It was a link to a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/10/california-homeless-voting-election/\">CalMatters article\u003c/a> about unhoused people voting. \u003cem>And it quoted Nanie\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That article launched Julie on a quest to find her long-lost sister, rekindle their relationship and — maybe — help her get off the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s estimated more than \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/01/hud-pit-count-2024/\">187,000 Californians\u003c/a> are homeless. But no one counts the number of people like Julie, who stay up late worrying, compulsively Googling their sister, father or child’s name for a clue to their whereabouts. The people who scan every face each time they pass a homeless encampment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their numbers are likely far greater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some nonprofits that work in the homeless services sector say reconnecting with family is a crucial, and often overlooked, step in getting clients off the street. Even if a family member can’t offer up their guest room or couch, they might help their loved one find housing, access addiction treatment, sign up for benefits, or simply provide emotional support — reminding them that they are important and worthy of love. But the process of finding and reconnecting with someone living outside can be difficult, both logistically and emotionally, for everyone involved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once the person is found, it opens up a new question: What, if anything, can be done to help? The answer is almost never simple. Despite a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/11/california-homeless-busing/\">growing effort\u003c/a> by homeless service providers to reunite clients with their families, there’s little data to show how often those reunifications end someone’s homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, as Julie found when she searched for guidance, few resources exist to help families navigate this terrain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I haven’t found anything,” Julie said. “It’s frustrating because this whole thing is happenstance and coincidence and lucky breaks but there’s not really a road map that I can find of other people’s methods, or things they’ve done that have been helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Two sisters reunite\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>From the CalMatters article, Julie gleaned one important fact: Nanie was living in an RV parked on a West Oakland street. It felt like a lucky break — Julie had since moved to Oakland as well. She emailed the CalMatters reporter to find out more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12035360",
"hero": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/12/RS31143_GettyImages-514351304-qut-1020x674.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Three weeks later, on a sunny Tuesday morning, she and the reporter stood outside a row of RVs on a trash-strewn side street next to a graffiti-covered warehouse wall. It had taken a few tries to get there. Police had forced Nanie to move from her prior parking spot a week and a half earlier, so Julie and the reporter walked up and down the nearby streets, asking other RV-dwellers if they knew her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, they found an RV that had Nanie’s name sketched near the door. Julie was scared. She worried Nanie wouldn’t want to talk to her after all these years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They knocked — no answer. Nanie wasn’t in her RV. But they soon found her in the RV next door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Julie!” Nanie exclaimed, stepping outside. The sisters threw their arms around each other in a tight hug.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What’s up, dude?” Nanie asked when they separated, as if it hadn’t been six years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nothing is up,” Julie replied, beaming. The resemblance between the two sisters, now both in their 40s, was obvious: Matching dark hair, pale complexions and smiles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/040225-Reunification-MK-CM-02-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Two people stand outside an RV, smiling and holding canned drinks. One person wears a hooded rain jacket and the other wears glasses and a rain poncho. A sign on the RV door reads “Do Not Disturb Occupants.\">\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/040225-Reunification-MK-CM-01-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Two people embrace tightly outside a weathered RV, one holding a cigarette and visibly emotional. A sign on the door reads “Do Not Disturb Occupant.”\">\u003c/figure>\u003cfigcaption>Sisters Julie Crossman and Nanie Crossman reunite outside of Nanie’s trailer in West Oakland, after going 6 years with no contact, on April 1, 2025. \u003cem>Marisa Kendall/CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Julie and Nanie immediately launched into a remarkably ordinary conversation, updating each other on their lives. They discovered they both have cats. Neither has a driver’s license. Nanie described what it was like being homeless in San Francisco during the COVID-19 pandemic (she liked having the streets to herself) and talked about the time she spent living in Sacramento. Julie wanted to know about the logistical details of her sister’s life: How do you get clothes? What about food?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They kept it light. They didn’t unpack old traumas or air past grievances. Julie didn’t ask Nanie if she was using drugs or badger her about getting a job and moving inside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Later, Julie said it took some willpower to tamp down her protective, older-sister instincts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to judge her life where it’s just a fact of life. I just don’t think that’s a good way to approach it,” Julie said. “If it were me, I would just shut down. I would not want to talk to someone like that, who was asking me that kind of question.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie presented Nanie with the offerings she brought: A few cans of sparkling water, wet wipes, socks and a fancy pen. She offered to do Nanie’s laundry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nanie, I’m so glad to see you,” Julie said with a squeal, giving her sister another hug. “I feel like we’re just chit-chatting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘It’s tougher than I even imagined’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Julie and Nanie were close as kids growing up in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. They invented games, such as using \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/gp17pm/barbie_boombox_from_the_90s/?rdt=37798\">a Barbie boombox\u003c/a> to record themselves reading children’s books in funny voices. As they got older, their conversations were so full of inside references that outsiders, including one of Julie’s former boyfriends, were left in the dark.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nanie told a CalMatters reporter that after she became homeless, she avoided trying to find Julie. She was afraid her sister would be mad at her or judgmental — or worse, that she’d died in an accident and Nanie hadn’t known. Seeing her again was a big relief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel a lot less all alone out here,” Nanie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie walked away from their meeting with mixed emotions. She was relieved that overall, Nanie seemed OK. The fears she had — that Nanie might have physically or mentally deteriorated due to drugs, or been forced to do sex work to survive — seemed unfounded. Nanie was safe from the elements in her RV and had a community of friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/040825_Reunification_FM_CM_02-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A person wearing tortoiseshell glasses, a black shirt, and a red zip-up jacket stands in front of a fence covered with green leaves and bright pink flowers. Sunlight casts shadows across their face.\">\u003cfigcaption>Julie Crossman, sister of Nanie Crossman, in Oakland on April 8, 2025. After losing contact for six years, the sisters reunited after Julie saw that Nanie, who is unhoused, was quoted in a CalMatters article. \u003cem>Florence Middleton for CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the meeting also raised a big question: What could Julie do to help her sister?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nanie says she wants a relationship, not help. In the past, after moving indoors, she became depressed. In her RV, within her street community, she feels like herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For now,” Nanie said, “I’m content out here. And I guess what I want from her is to understand that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Julie understands that as well as someone who hasn’t lived on the streets can — which is to say, not completely. She still wants to help, but she’s struggling with how. Part of her wants to open up her home so Nanie can shower, do laundry and hang out, while another part of her thinks she should instead set boundaries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And then she feels guilty for even considering keeping her sister at a distance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s tougher than I even imagined it would be,” Julie said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Does reconnecting with family help?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Programs throughout the state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/11/california-homeless-busing/\">offer bus tickets\u003c/a> out of town to unhoused people trying to reunite with family or friends. That can result in people simply becoming homeless again in a new location. But proponents say that if done with the proper support, sending someone back into the arms of loved ones can be a lifesaver.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We heal in community,” said Gabby Cordell, who runs the reunification program at the San Francisco-based nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://www.miraclemessages.org/\">Miracle Messages\u003c/a>. “We’re not meant to go through life alone. And everyone matters. Everyone is someone’s somebody.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "forum_2010101909090",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2025/02/Kevin-Fagan-1020x574.png",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Using Google, social media and anything else they can think of, Miracle Messages helps unhoused clients find their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, or anyone else they are looking for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organization receives about 50 referrals a month — mostly for cases within California, Cordell said. She and her team are able to find and get a hold of the person they’re looking for about half of the time. Sometimes, the family member is thrilled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s astounding how often we get an, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve been looking for him,’” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other times, the relationship has been badly damaged, and the family member isn’t interested in reconnecting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group also offers the reverse, helping people who are housed find loved ones living on the street. That’s much harder, Cordell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Trying to find your brother is looking for a needle in a haystack,” she said. “Trying to find your brother who is unhoused is looking for a moving needle in 10 haystacks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The nonprofit has succeeded in arranging more than 115 of these more difficult reunions since around 2017, according to its website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nonprofit LifeMoves also offers reunification services across 17 of its homeless shelter and temporary housing sites in Silicon Valley. Only a small percentage of clients leave homelessness that way (the nonprofit doesn’t track exactly how many), said Heather Griffin, director of shelter and services for Santa Clara County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s impossible to know how successful these efforts are. Neither LifeMoves nor Miracle Messages tracks what happens to people after they reunite with family.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘That was hard:’ Another family reconnects after decades on the street\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Ashanti Terrell lived a lot of her life without her father, Ashby Dancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was on and off the streets of Oakland for most of her childhood, while she grew up in and out of foster care and then with her mother’s family. She lost touch with him as the years passed and she earned a master’s degree, launched a career in public safety and had three children of her own in Atlanta.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as she got older, she felt a void. Her mother had died and her father was all she had left.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I was 18 years old, (I) graduated, I had nobody to go to my graduation,” Terrell said. “I wanted my dad to at least be at my graduation. I haven’t gotten married because I wanted my dad to be there, you know. I haven’t done a lot of stuff because I wanted my dad.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terrell had glimpses of her father over the years. Two years ago, he landed in subsidized housing in Oakland and she went to visit him. But he didn’t know who she was, she said. Whether that was because of drug use, mental illness or both, she wasn’t sure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last fall, Terrell got a call from a social worker. The social worker said her father was trying to get to Atlanta to see her, but got stuck in Texas and ended up in a hospital. Terrell started planning with her sister to help him. But when she called the hospital again, he was already gone. No one knew where.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She decided to pack up her life in Georgia, move to the Bay Area, and find him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, while Googling her father’s name, Terrell saw him quoted in an October \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/10/california-homeless-voting-election/\">CalMatters article\u003c/a> — coincidentally, the same article that helped reunite Julie and Nanie Crossman. The article said he was at a tent encampment in East Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/041825_Reunification_JK_CM_01-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Two people, one adult and one child, stand close together on a sunny sidewalk, holding hands and looking at something obscured in the foreground. Both wear black hoodies and jeans. Palm trees and apartment buildings line the background.\">\u003cfigcaption>Ashanti Terrell and her son Mekhi Terrell stand outside her father’s tent in Oakland on April 18, 2025. \u003cem>Jungho Kim for CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Terrell went looking. She drove around the area at different times of day, hoping to catch a glimpse of her father. She asked the workers at a nearby Burger King if they’d seen him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In March, Terrell emailed the CalMatters reporter for help. The reporter showed her where to find her father’s tarp-covered tent, sitting by itself on the sidewalk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that, Terrell started visiting her father, stopping by to check on him, talk and give him food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent Friday afternoon, she brought her 7-year-old son, Mekhi. Dancy gave the boy a fistbump and asked about his school, and about the family’s upcoming move to Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood. But then he started talking about the 22 kids he’d had with his ex-girlfriend (something Terrell is positive didn’t happen). He mumbled, making it hard for her to understand him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mekhi asked his mom if they could buy Grandpa some Burger King, and she said yes, promising to come back with a burger after they picked the other kids up from school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just wanted to let you know that I’m here,” Terrell told her father, as they left. “As soon as I get myself together, I’m going to help you out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I love you, sweetheart,” he said. And then to Mekhi: “Take care of your mom, OK?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terrell teared up as she and Mekhi walked away from her father’s tent. “That was hard,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/041825_Reunification_JK_CM_25-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Three people stand outdoors on a sunny day. One person holds a smartphone, showing something on the screen to an older person in a blue jacket who is smiling. A child in the foreground is smiling and looking downward. Palm trees and buildings line the background.\">\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/041825_Reunification_JK_CM_10-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Two people interact outdoors on a sunny day. One person, in a dark athletic jacket, stands in focus with a slight smile, while another person in a blue coat is partially visible in the foreground. Palm trees and residential buildings are in the background.\">\u003c/figure>\u003cfigcaption>First: Ashby Dancy talks with one of his daughters over FaceTime as his daughter Ashanti Terrell holds the phone and grandson Mekhi Terrell stands nearby. Last: From left, Ashby Dancy speaks with his daughter Ashanti Terrell in Oakland on April 18, 2025. \u003cem>Jungho Kim for CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He had admitted he was drunk, which disappointed her. Just like today’s Oakland — with its massive homeless encampment along East 12th Street — is unrecognizable as the city she grew up in, the man she just talked to is not the father who raised her. The father she remembers won trophies for boxing. He was a “big kid,” a gentle soul who ran around and played with her and her two sisters, did their hair in cute braids and took them camping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know who he is,” she said of the man in the tent. “I come from him, but I don’t know him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/041825_Reunification_JK_CM_26-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A person sits in an upholstered chair inside a makeshift shelter made of tarps and blankets. They appear to be smiling and holding a plastic bag. The area around the shelter is cluttered with debris, and part of another person is visible in the foreground, out of focus.\">\u003cfigcaption>Ashby Dancy sits in a chair next to his tent while looking at his grandson Mekhi Terrell, whom he is meeting for the first time, in Oakland on April 18, 2025. \u003cem>Jungho Kim for CalMatters\u003c/em>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The last real memory Terrell has of her father is from July 1998, at the same Burger King across the street from her father’s tent. It was Terrell’s 8th birthday. She was in foster care, but was visiting with her parents at the fast food chain — her favorite — to celebrate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She moved with her mother to Chicago and then Atlanta shortly after, and lost touch with her father, who stayed behind in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Terrell wants to repair their relationship. She wants him to get to know his grandchildren, and she wants to take him to visit his 86-year-old mother in Stockton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She also wants to save him, before it’s too late. He’s 63, and Terrell is scared that if he stays outside, he’ll fall victim to fentanyl, or one of the many other dangers of the street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Terrell imagines helping her father will involve rehab and an assessment of his mental state — if he’s willing. She wants to figure out why he lost his subsidized housing, and if he can get it back. But she’s not sure where to start.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe 20 years might be too late,” she said. “I don’t know.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/05/homeless-family-reunite/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12038589/they-found-their-homeless-loved-ones-after-years-apart-but-that-was-just-the-beginning",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12038589"
],
"categories": [
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_35213",
"news_4020",
"news_29607"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12038590",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12036665": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12036665",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12036665",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1745010012000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "what-happens-after-a-homeless-person-is-arrested-for-camping-often-not-much",
"title": "What Happens After a Homeless Person Is Arrested for Camping? Often, Not Much",
"publishDate": 1745010012,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "What Happens After a Homeless Person Is Arrested for Camping? Often, Not Much | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wickey Two Hands sat at the defense table on a recent Thursday morning, holding in his lap the red baseball cap he’d doffed out of respect for the judge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 77-year-old homeless man was supposed to be the first person tried in court under an ordinance Fresno passed last year making it a crime to camp in all public places. Over the past six months, he’d spent hours in a courtroom, arriving early for each hearing. He’d packed up and moved his campsite multiple times, trying to find out-of-the-way spots where he could avoid getting arrested again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But instead of sending Two Hands’ case before a jury, the judge — on the day trial was supposed to begin — dismissed all charges. The reason? The city waited too long to prosecute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two Hands’ case shines a spotlight on a contradiction seen around the state in recent months. California \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/09/camping-ban-ordinances/\">cities are passing\u003c/a> ordinances \u003ca href=\"https://www.fremont.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1255/1067\">left\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sandiego.gov/police/services/neighborhood-policing-division/unsafe-camping\">right\u003c/a> that allow police to arrest or cite unhoused people for camping on their streets and sidewalks, or in their parks. Police are making arrests. But when it comes to prosecuting, trying or sentencing people for violating these ordinances, some cities haven’t been able to follow through. In many cases, prosecutors aren’t filing charges. If people are charged, their cases often are dismissed quickly. Two Hands’ case was a rarity for how close it came to trial. But in the end, it too was thrown out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12005898 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230701-FRESNO-UNHOUSED-HEAT-MHN-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That has some wondering: what’s the point of arresting people at all?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two Hands’ case was set to be a bellwether to see if Fresno’s camping ban — under which police have made several hundred arrests already — would hold up before a jury. The city and county — as well as Two Hands’ lawyer, activists and even local journalists — invested a considerable amount of resources in the case before it was ultimately dismissed last week without a trial or any public hearings on its merits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They wasted a lot of time and money pursuing this case,” said Ron Hochbaum, a law professor at the University of the Pacific who specializes in homelessness and poverty law. “When you think about all the people who were involved, from police to the city attorney’s office to judges and court clerks and so on. That’s probably hundreds of hours of work and thousands of dollars wasted. And that money would be better spent by simply offering Mr. Two Hands housing without arresting him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036675\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036675\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresno Police and city workers conduct a homeless encampment sweep under a highway overpass in downtown on Feb. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036697\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036697\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Brandi Nuse-Villegas, a resident who has worked with the unhoused community in Fresno for 10 years, holds a poster she designed in support of Wickey Two Hands. Right: Two Hands after his case was dismissed at the Fresno Superior Court on April 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Adam Perez for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>CalMatters analyzed the resources that went into prosecuting Two Hands’ case:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 8:40 a.m. on Oct. 14, 2024, two Fresno police officers came across Two Hands and his belongings on the side of the road and arrested him for camping in a public place and illegally possessing a shopping cart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next six months, Two Hands attended four hearings in three different courtrooms. Before each hearing, he dropped off his belongings at a friend’s house and then caught the bus to the downtown Fresno courthouse, sometimes arriving as much as an hour early so he didn’t miss anything. After court, an advocate sometimes drove him back to his campsite. On April 10, the day his trial was supposed to begin, he missed work to attend court, skipping his scheduled shift at a wrecking yard and with it, his chance to earn money for food and other necessities for the day.[aside postID=news_12029706 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/051424-OC-Shelter-JAH-CM-32-1020x680.jpg']City and county resources also went into each hearing. Public funds paid for the presence of a judge, a bailiff and staff from the city attorney’s office. The city brought on outside law firm Manning Kass to help prosecute the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin Little, a private attorney who specializes in civil rights litigation, signed on to defend Two Hands pro bono. Little estimates he spent between 100 and 150 hours on Two Hands’ case. He had two additional staff members helping him, and they put in another 50 to 100 hours. The week the case was supposed to go to trial, Little said he spent a couple nights working in his office until 3 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another attorney, Patience Milrod, was also in court on April 10. She was there to represent Pablo Orihuela, a Fresnoland journalist who had been \u003ca href=\"https://fresnoland.org/2025/04/10/two-hands/\">covering Two Hands’ case\u003c/a> and received a subpoena to testify on behalf of the prosecution. Attorney Karl Olson was standing by to contest a subpoena issued to Fresno Bee reporter Thaddeus Miller, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article304201836.html\">according\u003c/a> to the Bee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Orihuela and Miller, journalists from CalMatters and ABC30 were there to cover the trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About two-dozen activists and local community members also showed up at the courthouse — some arriving as early as 7 a.m. despite work and childcare obligations — to support Two Hands on the day his trial was set to start. Activist Wes White drove two-and-a-half hours from Salinas to be there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all that, Judge Brian Alvarez dismissed the case. He found that the trial should have started by March 6, and going past that date would violate Two Hands’ right to a speedy trial. Two Hands’ supporters filed out of the courtroom and filled the hallway, cheering, until a bailiff asked them to keep it down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036676\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036676\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wickey Two Hands’ attorney Kevin Little celebrates after Fresno Superior Court Judge Brian Alvarez dismisses his client’s trial on April 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Adam Perez for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I’m really shocked by how much money and resources they put into this,” said advocate Dez Martinez, who recently helped Two Hands get into a shelter. “There was so much money used in this so they can make a point because they don’t want to lose a case. It just bothers me that they used that (many resources) and finances into punishing Wickey instead of doing what I did: sit down and talk to him, figure out why does he not want to go inside.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trial originally was set to start Feb. 20, but the city asked for a delay, which was granted by Judge Carlos Cabrera. Judge Alvarez appeared to disagree with that ruling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city blamed Two Hands’ team for the case getting thrown out. The defense’s subpoena request forced the city to review an extensive amount of documents, which took extra time, Deputy City Attorney Daniel Cisneros told the court. The city also had tried to prevent the case from going to trial by offering Two Hands a plea deal, which it said would come with a shelter bed. Two Hands declined, instead opting to try to clear his name through a trial.[aside postID=news_12030023 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250210_Unhoused-Ban_DMB_00270_qed-1020x680.jpg']“The City’s position is to continue to offer plea deals to defendants who accept housing and services offered by the City,” the city attorney’s office said in an emailed statement from Noemi Schwartz. “It is unfortunate that this defendant declined the services and housing offered by City at a congregate shelter at Travel Inn and will likely end up back on the streets without shelter and assistance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fresno’s new camping ordinance \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005898/fresno-rolls-out-one-of-californias-most-aggressive-camping-bans\">went into effect\u003c/a> in September, making it a misdemeanor to sit, lie, sleep or camp in a public place. But most people arrested aren’t prosecuted, and even fewer come close to a trial. Fresno police made 322 arrests under that ordinance from October 2024 through January 2025. During that time, the city attorney’s office filed charges in just 132 camping cases. The defendant failed to show up in court in more than half of the cases in which charges were filed. Only one other case, in addition to Two Hands’, was listed as headed toward trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a similar situation in other cities, from the Bay Area to Southern California. Police in Los Angeles made 238 camping arrests last year, and the city attorney’s office declined to file charges in two-thirds of those cases. In San Francisco, nearly four in five illegal lodging arrests made since August 2024 have not resulted in charges, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/illegal-lodging-arrests-are-soaring-in-s-f-20269807.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cities and district attorneys aren’t interested in prosecuting the cases because they know they don’t have enough room in jail and prisons to incarcerate everyone who is experiencing homelessness,” Hochbaum said. And they know slapping someone with a fine won’t stop them from sleeping outside, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, he said, many cities are using the threat of arrest to force unhoused people to move when they want to clear an encampment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the time being, Two Hands is sleeping inside after five years on the street. Martinez said she got him a 90-day stay at a city-run shelter — with no help from the city attorney’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(It’s) a pretty good day in my life,” Two Hands said outside the courthouse, after his case was dismissed. “Seventy-seven seasons I’ve been here, you know, I think I deserve it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Two Hands was hesitant to accept a shelter bed at first, Martinez said after spending months talking to him, getting to know him and showing up at his side to his court dates, she won his trust. She promised to keep fighting to get Two Hands into permanent housing, sign him up for Social Security, help him access health care, and get him whatever else he needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not that he wants to stay outside,” Martinez said. “He’s tired. He doesn’t want to die on the sidewalk. He didn’t want to be given something and have it be taken away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fresno still has yet to try anyone for sleeping outside, but that could change. Little is representing another unhoused man who was arrested for camping — and plans on bringing that case to trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hope the message the city gets,” Little said, “is leave the unhoused alone. Help them and don’t prosecute them. But if you are going to choose unfortunately to prosecute these cases, then you better come ready, because we’re not backing down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/04/homeless-camping-california-trial/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Wickey Two Hands was supposed to be the first person tried for camping in Fresno. Instead, after the city and county poured resources into his case, it was dismissed at the last minute.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1745015997,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 33,
"wordCount": 1929
},
"headData": {
"title": "What Happens After a Homeless Person Is Arrested for Camping? Often, Not Much | KQED",
"description": "Wickey Two Hands was supposed to be the first person tried for camping in Fresno. Instead, after the city and county poured resources into his case, it was dismissed at the last minute.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "What Happens After a Homeless Person Is Arrested for Camping? Often, Not Much",
"datePublished": "2025-04-18T14:00:12-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-04-18T15:39:57-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/marisa-kendall/\">Marisa Kendall\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12036665",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12036665/what-happens-after-a-homeless-person-is-arrested-for-camping-often-not-much",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wickey Two Hands sat at the defense table on a recent Thursday morning, holding in his lap the red baseball cap he’d doffed out of respect for the judge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 77-year-old homeless man was supposed to be the first person tried in court under an ordinance Fresno passed last year making it a crime to camp in all public places. Over the past six months, he’d spent hours in a courtroom, arriving early for each hearing. He’d packed up and moved his campsite multiple times, trying to find out-of-the-way spots where he could avoid getting arrested again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But instead of sending Two Hands’ case before a jury, the judge — on the day trial was supposed to begin — dismissed all charges. The reason? The city waited too long to prosecute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two Hands’ case shines a spotlight on a contradiction seen around the state in recent months. California \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/09/camping-ban-ordinances/\">cities are passing\u003c/a> ordinances \u003ca href=\"https://www.fremont.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1255/1067\">left\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sandiego.gov/police/services/neighborhood-policing-division/unsafe-camping\">right\u003c/a> that allow police to arrest or cite unhoused people for camping on their streets and sidewalks, or in their parks. Police are making arrests. But when it comes to prosecuting, trying or sentencing people for violating these ordinances, some cities haven’t been able to follow through. In many cases, prosecutors aren’t filing charges. If people are charged, their cases often are dismissed quickly. Two Hands’ case was a rarity for how close it came to trial. But in the end, it too was thrown out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12005898",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/230701-FRESNO-UNHOUSED-HEAT-MHN-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That has some wondering: what’s the point of arresting people at all?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two Hands’ case was set to be a bellwether to see if Fresno’s camping ban — under which police have made several hundred arrests already — would hold up before a jury. The city and county — as well as Two Hands’ lawyer, activists and even local journalists — invested a considerable amount of resources in the case before it was ultimately dismissed last week without a trial or any public hearings on its merits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They wasted a lot of time and money pursuing this case,” said Ron Hochbaum, a law professor at the University of the Pacific who specializes in homelessness and poverty law. “When you think about all the people who were involved, from police to the city attorney’s office to judges and court clerks and so on. That’s probably hundreds of hours of work and thousands of dollars wasted. And that money would be better spent by simply offering Mr. Two Hands housing without arresting him.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036675\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036675\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/020525-Homeless-Encampment-Sweep-Fresno-LV_CM_22-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresno Police and city workers conduct a homeless encampment sweep under a highway overpass in downtown on Feb. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters/CatchLight Local)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036697\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036697\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_26_DIPTYCH-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Brandi Nuse-Villegas, a resident who has worked with the unhoused community in Fresno for 10 years, holds a poster she designed in support of Wickey Two Hands. Right: Two Hands after his case was dismissed at the Fresno Superior Court on April 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Adam Perez for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>CalMatters analyzed the resources that went into prosecuting Two Hands’ case:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At 8:40 a.m. on Oct. 14, 2024, two Fresno police officers came across Two Hands and his belongings on the side of the road and arrested him for camping in a public place and illegally possessing a shopping cart.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next six months, Two Hands attended four hearings in three different courtrooms. Before each hearing, he dropped off his belongings at a friend’s house and then caught the bus to the downtown Fresno courthouse, sometimes arriving as much as an hour early so he didn’t miss anything. After court, an advocate sometimes drove him back to his campsite. On April 10, the day his trial was supposed to begin, he missed work to attend court, skipping his scheduled shift at a wrecking yard and with it, his chance to earn money for food and other necessities for the day.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12029706",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/051424-OC-Shelter-JAH-CM-32-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>City and county resources also went into each hearing. Public funds paid for the presence of a judge, a bailiff and staff from the city attorney’s office. The city brought on outside law firm Manning Kass to help prosecute the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kevin Little, a private attorney who specializes in civil rights litigation, signed on to defend Two Hands pro bono. Little estimates he spent between 100 and 150 hours on Two Hands’ case. He had two additional staff members helping him, and they put in another 50 to 100 hours. The week the case was supposed to go to trial, Little said he spent a couple nights working in his office until 3 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another attorney, Patience Milrod, was also in court on April 10. She was there to represent Pablo Orihuela, a Fresnoland journalist who had been \u003ca href=\"https://fresnoland.org/2025/04/10/two-hands/\">covering Two Hands’ case\u003c/a> and received a subpoena to testify on behalf of the prosecution. Attorney Karl Olson was standing by to contest a subpoena issued to Fresno Bee reporter Thaddeus Miller, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article304201836.html\">according\u003c/a> to the Bee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to Orihuela and Miller, journalists from CalMatters and ABC30 were there to cover the trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About two-dozen activists and local community members also showed up at the courthouse — some arriving as early as 7 a.m. despite work and childcare obligations — to support Two Hands on the day his trial was set to start. Activist Wes White drove two-and-a-half hours from Salinas to be there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all that, Judge Brian Alvarez dismissed the case. He found that the trial should have started by March 6, and going past that date would violate Two Hands’ right to a speedy trial. Two Hands’ supporters filed out of the courtroom and filled the hallway, cheering, until a bailiff asked them to keep it down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036676\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036676\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/041025_Homeless-Case_AP_CM_39-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wickey Two Hands’ attorney Kevin Little celebrates after Fresno Superior Court Judge Brian Alvarez dismisses his client’s trial on April 10, 2025. \u003ccite>(Adam Perez for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I’m really shocked by how much money and resources they put into this,” said advocate Dez Martinez, who recently helped Two Hands get into a shelter. “There was so much money used in this so they can make a point because they don’t want to lose a case. It just bothers me that they used that (many resources) and finances into punishing Wickey instead of doing what I did: sit down and talk to him, figure out why does he not want to go inside.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trial originally was set to start Feb. 20, but the city asked for a delay, which was granted by Judge Carlos Cabrera. Judge Alvarez appeared to disagree with that ruling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city blamed Two Hands’ team for the case getting thrown out. The defense’s subpoena request forced the city to review an extensive amount of documents, which took extra time, Deputy City Attorney Daniel Cisneros told the court. The city also had tried to prevent the case from going to trial by offering Two Hands a plea deal, which it said would come with a shelter bed. Two Hands declined, instead opting to try to clear his name through a trial.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12030023",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/20250210_Unhoused-Ban_DMB_00270_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The City’s position is to continue to offer plea deals to defendants who accept housing and services offered by the City,” the city attorney’s office said in an emailed statement from Noemi Schwartz. “It is unfortunate that this defendant declined the services and housing offered by City at a congregate shelter at Travel Inn and will likely end up back on the streets without shelter and assistance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fresno’s new camping ordinance \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005898/fresno-rolls-out-one-of-californias-most-aggressive-camping-bans\">went into effect\u003c/a> in September, making it a misdemeanor to sit, lie, sleep or camp in a public place. But most people arrested aren’t prosecuted, and even fewer come close to a trial. Fresno police made 322 arrests under that ordinance from October 2024 through January 2025. During that time, the city attorney’s office filed charges in just 132 camping cases. The defendant failed to show up in court in more than half of the cases in which charges were filed. Only one other case, in addition to Two Hands’, was listed as headed toward trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a similar situation in other cities, from the Bay Area to Southern California. Police in Los Angeles made 238 camping arrests last year, and the city attorney’s office declined to file charges in two-thirds of those cases. In San Francisco, nearly four in five illegal lodging arrests made since August 2024 have not resulted in charges, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/illegal-lodging-arrests-are-soaring-in-s-f-20269807.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Cities and district attorneys aren’t interested in prosecuting the cases because they know they don’t have enough room in jail and prisons to incarcerate everyone who is experiencing homelessness,” Hochbaum said. And they know slapping someone with a fine won’t stop them from sleeping outside, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, he said, many cities are using the threat of arrest to force unhoused people to move when they want to clear an encampment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the time being, Two Hands is sleeping inside after five years on the street. Martinez said she got him a 90-day stay at a city-run shelter — with no help from the city attorney’s office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(It’s) a pretty good day in my life,” Two Hands said outside the courthouse, after his case was dismissed. “Seventy-seven seasons I’ve been here, you know, I think I deserve it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Two Hands was hesitant to accept a shelter bed at first, Martinez said after spending months talking to him, getting to know him and showing up at his side to his court dates, she won his trust. She promised to keep fighting to get Two Hands into permanent housing, sign him up for Social Security, help him access health care, and get him whatever else he needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not that he wants to stay outside,” Martinez said. “He’s tired. He doesn’t want to die on the sidewalk. He didn’t want to be given something and have it be taken away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fresno still has yet to try anyone for sleeping outside, but that could change. Little is representing another unhoused man who was arrested for camping — and plans on bringing that case to trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hope the message the city gets,” Little said, “is leave the unhoused alone. Help them and don’t prosecute them. But if you are going to choose unfortunately to prosecute these cases, then you better come ready, because we’re not backing down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/04/homeless-camping-california-trial/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12036665/what-happens-after-a-homeless-person-is-arrested-for-camping-often-not-much",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12036665"
],
"categories": [
"news_6266",
"news_6188",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_34431",
"news_37",
"news_21214",
"news_4020"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12036668",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12036408": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12036408",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12036408",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1744922591000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "sf-mayor-daniel-lurie-touts-progress-crime-homelessness-first-100-days",
"title": "SF Mayor Daniel Lurie Touts Progress on Crime, Homelessness in His First 100 Days",
"publishDate": 1744922591,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "SF Mayor Daniel Lurie Touts Progress on Crime, Homelessness in His First 100 Days | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/daniel-lurie\">Daniel Lurie\u003c/a> delivered what he called a “\u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/Fact_Sheet_-_Mayor_Luries_100-Day_Progress_Report.pdf\">progress report\u003c/a>” on Thursday, ahead of his 100th day in office, touting the city’s gains in recent months on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030060/after-2-raids-sf-police-say-theyll-follow-drug-markets-from-block-to-block\">public safety\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031581/first-look-sf-mayor-luries-yearlong-plan-homelessness-response\">homelessness\u003c/a> and government efficiency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In brief remarks from the 10th floor of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Bowes Center overlooking City Hall, the mayor acknowledged the challenges facing San Francisco, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966281/san-francisco-restaurants-bounce-back-but-downtown-retail-still-struggles\">has struggled to rebound\u003c/a> from pandemic office closures and the ensuing economic challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said a “safe, bustling” downtown is key to attracting businesses and visitors, creating jobs and generating revenue. And he promised to continue working toward his ambitious goals of increasing shelter beds and housing development, hiring police officers and improving Muni and BART.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are trending in the right direction: Street encampments are dropping and violent crime is down 15%,” Lurie said, adding that car break-ins, a persistent and challenging problem in the city, are at a 22-year low.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie highlighted what he called a surge in convention center bookings and noted several businesses that are choosing to stay and expand in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036443\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036443\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie delivers remarks on a progress report of his first 100 days in office at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in San Francisco on April 17, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“People are betting on San Francisco again,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of his approach to the job involves being out in the city, talking to people, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I’ve learned in these first 100 days is you can’t solve what you can’t see. And I’m going to keep walking and talking to people each and every day, until public safety and public faith have been restored,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie, who ran as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12001601/city-hall-outsider-daniel-lurie-wants-to-clean-up-local-government\">a City Hall outsider\u003c/a> who could bring needed change to city government, cited his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12017698/lurie-unveils-major-shakeup-san-francisco-mayors-office\">restructuring of the mayor’s office\u003c/a> and collaboration with the Board of Supervisors on issues including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025495/luries-fentanyl-response-clears-san-francisco-board-of-supervisors\">declaring a fentanyl state of emergency\u003c/a> as proof that things are changing.[aside postID=news_12035273 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240108-LurieInaugurationDay-05-1020x680.jpg']But he acknowledged the challenges ahead: the city’s nearly $1 billion budget deficit; its persistent homelessness and behavioral health problems playing out on city streets; its ongoing housing shortage; and the continued work of bringing people — and businesses — back downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie has faced criticism that his more aggressive policing approach merely shifts street problems between neighborhoods rather than solving them. In his address, he vowed that he is working toward permanent solutions and defended his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034214/san-francisco-ends-health-programs-for-drug-users-not-active-in-treatment\">controversial policy\u003c/a> of requiring treatment for drug users to receive city-funded drug use supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will not shy away from making tough calls,” he said. “We have long agreed that fentanyl has changed the game on our streets, but until now, we have not changed our approach.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mayor said the city expects to achieve his goal of adding 1,500 new shelter and treatment beds by this summer, and will open a new 24/7 police-friendly drop-off center on Geary Street by the end of the month, where law enforcement, paramedics and street outreach teams will be able to place people experiencing mental health or substance use crises. Earlier this year, the city opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026575/a-new-triage-center-opened-in-san-francisco-but-questions-remain\">a triage center\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood to direct people to treatment or shelter options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036444\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036444\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the Board of Supervisors applaud Mayor Daniel Lurie’s remarks on a progress report of his first 100 days in office at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in San Francisco on April 17, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lurie also expressed his support \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12033966/sfs-single-family-home-neighborhoods-apartments-65-story-towers-downtown\">for zoning changes that will bring denser housing\u003c/a> to neighborhoods on the west side, as the city faces pressure to meet its \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/housing-element-update-2022\">state-mandated housing element\u003c/a> to plan for 82,000 new housing units by 2031. His backing of the zoning proposal has raised ire among some of his supporters in those neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t block housing, we must build it at all levels, or the state will do it for us, and that’s unacceptable,” he said. “But this isn’t just about meeting a state mandate. It’s about saying yes to the future of San Francisco. It’s about saying yes to becoming a city with space for more workers, more artists, more dreamers and more families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie said he will introduce legislation next month to eliminate outdated permitting requirements that make it “too hard” to build housing and run small businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Teachers shouldn’t have to wait seven years for the construction of a home that they can afford. Small businesses in Chinatown shouldn’t have to jump through a dozen hoops to add security gates or signs. And restaurants shouldn’t have to wade through weeks of approvals to put tables and chairs on the sidewalk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "In a 100-day “progress report” address on Thursday, Lurie noted a drop in crime and increased collaboration on combating homelessness and the city’s drug crisis.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1745000975,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 18,
"wordCount": 857
},
"headData": {
"title": "SF Mayor Daniel Lurie Touts Progress on Crime, Homelessness in His First 100 Days | KQED",
"description": "In a 100-day “progress report” address on Thursday, Lurie noted a drop in crime and increased collaboration on combating homelessness and the city’s drug crisis.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "SF Mayor Daniel Lurie Touts Progress on Crime, Homelessness in His First 100 Days",
"datePublished": "2025-04-17T13:43:11-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-04-18T11:29:35-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/c0c27560-6d35-490b-b37d-b2c301017773/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12036408",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12036408/sf-mayor-daniel-lurie-touts-progress-crime-homelessness-first-100-days",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/daniel-lurie\">Daniel Lurie\u003c/a> delivered what he called a “\u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/Fact_Sheet_-_Mayor_Luries_100-Day_Progress_Report.pdf\">progress report\u003c/a>” on Thursday, ahead of his 100th day in office, touting the city’s gains in recent months on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030060/after-2-raids-sf-police-say-theyll-follow-drug-markets-from-block-to-block\">public safety\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031581/first-look-sf-mayor-luries-yearlong-plan-homelessness-response\">homelessness\u003c/a> and government efficiency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In brief remarks from the 10th floor of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Bowes Center overlooking City Hall, the mayor acknowledged the challenges facing San Francisco, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966281/san-francisco-restaurants-bounce-back-but-downtown-retail-still-struggles\">has struggled to rebound\u003c/a> from pandemic office closures and the ensuing economic challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said a “safe, bustling” downtown is key to attracting businesses and visitors, creating jobs and generating revenue. And he promised to continue working toward his ambitious goals of increasing shelter beds and housing development, hiring police officers and improving Muni and BART.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are trending in the right direction: Street encampments are dropping and violent crime is down 15%,” Lurie said, adding that car break-ins, a persistent and challenging problem in the city, are at a 22-year low.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie highlighted what he called a surge in convention center bookings and noted several businesses that are choosing to stay and expand in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036443\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036443\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-9-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Daniel Lurie delivers remarks on a progress report of his first 100 days in office at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in San Francisco on April 17, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“People are betting on San Francisco again,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Part of his approach to the job involves being out in the city, talking to people, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What I’ve learned in these first 100 days is you can’t solve what you can’t see. And I’m going to keep walking and talking to people each and every day, until public safety and public faith have been restored,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie, who ran as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12001601/city-hall-outsider-daniel-lurie-wants-to-clean-up-local-government\">a City Hall outsider\u003c/a> who could bring needed change to city government, cited his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12017698/lurie-unveils-major-shakeup-san-francisco-mayors-office\">restructuring of the mayor’s office\u003c/a> and collaboration with the Board of Supervisors on issues including \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025495/luries-fentanyl-response-clears-san-francisco-board-of-supervisors\">declaring a fentanyl state of emergency\u003c/a> as proof that things are changing.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12035273",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/240108-LurieInaugurationDay-05-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But he acknowledged the challenges ahead: the city’s nearly $1 billion budget deficit; its persistent homelessness and behavioral health problems playing out on city streets; its ongoing housing shortage; and the continued work of bringing people — and businesses — back downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie has faced criticism that his more aggressive policing approach merely shifts street problems between neighborhoods rather than solving them. In his address, he vowed that he is working toward permanent solutions and defended his \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034214/san-francisco-ends-health-programs-for-drug-users-not-active-in-treatment\">controversial policy\u003c/a> of requiring treatment for drug users to receive city-funded drug use supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will not shy away from making tough calls,” he said. “We have long agreed that fentanyl has changed the game on our streets, but until now, we have not changed our approach.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mayor said the city expects to achieve his goal of adding 1,500 new shelter and treatment beds by this summer, and will open a new 24/7 police-friendly drop-off center on Geary Street by the end of the month, where law enforcement, paramedics and street outreach teams will be able to place people experiencing mental health or substance use crises. Earlier this year, the city opened \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026575/a-new-triage-center-opened-in-san-francisco-but-questions-remain\">a triage center\u003c/a> in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood to direct people to treatment or shelter options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12036444\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12036444\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250417_LURIE100DAYS_GC-12-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the Board of Supervisors applaud Mayor Daniel Lurie’s remarks on a progress report of his first 100 days in office at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in San Francisco on April 17, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lurie also expressed his support \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12033966/sfs-single-family-home-neighborhoods-apartments-65-story-towers-downtown\">for zoning changes that will bring denser housing\u003c/a> to neighborhoods on the west side, as the city faces pressure to meet its \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/housing-element-update-2022\">state-mandated housing element\u003c/a> to plan for 82,000 new housing units by 2031. His backing of the zoning proposal has raised ire among some of his supporters in those neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We can’t block housing, we must build it at all levels, or the state will do it for us, and that’s unacceptable,” he said. “But this isn’t just about meeting a state mandate. It’s about saying yes to the future of San Francisco. It’s about saying yes to becoming a city with space for more workers, more artists, more dreamers and more families.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lurie said he will introduce legislation next month to eliminate outdated permitting requirements that make it “too hard” to build housing and run small businesses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Teachers shouldn’t have to wait seven years for the construction of a home that they can afford. Small businesses in Chinatown shouldn’t have to jump through a dozen hoops to add security gates or signs. And restaurants shouldn’t have to wade through weeks of approvals to put tables and chairs on the sidewalk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12036408/sf-mayor-daniel-lurie-touts-progress-crime-homelessness-first-100-days",
"authors": [
"3239"
],
"categories": [
"news_28250",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_269",
"news_17626",
"news_34055",
"news_27626",
"news_34377",
"news_35213",
"news_4020",
"news_1775",
"news_320",
"news_17968",
"news_38"
],
"featImg": "news_12036442",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12033966": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12033966",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12033966",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1743714917000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "sfs-single-family-home-neighborhoods-apartments-65-story-towers-downtown",
"title": "SF’s Single-Family Home Neighborhoods Could See More Apartments, 65-Story Towers Near Downtown",
"publishDate": 1743714917,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "SF’s Single-Family Home Neighborhoods Could See More Apartments, 65-Story Towers Near Downtown | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco officials want to make way for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11992758/after-missing-housing-goals-sf-has-permit-process-slashed-under-new-state-law\">more housing\u003c/a>. Where to put it? In quiet neighborhoods on the west side, historically known for single-family homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, the city’s planning department will release details of a preliminary proposal to allow mid-rise apartment buildings, up to eight stories tall, along major streets in the Richmond and Sunset districts, along with some other neighborhoods in the northwestern part of the city. It’s also proposing to allow buildings up to 65 stories tall along certain major corridors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department will host an \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/planning-commission\">informational \u003c/a>hearing about the plan, \u003ca href=\"https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/player/camera/50?publish_id=1783&redirect=true\">which will be livestreamed\u003c/a>, on April 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, city officials \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/expanding-housing-choice\">concentrated\u003c/a> housing development on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/news/2025-03-19/why-and-where-san-francisco-needs-allow-more-homes-housing-element-primer\">southeast side\u003c/a> of San Francisco, including the Mission District, South of Market and the Dogpatch, which \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanninggis.org/pim/map/?search=3574009&layers=Height%20and%20Bulk%20Districts\">allow for taller buildings.\u003c/a> Meanwhile, large swaths of the Sunset, Richmond, Marina and Pacific Heights neighborhoods currently only allow for buildings \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanninggis.org/pim/map/?search=3574009&layers=Height%20and%20Bulk%20Districts\">up to four stories tall\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As San Francisco faces pressure from the state to \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/housing-element-update-2022\">plan for more than 82,000 new apartments\u003c/a> by 2031, city officials are considering \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/expanding-housing-choice\">opening these northern and western neighborhoods\u003c/a> to apartments six to \u003ca href=\"https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6e0e399f9c82456dbda233eacebc433d/\">eight stories tall along major streets\u003c/a>, with some large boulevards, such as Geary Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, going up to 65 stories tall near the city’s downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033009\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12033009 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pedestrians cross the street in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 25, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who represents several of the neighborhoods proposed to be rezoned, said the changes could help bring activity back to \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/7086165/san-francisco-economic-recovery/\">once-lively areas\u003c/a> of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Post-pandemic, San Francisco has not rebounded in the way that other cities have, and we have an opportunity to really thoughtfully increase vibrancy in certain areas of the city,” Sherrill said. “By doing that with residents, we can be really effective in planning for the long-term future of the city that stays true with San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the city’s Principal Planner, Lisa Chen, the decision to add more apartments to the west side is thanks to a state mandate requiring the city to direct new development to well-resourced neighborhoods. People living in the \u003ca href=\"https://belonging.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/external_pages/unpacked/11484/index.html?t=1743463757#faq\">northern and western neighborhoods\u003c/a> have some of the highest incomes, home values, employment rates and better educational attainment rates than their eastern counterparts.[aside postID=news_12017695 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/IMG_3372_qed-1020x680.jpg']Chen said that if the city were to plan for housing in those areas, the people eventually living there would have access to better resources, such as public transit, parks, high-performing public schools, retail, and community facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that we have already rezoned many parts of the southern and eastern neighborhoods,” Chen said. “While we can continue to look for more opportunities to add housing in those areas, the state is requiring that the emphasis of this rezoning and the majority of units be placed in the well-resourced neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This can be done sensitively, said San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, by focusing development along major corridors in the western and northern parts of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think people are going to continue to want to work here and live here,” he said. “I think we do need to try as best we can to accommodate that. And I think we can do it without destroying what we love about San Francisco. I think we can balance those things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the plan is receiving mixed reactions from residents, some who want more activity in their suburban-style neighborhoods and others who worry it could displace vulnerable renters and small businesses if the properties they occupy are redeveloped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033008\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033008\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Houses line a street in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 25, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I can see people being forced out of their homes, rent-controlled apartments and buildings being destroyed and luxury market-rate housing being built in its place,” said Don Misumi, a member of tenants’ rights group \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/richmonddistrictrising/\">Richmond District Rising\u003c/a>. “There’s not really much doubt in my mind unless things start to change and I see some concrete proposals that are going to provide tenant protections, that are going to provide protections for small businesses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s planning department has \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/11v8sWadgj-MTMLTLRZEBF3wmLc6-ZUxL/view?usp=sharing\">already approved roughly 58,100 new apartments\u003c/a>, largely to be built in the eastern part of the city, that are awaiting construction. However, to reach the state’s goal of planning for more than 82,000 new units, the department is proposing that \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/citywide/housing-choice/RHNA-Primer.pdf\">some of the remaining homes\u003c/a> be built in the north and west sides.[aside postID=news_12018940 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OceanTowerRendering2-1020x574.jpg']The city’s preliminary map proposes to \u003ca href=\"https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6e0e399f9c82456dbda233eacebc433d/#data_s=id%3AdataSource_3-18d42c41053-layer-13%3A43743\">rezone commercial corridors\u003c/a>, including 19th Avenue, Geary Boulevard and Clement Street. The bulk of the proposed rezoning would stretch from Russian Hill to Parkside and could allow for taller buildings — up to 65 stories on certain commercial corridors — creating opportunities for thousands of new homes. The plan also includes increasing height limits in other neighborhoods throughout the city, including along Market Street in the Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After multiple informational hearings where residents can offer comments and voice concerns, the proposal will go to the planning commission, where it could be amended or changed. It will ultimately have to go before the Board of Supervisors before the end of January 2026, when the city faces a state-mandated deadline to approve a rezoning plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it misses that deadline, \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/expanding-housing-choice#faqs\">it could lose\u003c/a> state funding for affordable housing and public transportation, risk lawsuits, fines and be subject to the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11945744/california-building-boom-a-new-law-promised-big-but-has-yet-to-deliver-in-the-bay-area\"> builder’s remedy\u003c/a>, a mechanism that allows developers to circumvent local building rules if the city is out of compliance with state housing law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The process for our rezoning is a bit of a fait accompli — we already agreed to this,” said Jane Natoli, San Francisco Organizing Director for the pro-housing lobbying group, YIMBY Action. “All we’re trying to do is honor the commitments we told the state we were going to do, at the end of the day, to build the housing we need for San Franciscans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>From sand dunes to suburban homes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s decision to rezone the western part of the city marks a break from the area’s historically low-density character. Western neighborhoods were some of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsidelands.org/richmond_arch.php\">last parts\u003c/a> of the city to be developed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the mid-to-late 1800s, \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsidelands.org/sunset.php#:~:text=The%201894%20California%20Midwinter%20International,a%20sea%20of%20stucco%20homes\">the Inner Sunset\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsidelands.org/richmond_arch.php\">Richmond districts\u003c/a> were home to a handful of dairies, ranches, a chicken farm — even a dynamite factory — while the Outer Sunset stretched out in a yawning sprawl of sand dunes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033006\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033006\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the Sunset District and Ocean Beach in San Francisco on March 25, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the aftermath of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/earthquakes/san-francisco\">devastating 1906 earthquake\u003c/a>, refugee camps sprang up on the city’s underdeveloped western side. Woody LaBounty’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsidelands.org/sw17.php\">great-grandparents even met at one of those camps\u003c/a> in the Richmond area, he said. The lifelong Richmond resident and president of the preservationist organization San Francisco Heritage said tract houses soon began popping up atop sand dunes to replace the temporary camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After World War II, most of the Sunset and Richmond districts had been developed into suburban-style neighborhoods with single-family homes, LaBounty said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have a yard for your family to play in, you have multiple bedrooms, you’ve got your own sort of little plot — your little estate,” he said, “even if it’s a 25-by-100-foot lot in the Sunset District.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s for that same reason why many westside residents enjoy this part of town today. Paola Soto said she moved to the Outer Sunset five years ago so she and her husband could raise their daughter in a rented single-family home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just loved the neighborhood and how family-oriented it is,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like part of the city, but you’re still in the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Soto said there aren’t many amenities or small businesses to patronize on her block. She welcomes the rezoning if it could bring more business activity to her neighborhood but said taller buildings could mean losing “this kind of neighborhood vibe” that she likes.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Picking and choosing\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While residents like Soto are hoping the rezoning could bring new small businesses to the Sunset and Richmond, existing business owners are concerned they will be forced out. Yoland Porrata, an esthetician and board member of nonprofit Small Business Forward, owns a skincare studio in the Lower Haight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right now, she is trying to work with the city to establish new protections against displacement for small business owners, even if they do not own the building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033010\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033010\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bicyclist rides down the street in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 25, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Do we have a right to return?” she asked. “We already have super vulnerable commercial leases that are not nice and tidy in the way that some of the residential leases are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with small business owners, tenants’ rights groups are equally concerned about the city’s plan. San Francisco offers a bevy of tenant protections, but local groups worry the rezoning might encourage landlords to pressure renters to move out or evict them unlawfully.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dyan Ruiz, a member of Race & Equity In All Planning Coalition, said her organization wants to make sure developers are following the city’s laws and that it can make sure tenants aren’t displaced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to increase the accountability and enforcement of existing laws and making sure that there aren’t gaps and loopholes that tenants are falling through,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LaBounty hopes the city can strike some kind of balance — allowing more housing while still retaining the neighborhoods’ quiet charm. Pointing out the coffee shop across the street from where he lives, he said he doesn’t want to see it go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You got a cafe, a dry cleaner and a bakery right in a row — everybody loves them, you know? Maybe don’t upzone those,” he said. “It feels to me like you could do some picking and choosing, and the neighborhood could totally help you with it too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "San Francisco officials eye the Sunset and Richmond districts for new mid-rise apartments as they work to meet California’s housing mandates and increase density in the city’s north and west side. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1744304259,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 35,
"wordCount": 1792
},
"headData": {
"title": "SF’s Single-Family Home Neighborhoods Could See More Apartments, 65-Story Towers Near Downtown | KQED",
"description": "San Francisco officials eye the Sunset and Richmond districts for new mid-rise apartments as they work to meet California’s housing mandates and increase density in the city’s north and west side. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "SF’s Single-Family Home Neighborhoods Could See More Apartments, 65-Story Towers Near Downtown",
"datePublished": "2025-04-03T14:15:17-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-04-10T09:57:39-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/1c88fb0e-4c50-4acd-af8b-b2bb0103db41/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12033966",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12033966/sfs-single-family-home-neighborhoods-apartments-65-story-towers-downtown",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco officials want to make way for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11992758/after-missing-housing-goals-sf-has-permit-process-slashed-under-new-state-law\">more housing\u003c/a>. Where to put it? In quiet neighborhoods on the west side, historically known for single-family homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, the city’s planning department will release details of a preliminary proposal to allow mid-rise apartment buildings, up to eight stories tall, along major streets in the Richmond and Sunset districts, along with some other neighborhoods in the northwestern part of the city. It’s also proposing to allow buildings up to 65 stories tall along certain major corridors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The department will host an \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/planning-commission\">informational \u003c/a>hearing about the plan, \u003ca href=\"https://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/player/camera/50?publish_id=1783&redirect=true\">which will be livestreamed\u003c/a>, on April 10.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, city officials \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/expanding-housing-choice\">concentrated\u003c/a> housing development on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/news/2025-03-19/why-and-where-san-francisco-needs-allow-more-homes-housing-element-primer\">southeast side\u003c/a> of San Francisco, including the Mission District, South of Market and the Dogpatch, which \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanninggis.org/pim/map/?search=3574009&layers=Height%20and%20Bulk%20Districts\">allow for taller buildings.\u003c/a> Meanwhile, large swaths of the Sunset, Richmond, Marina and Pacific Heights neighborhoods currently only allow for buildings \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanninggis.org/pim/map/?search=3574009&layers=Height%20and%20Bulk%20Districts\">up to four stories tall\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As San Francisco faces pressure from the state to \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/housing-element-update-2022\">plan for more than 82,000 new apartments\u003c/a> by 2031, city officials are considering \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/expanding-housing-choice\">opening these northern and western neighborhoods\u003c/a> to apartments six to \u003ca href=\"https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6e0e399f9c82456dbda233eacebc433d/\">eight stories tall along major streets\u003c/a>, with some large boulevards, such as Geary Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, going up to 65 stories tall near the city’s downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033009\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12033009 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-15-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pedestrians cross the street in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 25, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who represents several of the neighborhoods proposed to be rezoned, said the changes could help bring activity back to \u003ca href=\"https://time.com/7086165/san-francisco-economic-recovery/\">once-lively areas\u003c/a> of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Post-pandemic, San Francisco has not rebounded in the way that other cities have, and we have an opportunity to really thoughtfully increase vibrancy in certain areas of the city,” Sherrill said. “By doing that with residents, we can be really effective in planning for the long-term future of the city that stays true with San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the city’s Principal Planner, Lisa Chen, the decision to add more apartments to the west side is thanks to a state mandate requiring the city to direct new development to well-resourced neighborhoods. People living in the \u003ca href=\"https://belonging.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/external_pages/unpacked/11484/index.html?t=1743463757#faq\">northern and western neighborhoods\u003c/a> have some of the highest incomes, home values, employment rates and better educational attainment rates than their eastern counterparts.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12017695",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/IMG_3372_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Chen said that if the city were to plan for housing in those areas, the people eventually living there would have access to better resources, such as public transit, parks, high-performing public schools, retail, and community facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that we have already rezoned many parts of the southern and eastern neighborhoods,” Chen said. “While we can continue to look for more opportunities to add housing in those areas, the state is requiring that the emphasis of this rezoning and the majority of units be placed in the well-resourced neighborhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This can be done sensitively, said San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, by focusing development along major corridors in the western and northern parts of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think people are going to continue to want to work here and live here,” he said. “I think we do need to try as best we can to accommodate that. And I think we can do it without destroying what we love about San Francisco. I think we can balance those things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the plan is receiving mixed reactions from residents, some who want more activity in their suburban-style neighborhoods and others who worry it could displace vulnerable renters and small businesses if the properties they occupy are redeveloped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033008\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033008\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-13-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Houses line a street in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 25, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I can see people being forced out of their homes, rent-controlled apartments and buildings being destroyed and luxury market-rate housing being built in its place,” said Don Misumi, a member of tenants’ rights group \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/richmonddistrictrising/\">Richmond District Rising\u003c/a>. “There’s not really much doubt in my mind unless things start to change and I see some concrete proposals that are going to provide tenant protections, that are going to provide protections for small businesses.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s planning department has \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/11v8sWadgj-MTMLTLRZEBF3wmLc6-ZUxL/view?usp=sharing\">already approved roughly 58,100 new apartments\u003c/a>, largely to be built in the eastern part of the city, that are awaiting construction. However, to reach the state’s goal of planning for more than 82,000 new units, the department is proposing that \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/citywide/housing-choice/RHNA-Primer.pdf\">some of the remaining homes\u003c/a> be built in the north and west sides.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12018940",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/OceanTowerRendering2-1020x574.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The city’s preliminary map proposes to \u003ca href=\"https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6e0e399f9c82456dbda233eacebc433d/#data_s=id%3AdataSource_3-18d42c41053-layer-13%3A43743\">rezone commercial corridors\u003c/a>, including 19th Avenue, Geary Boulevard and Clement Street. The bulk of the proposed rezoning would stretch from Russian Hill to Parkside and could allow for taller buildings — up to 65 stories on certain commercial corridors — creating opportunities for thousands of new homes. The plan also includes increasing height limits in other neighborhoods throughout the city, including along Market Street in the Castro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After multiple informational hearings where residents can offer comments and voice concerns, the proposal will go to the planning commission, where it could be amended or changed. It will ultimately have to go before the Board of Supervisors before the end of January 2026, when the city faces a state-mandated deadline to approve a rezoning plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it misses that deadline, \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/project/expanding-housing-choice#faqs\">it could lose\u003c/a> state funding for affordable housing and public transportation, risk lawsuits, fines and be subject to the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11945744/california-building-boom-a-new-law-promised-big-but-has-yet-to-deliver-in-the-bay-area\"> builder’s remedy\u003c/a>, a mechanism that allows developers to circumvent local building rules if the city is out of compliance with state housing law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The process for our rezoning is a bit of a fait accompli — we already agreed to this,” said Jane Natoli, San Francisco Organizing Director for the pro-housing lobbying group, YIMBY Action. “All we’re trying to do is honor the commitments we told the state we were going to do, at the end of the day, to build the housing we need for San Franciscans.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>From sand dunes to suburban homes\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s decision to rezone the western part of the city marks a break from the area’s historically low-density character. Western neighborhoods were some of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsidelands.org/richmond_arch.php\">last parts\u003c/a> of the city to be developed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the mid-to-late 1800s, \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsidelands.org/sunset.php#:~:text=The%201894%20California%20Midwinter%20International,a%20sea%20of%20stucco%20homes\">the Inner Sunset\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsidelands.org/richmond_arch.php\">Richmond districts\u003c/a> were home to a handful of dairies, ranches, a chicken farm — even a dynamite factory — while the Outer Sunset stretched out in a yawning sprawl of sand dunes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033006\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033006\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-10-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of the Sunset District and Ocean Beach in San Francisco on March 25, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the aftermath of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/earthquakes/san-francisco\">devastating 1906 earthquake\u003c/a>, refugee camps sprang up on the city’s underdeveloped western side. Woody LaBounty’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.outsidelands.org/sw17.php\">great-grandparents even met at one of those camps\u003c/a> in the Richmond area, he said. The lifelong Richmond resident and president of the preservationist organization San Francisco Heritage said tract houses soon began popping up atop sand dunes to replace the temporary camps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After World War II, most of the Sunset and Richmond districts had been developed into suburban-style neighborhoods with single-family homes, LaBounty said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You have a yard for your family to play in, you have multiple bedrooms, you’ve got your own sort of little plot — your little estate,” he said, “even if it’s a 25-by-100-foot lot in the Sunset District.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s for that same reason why many westside residents enjoy this part of town today. Paola Soto said she moved to the Outer Sunset five years ago so she and her husband could raise their daughter in a rented single-family home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just loved the neighborhood and how family-oriented it is,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like part of the city, but you’re still in the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Soto said there aren’t many amenities or small businesses to patronize on her block. She welcomes the rezoning if it could bring more business activity to her neighborhood but said taller buildings could mean losing “this kind of neighborhood vibe” that she likes.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Picking and choosing\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While residents like Soto are hoping the rezoning could bring new small businesses to the Sunset and Richmond, existing business owners are concerned they will be forced out. Yoland Porrata, an esthetician and board member of nonprofit Small Business Forward, owns a skincare studio in the Lower Haight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right now, she is trying to work with the city to establish new protections against displacement for small business owners, even if they do not own the building.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033010\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033010\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250325-APARTMENTSONWESTSIDE-16-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bicyclist rides down the street in San Francisco’s Sunset District on March 25, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Do we have a right to return?” she asked. “We already have super vulnerable commercial leases that are not nice and tidy in the way that some of the residential leases are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Along with small business owners, tenants’ rights groups are equally concerned about the city’s plan. San Francisco offers a bevy of tenant protections, but local groups worry the rezoning might encourage landlords to pressure renters to move out or evict them unlawfully.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dyan Ruiz, a member of Race & Equity In All Planning Coalition, said her organization wants to make sure developers are following the city’s laws and that it can make sure tenants aren’t displaced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to increase the accountability and enforcement of existing laws and making sure that there aren’t gaps and loopholes that tenants are falling through,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LaBounty hopes the city can strike some kind of balance — allowing more housing while still retaining the neighborhoods’ quiet charm. Pointing out the coffee shop across the street from where he lives, he said he doesn’t want to see it go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You got a cafe, a dry cleaner and a bakery right in a row — everybody loves them, you know? Maybe don’t upzone those,” he said. “It feels to me like you could do some picking and choosing, and the neighborhood could totally help you with it too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12033966/sfs-single-family-home-neighborhoods-apartments-65-story-towers-downtown",
"authors": [
"11672"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_3921",
"news_34055",
"news_27626",
"news_4020",
"news_1775",
"news_34417",
"news_38",
"news_31584"
],
"featImg": "news_12034409",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12033293": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12033293",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12033293",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1743184843000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "soaring-housing-costs-make-life-even-more-challenging-for-oaklands-unaccompanied-minors",
"title": "Soaring Housing Costs Make Life Even More Challenging for Oakland’s Unaccompanied Minors",
"publishDate": 1743184843,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Soaring Housing Costs Make Life Even More Challenging for Oakland’s Unaccompanied Minors | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eltimpano.org/espanol/vivienda-espanol/el-aumento-del-costo-de-la-vivienda-dificulta-aun-mas-la-vida-de-los-menores-no-acompanados-de-oakland/\">Lea esta historia en español.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jorge arrived in the United States aged 16 and roughly $9,000 in debt to those who helped him make the harrowing journey from Guatemala to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The day after he arrived in Oakland, he found a job cleaning roofs and attics and eventually working in construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t have the opportunity to continue with school or to go to school,” Jorge said in Spanish, though his native tongue is Mam, an indigenous language spoken in Guatemala. “When I came here, finding myself with such a huge debt, with pressure on me like that, [people] asking me to pay that debt, it affected me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An increasing number of young people like Jorge are arriving in Alameda County. While the exact numbers are unclear, between October 2023 and June 2024, more than 500 unaccompanied minors were released to a sponsor (an adult who takes responsibility for the child while they await immigration proceedings) in Alameda County, \u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/unaccompanied-children-released-to-sponsors-by-county-june-2024.html\">according to the latest Health and Human Services data\u003c/a>. Alameda County is second only to Los Angeles County in the number of unaccompanied minors released to sponsors statewide. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2024/07/unaccompanied-minors-legal-advocacy-ending/\">More than 64,000\u003c/a> unaccompanied children settled in California between January 2015 and May 2023, according to an analysis of federal data by CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unaccompanied minors’ journeys to the U.S. leave a lasting mark on their mental health, compounded by the economic demands on them when they arrive. Once here, they face a staggering cost of living fueled by the Bay Area’s housing crisis. Some, like Jorge, must also pay the debt they accumulated getting to the U.S. As the challenges build, so do the traumas, yet the need for mental health care is often lost behind basic survival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’ve sometimes experienced layers of trauma and family separation,” explained Lisa Hoffman, the Co-Executive Director of East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC). “They are incredibly vulnerable and need many layers of support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hoffman’s organization works with the Children’s Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP), a pilot program with the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that pairs a social worker with an immigration lawyer to provide stabilizing and trauma-informed support to unaccompanied minors immigrating into the U.S., while also helping them maneuver the immigration court system. The program is one of few that offers assistance to unaccompanied minors. According to data from CHIRP, between Sept. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023, legal representation was provided to more than 600 children with immigration cases. CHIRP also accompanied 300 youth to critical appointments including educational or medical services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for 2025–2026 excludes funding for CHIRP, which would leave a more than $17 million gap in the program’s budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal funding for the Acacia Center’s legal aid program for unaccompanied minors is also in flux. On Feb. 18, the Department of Interior emailed a stop-work order to the center to immediately pause services for their Unaccompanied Children Program. The order was lifted by the Trump administration on Feb. 21 and the center issued a statement reading in part: “Children who arrive in the U.S. unaccompanied by parents or legal guardians often have survived targeted violence, abuse, persecution or trafficking. It is unconscionable to think that they should be forced to represent themselves in immigration court against a trained government attorney in an adversarial hearing before a judge, without even a child-friendly orientation or understanding of their legal options.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unaccompanied minors are a group targeted by the Trump administration’s plans to deport undocumented immigrants, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-directs-ice-agents-find-deport-unaccompanied-migrant-2025-02-23/\">Reuters\u003c/a>, which reviewed an \u003ca href=\"https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-02-25/trump-administration-launches-offensive-to-deport-undocumented-minors-who-entered-us-alone.html\">internal memo\u003c/a> from the administration to ICE detailing those plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Kids experience trauma in different ways than adults’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The immediate needs of unaccompanied minors can both subsume and multiply their mental health needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Center on Immigrant Child Welfare Director Kristina Lovato described the experience of these young migrants as the triple-trauma paradigm: the trauma of leaving your home, the trauma of the journey and the trauma of resettling in an ambiguous or even hostile environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mental health needs of unaccompanied minors are severely impacted upon resettlement in the U.S.,” Lovato said. “They’ve dreamed of being in the U.S. for the ability to go to college, the ability to send money back home, but once they arrive here, there’s a different reality and they realize that they have to go to work immediately.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Time constraints and a need to work were significant barriers to establishing a sense of community, further affecting their mental health, Lovato said, according to a forthcoming study in which the Center on Immigrant Child Welfare interviewed 90 unaccompanied minors and young adults across California about their mental health needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The need to work is primary and that means other things fall to the wayside, like the ability to go to school, the ability to feel like they can engage in civic life,” Lovato said, as was the case for Jorge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Abigail L’Esperance is the interim co-director of the immigration unit at the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), which provides legal aid for CHIRP participants. She emphasized the importance of trauma-informed practices when working with children, noting that they often have difficulty talking about their experiences because of the trauma they have endured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kids experience trauma in different ways than adults,” L’Esperance said. “It takes them longer to build trust with their legal advocate and to also understand what’s happening during the legal process. We’ve learned we need to prioritize the mental health of the child, to avoid having the child be retraumatized during the process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jorge came to the U.S. with his brother, following family members who had come to Oakland before them. The brothers were seeking better education and work opportunities. However, the financial support promised by a family member who had said they could help fell through almost immediately. Meanwhile, Jorge was pressured to hand over the money he owed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jorge said he skipped meals to save money any way he could to pay off his debt within six months and avoid accumulating interest. He didn’t have the time or the financial stability to attend school or socialize. He had bills to pay — rent, a cell phone, car insurance and $1,500 a month towards his debt until it was paid off. At the time, he was making about $120 a day, working five to six days weekly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t forget, I was able to endure hunger to pay everything I owed,” he said. “I didn’t want people to put more pressure on me, asking me, ‘When are you going to pay me?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Jorge, the financial stress was isolating, he said. “I was only thinking about that … I almost didn’t want to talk to other people anymore.” Had he not been able to find work, he added, the stress would have been even more daunting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033299\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033299\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1022\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy-800x521.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy-1020x665.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy-1536x1001.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: A letter Jorge wrote in preparation for his interview with El Tímpano and to practice his written Spanish. Right: Jorge stands for a portrait at a park in East Oakland on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Hiram Alejandro Durán for El Tímpano/Catchlight/Report for America corps member)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Housing insecurity and mental health\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even after he paid off his debt, Jorge said working to afford monthly rent and other bills kept him from attending school. A \u003ca href=\"https://achealthyschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/181_Unaccompanied_Immigrant_Youth_UIY.pdf\">2019 Alameda County report, which is the most recent data (PDF)\u003c/a> on unaccompanied minors, found that they are “highly impacted by the housing crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some unaccompanied minors live in stable family situations, but others contend with high rent and overcrowded housing. They face a litany of needs, from assistance navigating a byzantine legal system to basic health care like teeth cleaning. But, the report noted, “the need for stable housing seems to be paramount.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the 2023–2024 school year alone, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) had approximately 1,006 immigrant students — 75% of whom were unaccompanied minors — who came to the U.S. in the past three years and are considered housing insecure, according to\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wHQAMEDu1GtgGMPtazPOotygX35EGqTR?usp=drive_link\"> the most recent OUSD McKinney-Vento data\u003c/a>, which tracks the number of students considered homeless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OUSD Newcomer and Refugee/Asylum Services Program Manager Nate Dunstan said in a Sept. 2024 interview that almost all the students he works with are housing insecure or living in overcrowded housing. “Either they’re doubled up or they’re in substandard housing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many, the lack of basic needs, such as housing, often pushes aside the ability to address mental and emotional needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We do see a lot of that,” La Familia Caminos Program Supervisor Elizabeth Ventura said. “We’re client-driven, so if their need is food and basic needs or medical or whatever it is … through that process, we’re planting seeds. We’re planting seeds around mental health.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Caminos Program, which is a collaboration between Alameda County Health Service’s Healthy Schools and Communities Agency and the nonprofit organization La Familia, was launched in 2013 following an uptick in unaccompanied minors arriving in the county, according to Jasmine Gonzalez, the program coordinator. The program partners with schools around Alameda County to offer training and wraparound support for unaccompanied minors, including mental health support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez and Ventura said the program has found success working within schools to build community trust, offer services and sometimes break down the stigma around seeking mental health support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Schools are a safe place for students to be at when they’re unaccompanied,” Ventura said. “So really working with administration and the school sites … providing that education around [students’] needs and their challenges, so that they can work with them and not work against them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, language access, time constraints and navigating health systems are some of the continued barriers unaccompanied minors and recent immigrants face, especially when resources are scarce. Lisa Hoffman with EBSC said she has long dealt with a lack of resources in her work and she expects that scarcity to continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s not enough lawyers, but there’s also very few mental health professionals who are trained to be able to work with this population in linguistically and culturally accessible ways,” Hoffman said. “Many people in immigrant communities, whether youth or adults, are living in a lot of fear right now, and unaccompanied minors are also absorbing a lot of this rhetoric and fear. It does create even more barriers for them to be able to access the services that they need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, Lovato said many of the immigrant youth she has spoken to have developed and relied on social networks and mutual aid in their community for emotional, mental health and basic needs support.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Informal networks of care\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Despite the lack of readily available services, some unaccompanied youth not only survive but thrive by drawing connections to the area’s immigrant community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When they’re unable to access support because of barriers, let’s say because of their [immigration] status, these youth are so resilient,” Lovato said. “I think what’s working well is the ways in which youth find incredible, insightful ways to reach out to one another and be of support to one another, and that’s happening through mutual aid,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lovato said oftentimes people rely on word-of-mouth and it is a friend or community member of unaccompanied minors and young adults that serves as a connection point to services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033300\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033300\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1025\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246-800x523.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246-1020x667.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246-1536x1004.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jorge at a park in East Oakland on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Hiram Alejandro Durán for El Tímpano/Catchlight/Report for America corps member)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While Jorge didn’t seek out mental health services when experiencing immense stress, he said finding a community meant finding support for goals that once felt out of reach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now 20, Jorge is a student at an alternative high school where he said he is on track to graduate in May. Jorge said a member of his church introduced him to a community-based nonprofit, where he now works two days a week and is encouraged to attend school, a dream that he had not been able to start for several years living in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never gave up on being in school, maybe at some point I thought about it but I didn’t give up,” Jorge said. “To this day I continue studying, I continue learning new words [in English], I continue meeting more people through school. It has opened more doors for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attending school has not come without its challenges, however. Since he began attending school two days a week, he’s had to give up some work hours and at times has struggled to afford life in Oakland. When he is not in school or working with the nonprofit, he is still working in construction and landscaping. But, Jorge adds, he is committed to finishing school and continuing his education in college, studying either biology or architecture, he hasn’t decided yet. “Biology because I want to help my community,” he said, “and architecture I want to [study] because I have the ability to work in construction, so I want to use my skills.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>El Tímpano is part of the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://mentalhealthjournalism.org/parity-collaborative/\">\u003cem>Mental Health Parity Collaborative\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a group of newsrooms that are covering stories on mental health care access and inequities in the U.S. The partners on this project include The Carter Center and newsrooms in select states across the country.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Amid staggering cost of living and debt, young migrants’ mental health needs take a back seat.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1743097196,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 44,
"wordCount": 2380
},
"headData": {
"title": "Soaring Housing Costs Make Life Even More Challenging for Oakland’s Unaccompanied Minors | KQED",
"description": "Amid staggering cost of living and debt, young migrants’ mental health needs take a back seat.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Soaring Housing Costs Make Life Even More Challenging for Oakland’s Unaccompanied Minors",
"datePublished": "2025-03-28T11:00:43-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-03-27T10:39:56-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"source": "El Tímpano",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.eltimpano.org/",
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://www.eltimpano.org/author/cgaribay/\">Cassandra Garibay\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.eltimpano.org/author/xloeza/\">Ximena Loeza \u003c/a>, El Tímpano",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12033293/soaring-housing-costs-make-life-even-more-challenging-for-oaklands-unaccompanied-minors",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eltimpano.org/espanol/vivienda-espanol/el-aumento-del-costo-de-la-vivienda-dificulta-aun-mas-la-vida-de-los-menores-no-acompanados-de-oakland/\">Lea esta historia en español.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jorge arrived in the United States aged 16 and roughly $9,000 in debt to those who helped him make the harrowing journey from Guatemala to California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The day after he arrived in Oakland, he found a job cleaning roofs and attics and eventually working in construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I didn’t have the opportunity to continue with school or to go to school,” Jorge said in Spanish, though his native tongue is Mam, an indigenous language spoken in Guatemala. “When I came here, finding myself with such a huge debt, with pressure on me like that, [people] asking me to pay that debt, it affected me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An increasing number of young people like Jorge are arriving in Alameda County. While the exact numbers are unclear, between October 2023 and June 2024, more than 500 unaccompanied minors were released to a sponsor (an adult who takes responsibility for the child while they await immigration proceedings) in Alameda County, \u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/programs/social-services/unaccompanied-children-released-to-sponsors-by-county-june-2024.html\">according to the latest Health and Human Services data\u003c/a>. Alameda County is second only to Los Angeles County in the number of unaccompanied minors released to sponsors statewide. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2024/07/unaccompanied-minors-legal-advocacy-ending/\">More than 64,000\u003c/a> unaccompanied children settled in California between January 2015 and May 2023, according to an analysis of federal data by CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unaccompanied minors’ journeys to the U.S. leave a lasting mark on their mental health, compounded by the economic demands on them when they arrive. Once here, they face a staggering cost of living fueled by the Bay Area’s housing crisis. Some, like Jorge, must also pay the debt they accumulated getting to the U.S. As the challenges build, so do the traumas, yet the need for mental health care is often lost behind basic survival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’ve sometimes experienced layers of trauma and family separation,” explained Lisa Hoffman, the Co-Executive Director of East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC). “They are incredibly vulnerable and need many layers of support.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hoffman’s organization works with the Children’s Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP), a pilot program with the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that pairs a social worker with an immigration lawyer to provide stabilizing and trauma-informed support to unaccompanied minors immigrating into the U.S., while also helping them maneuver the immigration court system. The program is one of few that offers assistance to unaccompanied minors. According to data from CHIRP, between Sept. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023, legal representation was provided to more than 600 children with immigration cases. CHIRP also accompanied 300 youth to critical appointments including educational or medical services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for 2025–2026 excludes funding for CHIRP, which would leave a more than $17 million gap in the program’s budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal funding for the Acacia Center’s legal aid program for unaccompanied minors is also in flux. On Feb. 18, the Department of Interior emailed a stop-work order to the center to immediately pause services for their Unaccompanied Children Program. The order was lifted by the Trump administration on Feb. 21 and the center issued a statement reading in part: “Children who arrive in the U.S. unaccompanied by parents or legal guardians often have survived targeted violence, abuse, persecution or trafficking. It is unconscionable to think that they should be forced to represent themselves in immigration court against a trained government attorney in an adversarial hearing before a judge, without even a child-friendly orientation or understanding of their legal options.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unaccompanied minors are a group targeted by the Trump administration’s plans to deport undocumented immigrants, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-directs-ice-agents-find-deport-unaccompanied-migrant-2025-02-23/\">Reuters\u003c/a>, which reviewed an \u003ca href=\"https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-02-25/trump-administration-launches-offensive-to-deport-undocumented-minors-who-entered-us-alone.html\">internal memo\u003c/a> from the administration to ICE detailing those plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Kids experience trauma in different ways than adults’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The immediate needs of unaccompanied minors can both subsume and multiply their mental health needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Center on Immigrant Child Welfare Director Kristina Lovato described the experience of these young migrants as the triple-trauma paradigm: the trauma of leaving your home, the trauma of the journey and the trauma of resettling in an ambiguous or even hostile environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The mental health needs of unaccompanied minors are severely impacted upon resettlement in the U.S.,” Lovato said. “They’ve dreamed of being in the U.S. for the ability to go to college, the ability to send money back home, but once they arrive here, there’s a different reality and they realize that they have to go to work immediately.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Time constraints and a need to work were significant barriers to establishing a sense of community, further affecting their mental health, Lovato said, according to a forthcoming study in which the Center on Immigrant Child Welfare interviewed 90 unaccompanied minors and young adults across California about their mental health needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The need to work is primary and that means other things fall to the wayside, like the ability to go to school, the ability to feel like they can engage in civic life,” Lovato said, as was the case for Jorge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Abigail L’Esperance is the interim co-director of the immigration unit at the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), which provides legal aid for CHIRP participants. She emphasized the importance of trauma-informed practices when working with children, noting that they often have difficulty talking about their experiences because of the trauma they have endured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kids experience trauma in different ways than adults,” L’Esperance said. “It takes them longer to build trust with their legal advocate and to also understand what’s happening during the legal process. We’ve learned we need to prioritize the mental health of the child, to avoid having the child be retraumatized during the process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jorge came to the U.S. with his brother, following family members who had come to Oakland before them. The brothers were seeking better education and work opportunities. However, the financial support promised by a family member who had said they could help fell through almost immediately. Meanwhile, Jorge was pressured to hand over the money he owed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jorge said he skipped meals to save money any way he could to pay off his debt within six months and avoid accumulating interest. He didn’t have the time or the financial stability to attend school or socialize. He had bills to pay — rent, a cell phone, car insurance and $1,500 a month towards his debt until it was paid off. At the time, he was making about $120 a day, working five to six days weekly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can’t forget, I was able to endure hunger to pay everything I owed,” he said. “I didn’t want people to put more pressure on me, asking me, ‘When are you going to pay me?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Jorge, the financial stress was isolating, he said. “I was only thinking about that … I almost didn’t want to talk to other people anymore.” Had he not been able to find work, he added, the stress would have been even more daunting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033299\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033299\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1022\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy-800x521.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy-1020x665.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy-160x104.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-AlexDiptych-01-scaled-copy-1536x1001.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: A letter Jorge wrote in preparation for his interview with El Tímpano and to practice his written Spanish. Right: Jorge stands for a portrait at a park in East Oakland on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Hiram Alejandro Durán for El Tímpano/Catchlight/Report for America corps member)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Housing insecurity and mental health\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even after he paid off his debt, Jorge said working to afford monthly rent and other bills kept him from attending school. A \u003ca href=\"https://achealthyschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/181_Unaccompanied_Immigrant_Youth_UIY.pdf\">2019 Alameda County report, which is the most recent data (PDF)\u003c/a> on unaccompanied minors, found that they are “highly impacted by the housing crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some unaccompanied minors live in stable family situations, but others contend with high rent and overcrowded housing. They face a litany of needs, from assistance navigating a byzantine legal system to basic health care like teeth cleaning. But, the report noted, “the need for stable housing seems to be paramount.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the 2023–2024 school year alone, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) had approximately 1,006 immigrant students — 75% of whom were unaccompanied minors — who came to the U.S. in the past three years and are considered housing insecure, according to\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wHQAMEDu1GtgGMPtazPOotygX35EGqTR?usp=drive_link\"> the most recent OUSD McKinney-Vento data\u003c/a>, which tracks the number of students considered homeless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OUSD Newcomer and Refugee/Asylum Services Program Manager Nate Dunstan said in a Sept. 2024 interview that almost all the students he works with are housing insecure or living in overcrowded housing. “Either they’re doubled up or they’re in substandard housing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many, the lack of basic needs, such as housing, often pushes aside the ability to address mental and emotional needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We do see a lot of that,” La Familia Caminos Program Supervisor Elizabeth Ventura said. “We’re client-driven, so if their need is food and basic needs or medical or whatever it is … through that process, we’re planting seeds. We’re planting seeds around mental health.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Caminos Program, which is a collaboration between Alameda County Health Service’s Healthy Schools and Communities Agency and the nonprofit organization La Familia, was launched in 2013 following an uptick in unaccompanied minors arriving in the county, according to Jasmine Gonzalez, the program coordinator. The program partners with schools around Alameda County to offer training and wraparound support for unaccompanied minors, including mental health support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gonzalez and Ventura said the program has found success working within schools to build community trust, offer services and sometimes break down the stigma around seeking mental health support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Schools are a safe place for students to be at when they’re unaccompanied,” Ventura said. “So really working with administration and the school sites … providing that education around [students’] needs and their challenges, so that they can work with them and not work against them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, language access, time constraints and navigating health systems are some of the continued barriers unaccompanied minors and recent immigrants face, especially when resources are scarce. Lisa Hoffman with EBSC said she has long dealt with a lack of resources in her work and she expects that scarcity to continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s not enough lawyers, but there’s also very few mental health professionals who are trained to be able to work with this population in linguistically and culturally accessible ways,” Hoffman said. “Many people in immigrant communities, whether youth or adults, are living in a lot of fear right now, and unaccompanied minors are also absorbing a lot of this rhetoric and fear. It does create even more barriers for them to be able to access the services that they need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite this, Lovato said many of the immigrant youth she has spoken to have developed and relied on social networks and mutual aid in their community for emotional, mental health and basic needs support.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Informal networks of care\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Despite the lack of readily available services, some unaccompanied youth not only survive but thrive by drawing connections to the area’s immigrant community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When they’re unable to access support because of barriers, let’s say because of their [immigration] status, these youth are so resilient,” Lovato said. “I think what’s working well is the ways in which youth find incredible, insightful ways to reach out to one another and be of support to one another, and that’s happening through mutual aid,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lovato said oftentimes people rely on word-of-mouth and it is a friend or community member of unaccompanied minors and young adults that serves as a connection point to services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033300\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1568px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12033300\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1568\" height=\"1025\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246.jpg 1568w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246-800x523.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246-1020x667.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/01.16.2025-Alex-03-scaled-copy-e1743096010246-1536x1004.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1568px) 100vw, 1568px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jorge at a park in East Oakland on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Hiram Alejandro Durán for El Tímpano/Catchlight/Report for America corps member)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While Jorge didn’t seek out mental health services when experiencing immense stress, he said finding a community meant finding support for goals that once felt out of reach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now 20, Jorge is a student at an alternative high school where he said he is on track to graduate in May. Jorge said a member of his church introduced him to a community-based nonprofit, where he now works two days a week and is encouraged to attend school, a dream that he had not been able to start for several years living in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never gave up on being in school, maybe at some point I thought about it but I didn’t give up,” Jorge said. “To this day I continue studying, I continue learning new words [in English], I continue meeting more people through school. It has opened more doors for me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attending school has not come without its challenges, however. Since he began attending school two days a week, he’s had to give up some work hours and at times has struggled to afford life in Oakland. When he is not in school or working with the nonprofit, he is still working in construction and landscaping. But, Jorge adds, he is committed to finishing school and continuing his education in college, studying either biology or architecture, he hasn’t decided yet. “Biology because I want to help my community,” he said, “and architecture I want to [study] because I have the ability to work in construction, so I want to use my skills.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>El Tímpano is part of the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://mentalhealthjournalism.org/parity-collaborative/\">\u003cem>Mental Health Parity Collaborative\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a group of newsrooms that are covering stories on mental health care access and inequities in the U.S. The partners on this project include The Carter Center and newsrooms in select states across the country.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12033293/soaring-housing-costs-make-life-even-more-challenging-for-oaklands-unaccompanied-minors",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12033293"
],
"categories": [
"news_457",
"news_6266",
"news_1169",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_30826",
"news_18543",
"news_4020",
"news_1775",
"news_17708"
],
"featImg": "news_12033297",
"label": "source_news_12033293"
},
"news_12033092": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12033092",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12033092",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1743098816000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "housing-legislation-snips-away-californias-red-tape",
"title": "Progress By 1,000 Cuts? Housing Legislation Snips Away at California’s Red Tape",
"publishDate": 1743098816,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Progress By 1,000 Cuts? Housing Legislation Snips Away at California’s Red Tape | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>When it comes to building California out of its \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/793\">housing shortage\u003c/a>, some lawmakers say the devil is most often in the details.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To begin untangling what they describe as a knotted web of regulation, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, on Thursday announced an ambitious and wide-ranging package of more than 20 bills from over a dozen authors. Together, the package seeks to surgically remove red tape at nearly every stage of the permitting journey, from application through construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The goal, Wicks said, is “clearer rules when it comes to housing, faster timelines and fewer bureaucratic hoops.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The package, which includes at least one Republican-authored bill, is mostly technical in nature: cleaning up or extending prior legislation, expanding existing law to additional agencies and closing loopholes. However, it also includes several proposals that touch on third-rail topics in California, including bills to streamline or exempt certain housing projects from environmental or Coastal Commission review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This bill package represents iteration,” Wicks said of the overall vision. “Taking a deep dive into the weeds and trying to understand what have been the hurdles? Why has this been so hard? Why is it so difficult to actually permit housing and entitle housing and get it up and running?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wicks led that deep dive last year, when she helmed an \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/committees/1470#bills-and-hearings\">Assembly Select Committee\u003c/a> that invited practitioners, experts and others to share their experiences and describe the barriers that come with building new housing, transit and clean energy projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11914459\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11914459\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/Buffy-Wicks-scaled-e1652831452424.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1371\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Buffy Wicks speaks on the floor of the state Assembly in January 2020. \u003ccite>(Krishnia Parker/California State Assembly Democratic Caucus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wicks’ report on the committee’s findings, released \u003ca href=\"https://a14.asmdc.org/sites/a14.asmdc.org/files/2025-02/assemblyselectcommitteeonpermittingreform-finalreportwithoutappendices-march2025.pdf\">earlier this month\u003c/a>, outlined a goal: that permitting — any “decision point” where a government must give permission for a new project to proceed — should be timely, transparent and consistently applied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, perhaps above all, the report noted, it should result in actually getting the project built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve become victims in California of making the process the objective; the process is sacred,” said Matt Regan, a policy lead at the business-oriented Bay Area Council, which helped facilitate the hearings, tours and interviews that informed the committee’s white paper. “What [Wicks is] saying is maybe, the end product is more important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican Asm. Josh Hoover, of Folsom, said there’s a lot in the package with which people in his party can agree. Hoover pins some of the blame for California’s spiraling home costs on an “anti-housing majority” that overregulated the industry into gridlock and said this bill package is a welcome retreat from that trend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So, I’ve actually really appreciated the work Asm. Wicks is doing because she really is pushing back against a lot of that,” he said. “The only way we’re actually going to build the homes that we need in California is by reforming a lot of these things and getting rid of a lot of these barriers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Third-rail politics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While many of the bills in the package are more narrowly focused on the minutiae of the state’s permitting labyrinths, others take aim at issues long seen as sacrosanct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Wicks’ own bills, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB609\">AB 609\u003c/a>, would exempt infill housing projects, if they’re consistent with local regulations, from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Another bill, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB607\">SB 607\u003c/a> from Democratic San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener, removes what proponents describe as duplicative work that’s currently required under CEQA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033318\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12033318 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Meadows, San Mateo’s largest new development, is transforming a former racetrack into a vibrant community with 1,100 new housing units, commercial spaces, parks and a high school — all still under construction — on Jan. 20, 2015. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The landmark \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/sierra-club-california/PDFs/CEQA_Fact_Sheet.pdf\">1970 environmental regulation\u003c/a>, pronounced \u003cem>sea-kwah\u003c/em> in the state’s housing parlance, requires developers to study potential negative impacts for all kinds of projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the half-century since its passage, it’s become a lightning rod in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.califaep.org/docs/CEQA_and_Housing_Report_1-30-19.pdf\">housing debate\u003c/a> — fiercely defended by those who say it has \u003ca href=\"https://ceja.org/what-we-do/green-zones/ceqa-and-housing-development/#:~:text=While%20CEQA%20%E2%80%9Cstreamlining%E2%80%9D%20policies%20have,state's%20housing%20and%20affordability%20crisis.\">very little impact on development\u003c/a> and blasted by those who claim it’s been \u003ca href=\"https://cayimby.org/blog/how-nimbys-hijacked-ceqa/\">hijacked and distorted\u003c/a> to NIMBYists’ ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regan described Wicks’ bill as a “blanket exemption” from the hotly-debated law that gives infill development — housing built within existing urban areas — a “fighting chance to get through the process.”[aside postID=news_12031813 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']A representative of the California Environmental Justice Alliance, which \u003ca href=\"https://ceja.org/what-we-do/green-zones/ceqa-case-studies/\">supports robust CEQA protections\u003c/a>, said the organization was still digesting the bill package and deferred comment to a later date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Debates over those two bills, however, will likely be rivaled by discussions over a separate yet \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/03/california-coastal-commission-protections/\">equally\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/06/coastal-housing-protections-california-debate/\">contentious\u003c/a> subject within California housing politics: the Coastal Commission. \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB357\">AB 357\u003c/a> by Asm. David Alvarez, D-Chula Vista, would allow public colleges and universities to forgo commission approval before building student or faculty and staff housing on its properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alvarez anticipates there’ll be pushback but said the proposal was “the minimum” policymakers could do to address \u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/03/29/housing-demand-far-exceeds-supply-california-colleges#:~:text=In%20California%2C%20where%20public%20in,year%20institution%20or%20graduate%20school.\">rising student\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/the-fastest-growing-college-expense-may-not-be-what-people-think/#:~:text=Yet%20neighborhood%20opposition%2C%20zoning%20restrictions,per%20year%20to%203%2C500%20students.&text=%E2%80%9CI%20expect%20you're%20going,monthly%20rent%20there%20is%20%242%2C299.\">housing costs\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody’s saying that you don’t have to go through a process, you do,” Alvarez said of his bill. “Go through the regular process that everybody else goes through, but not the additional process of review by the Coastal Commission.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There will likely be dissent from both state and local governments, too, over bills that impact them, Wicks said, but she welcomed it. “We’re gonna have some really important conversations this year that may touch on some third-rail politics in California,” Wicks said, “but I think it’s time that we have them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Improving the process\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The bulk of the bills are less likely to draw the same kind of attention and are focused on reforming the state’s byzantine permitting processes, which vary from city to city and agency to agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1294\">AB 1294\u003c/a>, from San Francisco Democratic Asm. Matt Haney seeks to smooth some of that variability by requiring the state’s housing department to craft a simplified, universal application, making it easier for developers to operate in a wider range of jurisdictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027566\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027566\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Matt Haney speaks during a press conference announcing legislation to increase nightlife in Downtown San Francisco to help the recovery of the neighborhood, in Union Square, San Francisco, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have far too complex of a system for folks who want to build new homes in California,” Haney said. “There are still many cities and counties across the state that ask you for all sorts of things up front that cost huge sums of money, take a ton of time and make it very complex and complicated to build new homes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the League of California Cities declined to comment, saying the organization is “still reviewing the bill package in its totality and considering its potential impact on local governments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fifteen of the bills aim to improve two other crucial steps in the permitting process: the entitlement and post-entitlement phases, when government agencies give developers the green light to move forward with a proposed project and then supply them with the permits to actually begin building.[aside postID=news_12032734 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg']Within that cadre, there are two bills — \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB920\">AB 920\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB489\">SB 489\u003c/a> — that require either larger cities or state agencies, respectively, to post certain information online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others — such as \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1007\">AB 1007\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1026\">AB 1026\u003c/a> — shorten the time it takes to approve or deny housing applications or building permits for local governments or investor-owned utilities, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Corey Smith, executive director of the pro-housing lobbying group, Housing Action Coalition, which is sponsoring AB 1026, described the bill as a “good governance measure” aimed at “getting parity across the board for permit reviews.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB557\">AB 557\u003c/a> expedites factory-built housing by allowing the state, which already conducts building inspections on modular homes, to also oversee installations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All told, Dan Dunmoyer, president and CEO of the California Building Industry Association, which is sponsoring at least seven bills in the package, said most are not “rock-the-world” bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are chipping away at all the different layers that local governments in the state and others have added,” he said. “There isn’t an omnibus fix-it bill, but there are a collection of measures to, in fact, improve the overarching process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED housing reporter \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/abandlamudi\">\u003cem>Adhiti Bandlamudi\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ-ZKtuSHdeWqxooQwfEcr-oiOpdpJcf2RLZInU7aqjjQlRQ/viewform?embedded=true\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "California currently permits around a third of the homes that leaders say are needed to stop home prices from continuing to skyrocket. This slate of bills aims to help.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1743454967,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": true,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 33,
"wordCount": 1522
},
"headData": {
"title": "Progress By 1,000 Cuts? Housing Legislation Snips Away at California’s Red Tape | KQED",
"description": "California currently permits around a third of the homes that leaders say are needed to stop home prices from continuing to skyrocket. This slate of bills aims to help.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Progress By 1,000 Cuts? Housing Legislation Snips Away at California’s Red Tape",
"datePublished": "2025-03-27T11:06:56-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-03-31T14:02:47-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/f62312d3-9909-4f27-be1d-b2ae01085f87/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12033092",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12033092/housing-legislation-snips-away-californias-red-tape",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>When it comes to building California out of its \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/793\">housing shortage\u003c/a>, some lawmakers say the devil is most often in the details.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To begin untangling what they describe as a knotted web of regulation, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, on Thursday announced an ambitious and wide-ranging package of more than 20 bills from over a dozen authors. Together, the package seeks to surgically remove red tape at nearly every stage of the permitting journey, from application through construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The goal, Wicks said, is “clearer rules when it comes to housing, faster timelines and fewer bureaucratic hoops.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The package, which includes at least one Republican-authored bill, is mostly technical in nature: cleaning up or extending prior legislation, expanding existing law to additional agencies and closing loopholes. However, it also includes several proposals that touch on third-rail topics in California, including bills to streamline or exempt certain housing projects from environmental or Coastal Commission review.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This bill package represents iteration,” Wicks said of the overall vision. “Taking a deep dive into the weeds and trying to understand what have been the hurdles? Why has this been so hard? Why is it so difficult to actually permit housing and entitle housing and get it up and running?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wicks led that deep dive last year, when she helmed an \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/committees/1470#bills-and-hearings\">Assembly Select Committee\u003c/a> that invited practitioners, experts and others to share their experiences and describe the barriers that come with building new housing, transit and clean energy projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11914459\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11914459\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/05/Buffy-Wicks-scaled-e1652831452424.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1371\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Buffy Wicks speaks on the floor of the state Assembly in January 2020. \u003ccite>(Krishnia Parker/California State Assembly Democratic Caucus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wicks’ report on the committee’s findings, released \u003ca href=\"https://a14.asmdc.org/sites/a14.asmdc.org/files/2025-02/assemblyselectcommitteeonpermittingreform-finalreportwithoutappendices-march2025.pdf\">earlier this month\u003c/a>, outlined a goal: that permitting — any “decision point” where a government must give permission for a new project to proceed — should be timely, transparent and consistently applied.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, perhaps above all, the report noted, it should result in actually getting the project built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve become victims in California of making the process the objective; the process is sacred,” said Matt Regan, a policy lead at the business-oriented Bay Area Council, which helped facilitate the hearings, tours and interviews that informed the committee’s white paper. “What [Wicks is] saying is maybe, the end product is more important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican Asm. Josh Hoover, of Folsom, said there’s a lot in the package with which people in his party can agree. Hoover pins some of the blame for California’s spiraling home costs on an “anti-housing majority” that overregulated the industry into gridlock and said this bill package is a welcome retreat from that trend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So, I’ve actually really appreciated the work Asm. Wicks is doing because she really is pushing back against a lot of that,” he said. “The only way we’re actually going to build the homes that we need in California is by reforming a lot of these things and getting rid of a lot of these barriers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Third-rail politics\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While many of the bills in the package are more narrowly focused on the minutiae of the state’s permitting labyrinths, others take aim at issues long seen as sacrosanct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of Wicks’ own bills, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB609\">AB 609\u003c/a>, would exempt infill housing projects, if they’re consistent with local regulations, from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Another bill, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB607\">SB 607\u003c/a> from Democratic San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener, removes what proponents describe as duplicative work that’s currently required under CEQA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033318\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12033318 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/Bay-Meadows-Sales-Sign-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Meadows, San Mateo’s largest new development, is transforming a former racetrack into a vibrant community with 1,100 new housing units, commercial spaces, parks and a high school — all still under construction — on Jan. 20, 2015. \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The landmark \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/sierra-club-california/PDFs/CEQA_Fact_Sheet.pdf\">1970 environmental regulation\u003c/a>, pronounced \u003cem>sea-kwah\u003c/em> in the state’s housing parlance, requires developers to study potential negative impacts for all kinds of projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the half-century since its passage, it’s become a lightning rod in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.califaep.org/docs/CEQA_and_Housing_Report_1-30-19.pdf\">housing debate\u003c/a> — fiercely defended by those who say it has \u003ca href=\"https://ceja.org/what-we-do/green-zones/ceqa-and-housing-development/#:~:text=While%20CEQA%20%E2%80%9Cstreamlining%E2%80%9D%20policies%20have,state's%20housing%20and%20affordability%20crisis.\">very little impact on development\u003c/a> and blasted by those who claim it’s been \u003ca href=\"https://cayimby.org/blog/how-nimbys-hijacked-ceqa/\">hijacked and distorted\u003c/a> to NIMBYists’ ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regan described Wicks’ bill as a “blanket exemption” from the hotly-debated law that gives infill development — housing built within existing urban areas — a “fighting chance to get through the process.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12031813",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>A representative of the California Environmental Justice Alliance, which \u003ca href=\"https://ceja.org/what-we-do/green-zones/ceqa-case-studies/\">supports robust CEQA protections\u003c/a>, said the organization was still digesting the bill package and deferred comment to a later date.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Debates over those two bills, however, will likely be rivaled by discussions over a separate yet \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/03/california-coastal-commission-protections/\">equally\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/06/coastal-housing-protections-california-debate/\">contentious\u003c/a> subject within California housing politics: the Coastal Commission. \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB357\">AB 357\u003c/a> by Asm. David Alvarez, D-Chula Vista, would allow public colleges and universities to forgo commission approval before building student or faculty and staff housing on its properties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alvarez anticipates there’ll be pushback but said the proposal was “the minimum” policymakers could do to address \u003ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/03/29/housing-demand-far-exceeds-supply-california-colleges#:~:text=In%20California%2C%20where%20public%20in,year%20institution%20or%20graduate%20school.\">rising student\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://hechingerreport.org/the-fastest-growing-college-expense-may-not-be-what-people-think/#:~:text=Yet%20neighborhood%20opposition%2C%20zoning%20restrictions,per%20year%20to%203%2C500%20students.&text=%E2%80%9CI%20expect%20you're%20going,monthly%20rent%20there%20is%20%242%2C299.\">housing costs\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody’s saying that you don’t have to go through a process, you do,” Alvarez said of his bill. “Go through the regular process that everybody else goes through, but not the additional process of review by the Coastal Commission.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There will likely be dissent from both state and local governments, too, over bills that impact them, Wicks said, but she welcomed it. “We’re gonna have some really important conversations this year that may touch on some third-rail politics in California,” Wicks said, “but I think it’s time that we have them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Improving the process\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The bulk of the bills are less likely to draw the same kind of attention and are focused on reforming the state’s byzantine permitting processes, which vary from city to city and agency to agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1294\">AB 1294\u003c/a>, from San Francisco Democratic Asm. Matt Haney seeks to smooth some of that variability by requiring the state’s housing department to craft a simplified, universal application, making it easier for developers to operate in a wider range of jurisdictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027566\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027566\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250218-SFDowntown-14-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assemblymember Matt Haney speaks during a press conference announcing legislation to increase nightlife in Downtown San Francisco to help the recovery of the neighborhood, in Union Square, San Francisco, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have far too complex of a system for folks who want to build new homes in California,” Haney said. “There are still many cities and counties across the state that ask you for all sorts of things up front that cost huge sums of money, take a ton of time and make it very complex and complicated to build new homes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the League of California Cities declined to comment, saying the organization is “still reviewing the bill package in its totality and considering its potential impact on local governments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fifteen of the bills aim to improve two other crucial steps in the permitting process: the entitlement and post-entitlement phases, when government agencies give developers the green light to move forward with a proposed project and then supply them with the permits to actually begin building.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12032734",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Within that cadre, there are two bills — \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB920\">AB 920\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB489\">SB 489\u003c/a> — that require either larger cities or state agencies, respectively, to post certain information online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others — such as \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1007\">AB 1007\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1026\">AB 1026\u003c/a> — shorten the time it takes to approve or deny housing applications or building permits for local governments or investor-owned utilities, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Corey Smith, executive director of the pro-housing lobbying group, Housing Action Coalition, which is sponsoring AB 1026, described the bill as a “good governance measure” aimed at “getting parity across the board for permit reviews.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB557\">AB 557\u003c/a> expedites factory-built housing by allowing the state, which already conducts building inspections on modular homes, to also oversee installations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All told, Dan Dunmoyer, president and CEO of the California Building Industry Association, which is sponsoring at least seven bills in the package, said most are not “rock-the-world” bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are chipping away at all the different layers that local governments in the state and others have added,” he said. “There isn’t an omnibus fix-it bill, but there are a collection of measures to, in fact, improve the overarching process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED housing reporter \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/abandlamudi\">\u003cem>Adhiti Bandlamudi\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ-ZKtuSHdeWqxooQwfEcr-oiOpdpJcf2RLZInU7aqjjQlRQ/viewform?embedded=true?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ-ZKtuSHdeWqxooQwfEcr-oiOpdpJcf2RLZInU7aqjjQlRQ/viewform?embedded=true'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12033092/housing-legislation-snips-away-californias-red-tape",
"authors": [
"11652"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_3921",
"news_20179",
"news_18538",
"news_32695",
"news_4020",
"news_1775",
"news_34417",
"news_25468"
],
"featImg": "news_12033317",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12032918": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12032918",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12032918",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1742932810000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-considers-more-homeless-shelter-oversight-after-calmatters-investigation",
"title": "California Considers More Homeless Shelter Oversight After CalMatters Investigation",
"publishDate": 1742932810,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California Considers More Homeless Shelter Oversight After CalMatters Investigation | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"term": 18481,
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A new state bill would add more oversight to California homeless shelters after a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/02/california-homeless-shelters-purgatory/\">CalMatters investigation exposed\u003c/a> that many taxpayer-funded facilities are plagued by violence, mismanagement and low success rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill would build on an existing state law that was supposed to add basic checks on homeless shelter safety and sanitation. Previous \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/07/california-homeless-shelters/\">CalMatters reporting found\u003c/a> all but a handful of cities and counties have ignored the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the new proposal, local governments would be required to perform annual inspections of taxpayer-funded shelters, and cities and counties could lose state funding if they fail to correct code violations or keep neglecting to file mandatory reports. Shelter operators would also have to do more to inform residents of their rights to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The oversight push comes amid a statewide boom in homeless shelters. California governments have spent at least $1 billion to more than double the state’s emergency shelter beds since 2018, \u003ca href=\"https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahar/2024-ahar-part-1-pit-estimates-of-homelessness-in-the-us.html\">federal data\u003c/a> shows. The 61,000 beds aren’t nearly enough; the state still has three times as many homeless residents as shelter beds. Many of those who do get in also report serious problems: violence, filth, theft, mismanagement and a nagging lack of real housing to move onto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12032734 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really new in this field of operating shelters in California,” said Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, a Democrat who represents parts of Orange and L.A. counties. She authored both the initial state law and the new proposed changes. “Local municipalities need to be responsible for upholding basic standards of care, ensuring that shelters are safe, well managed and serving their intended purpose.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quirk-Silva first proposed more state shelter monitoring after \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclusocal.org/en/publications/thisplaceiskillingme#:~:text=A%20year%2Dlong%20investigation%20by,porta%20potties%3B%20showers%20with%20no\">a 2019 ACLU report\u003c/a> revealed maggots, flooding and sexual harassment in Orange County shelters. Over the past year, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/02/california-homeless-shelters-takeaways/\">CalMatters reviewed\u003c/a> thousands of statewide shelter records, complaints, lawsuits and police logs that reveal lasting and more widespread issues, including stabbings, sex crimes, fraud allegations, staff stealing from homeless clients and shelters that kick out far more people than they house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The existing state shelter law is supposed to require cities and counties to perform inspections and report to the state if they receive complaints about shelter conditions. But public records \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/07/california-homeless-shelters/\">requested by CalMatters\u003c/a> from the California Department of Housing and Community Development showed that, as of last summer, just nine of California’s more than 500 total cities and counties had filed the required reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was really some of your work that brought this issue of non-reporting to us,” Quirk-Silva said. “The numbers definitely showed that we had very little compliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new shelter bill, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab750\">AB 750\u003c/a>, is expected to be considered by the California State Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development in the coming weeks. While the housing agency said it is unable to comment on proposed legislation, Quirk-Silva said that more analysis is forthcoming on the resources that could be required to implement the changes.[aside postID=news_12029706 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/051424-OC-Shelter-JAH-CM-32-1020x680.jpg']What happens next will be significant for cities across the state, where officials have rushed to open new shelters in recent years as they \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/02/california-homeless-encampment-sweeps/\">ramp up street encampment clearings\u003c/a>. Bunk bed-lined group shelters have existed in big cities since the 1980s, but communities across California are now hiring contract shelter operators to demonstrate that they’re offering alternatives to street crackdowns. The shelters are supposed to get people off the street, connect them to social services, then provide a bridge to permanent housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, statewide \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/02/california-homeless-shelters-purgatory/\">data obtained by CalMatters\u003c/a> shows that fewer than 1 in 4 shelter residents move onto permanent housing. The majority keep cycling through tents, jails, hospitals and other short-term programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some shelter operators and local governments say that the challenges are no surprise. The facilities are often manned by low-paid frontline workers who struggle to manage shifting budgets, scarce housing options and residents with drastically different needs — sober and addicted, healthy and severely ill, families and individuals, recently paroled and crime survivors, newly evicted and chronically homeless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new state shelter bill is limited in scope to focus on inspections and complaints related to building standards for public health and sanitation. Advocates say that could limit recourse for broader issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This bill definitely does not at all address these other forms of abuse and malfeasance and sometimes crime,” said Eve Garrow, a senior policy analyst and advocate for the ACLU of Southern California who authored the 2019 Orange County shelter report. “We need other forms of accountability. It really is still the Wild West out there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some places, including San Francisco and Monterey County, have created systems for outside groups to review shelter complaints after concerns about lacking follow up and residents facing retaliation for speaking up. Homelessness researchers also emphasize the potential of more specialized shelters to help people work through widely varied health, substance use or financial issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longer term, housing experts question how the state is balancing immediate offerings like shelters with solutions to deliver lasting homes. Many favor increasing investment in subsidized housing or redirecting funds to rent assistance programs to quickly get people off the street or keep them from becoming homeless in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to make a broken system a little safer and cleaner,” Garrow said. “But we know that what people actually need is safe, permanent housing that they can afford.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Need help? \u003c/strong>\u003cem>Read our guide on how to \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/02/how-to-file-a-complaint-against-a-california-homeless-shelter/\">\u003cem>file a shelter complaint\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> or find legal resources.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tell us your story.\u003c/strong>\u003cem> Help us continue reporting on shelter conditions by filling out \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScr6ZjT38VfmAzm5SkEPuNTyj1gYtNKS1vRQGdgw3xndLVXtA/viewform\">\u003cem>our survey\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/03/homeless-shelter-oversight-bill/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "State lawmakers will debate a bill to require annual inspections, new complaint processes and harsher penalties for local governments that don’t file mandatory reports.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1742929480,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 23,
"wordCount": 1016
},
"headData": {
"title": "California Considers More Homeless Shelter Oversight After CalMatters Investigation | KQED",
"description": "State lawmakers will debate a bill to require annual inspections, new complaint processes and harsher penalties for local governments that don’t file mandatory reports.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California Considers More Homeless Shelter Oversight After CalMatters Investigation",
"datePublished": "2025-03-25T13:00:10-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-03-25T12:04:40-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprByline": "\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/author/laurenhepler/\">Lauren Hepler\u003c/a>, CalMatters",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"showOnAuthorArchivePages": "No",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12032918/california-considers-more-homeless-shelter-oversight-after-calmatters-investigation",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A new state bill would add more oversight to California homeless shelters after a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/02/california-homeless-shelters-purgatory/\">CalMatters investigation exposed\u003c/a> that many taxpayer-funded facilities are plagued by violence, mismanagement and low success rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill would build on an existing state law that was supposed to add basic checks on homeless shelter safety and sanitation. Previous \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/07/california-homeless-shelters/\">CalMatters reporting found\u003c/a> all but a handful of cities and counties have ignored the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the new proposal, local governments would be required to perform annual inspections of taxpayer-funded shelters, and cities and counties could lose state funding if they fail to correct code violations or keep neglecting to file mandatory reports. Shelter operators would also have to do more to inform residents of their rights to file complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The oversight push comes amid a statewide boom in homeless shelters. California governments have spent at least $1 billion to more than double the state’s emergency shelter beds since 2018, \u003ca href=\"https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahar/2024-ahar-part-1-pit-estimates-of-homelessness-in-the-us.html\">federal data\u003c/a> shows. The 61,000 beds aren’t nearly enough; the state still has three times as many homeless residents as shelter beds. Many of those who do get in also report serious problems: violence, filth, theft, mismanagement and a nagging lack of real housing to move onto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12032734",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/005_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really new in this field of operating shelters in California,” said Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, a Democrat who represents parts of Orange and L.A. counties. She authored both the initial state law and the new proposed changes. “Local municipalities need to be responsible for upholding basic standards of care, ensuring that shelters are safe, well managed and serving their intended purpose.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quirk-Silva first proposed more state shelter monitoring after \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclusocal.org/en/publications/thisplaceiskillingme#:~:text=A%20year%2Dlong%20investigation%20by,porta%20potties%3B%20showers%20with%20no\">a 2019 ACLU report\u003c/a> revealed maggots, flooding and sexual harassment in Orange County shelters. Over the past year, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/02/california-homeless-shelters-takeaways/\">CalMatters reviewed\u003c/a> thousands of statewide shelter records, complaints, lawsuits and police logs that reveal lasting and more widespread issues, including stabbings, sex crimes, fraud allegations, staff stealing from homeless clients and shelters that kick out far more people than they house.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The existing state shelter law is supposed to require cities and counties to perform inspections and report to the state if they receive complaints about shelter conditions. But public records \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/07/california-homeless-shelters/\">requested by CalMatters\u003c/a> from the California Department of Housing and Community Development showed that, as of last summer, just nine of California’s more than 500 total cities and counties had filed the required reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was really some of your work that brought this issue of non-reporting to us,” Quirk-Silva said. “The numbers definitely showed that we had very little compliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new shelter bill, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab750\">AB 750\u003c/a>, is expected to be considered by the California State Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development in the coming weeks. While the housing agency said it is unable to comment on proposed legislation, Quirk-Silva said that more analysis is forthcoming on the resources that could be required to implement the changes.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12029706",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/051424-OC-Shelter-JAH-CM-32-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>What happens next will be significant for cities across the state, where officials have rushed to open new shelters in recent years as they \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/02/california-homeless-encampment-sweeps/\">ramp up street encampment clearings\u003c/a>. Bunk bed-lined group shelters have existed in big cities since the 1980s, but communities across California are now hiring contract shelter operators to demonstrate that they’re offering alternatives to street crackdowns. The shelters are supposed to get people off the street, connect them to social services, then provide a bridge to permanent housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, statewide \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/02/california-homeless-shelters-purgatory/\">data obtained by CalMatters\u003c/a> shows that fewer than 1 in 4 shelter residents move onto permanent housing. The majority keep cycling through tents, jails, hospitals and other short-term programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some shelter operators and local governments say that the challenges are no surprise. The facilities are often manned by low-paid frontline workers who struggle to manage shifting budgets, scarce housing options and residents with drastically different needs — sober and addicted, healthy and severely ill, families and individuals, recently paroled and crime survivors, newly evicted and chronically homeless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new state shelter bill is limited in scope to focus on inspections and complaints related to building standards for public health and sanitation. Advocates say that could limit recourse for broader issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This bill definitely does not at all address these other forms of abuse and malfeasance and sometimes crime,” said Eve Garrow, a senior policy analyst and advocate for the ACLU of Southern California who authored the 2019 Orange County shelter report. “We need other forms of accountability. It really is still the Wild West out there.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some places, including San Francisco and Monterey County, have created systems for outside groups to review shelter complaints after concerns about lacking follow up and residents facing retaliation for speaking up. Homelessness researchers also emphasize the potential of more specialized shelters to help people work through widely varied health, substance use or financial issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longer term, housing experts question how the state is balancing immediate offerings like shelters with solutions to deliver lasting homes. Many favor increasing investment in subsidized housing or redirecting funds to rent assistance programs to quickly get people off the street or keep them from becoming homeless in the first place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to make a broken system a little safer and cleaner,” Garrow said. “But we know that what people actually need is safe, permanent housing that they can afford.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Need help? \u003c/strong>\u003cem>Read our guide on how to \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/02/how-to-file-a-complaint-against-a-california-homeless-shelter/\">\u003cem>file a shelter complaint\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> or find legal resources.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tell us your story.\u003c/strong>\u003cem> Help us continue reporting on shelter conditions by filling out \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScr6ZjT38VfmAzm5SkEPuNTyj1gYtNKS1vRQGdgw3xndLVXtA/viewform\">\u003cem>our survey\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/03/homeless-shelter-oversight-bill/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12032918/california-considers-more-homeless-shelter-oversight-after-calmatters-investigation",
"authors": [
"byline_news_12032918"
],
"categories": [
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_4020",
"news_1775"
],
"affiliates": [
"news_18481"
],
"featImg": "news_12032921",
"label": "news_18481"
},
"news_12032734": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12032734",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12032734",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1742926306000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "homeless-services-nonprofits-oakland-fails-pay-contracts",
"title": "‘It’s a Mess’: Homeless Services Nonprofits Say Oakland Routinely Fails to Pay Contracts",
"publishDate": 1742926306,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "‘It’s a Mess’: Homeless Services Nonprofits Say Oakland Routinely Fails to Pay Contracts | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 12:07 p.m. Tuesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A year without pay. Millions in debt. Months without a contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those are some of the allegations from homelessness services providers in Oakland that have surfaced since one nonprofit nearly had to shut down two shelters this month. Its experience is shining a spotlight on a broken repayment system that’s thwarting the city’s ability to address one of its most pressing problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/news/city-of-oakland-opens-100-bed-cabin-shelter-program-at-wood-street\">Wood Street Community Cabins\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.self-sufficiency.org/rvpark#:~:text=The%20Wood%20Street%20RV%20Safe,support%20to%20find%20permanent%20housing.\">RV safe parking\u003c/a> sites in West Oakland, which consist of 100 cabin beds and 40 RV spots, are slated to close at the end of June but were nearly forced to shut down three months early, after the city missed some five months of payments to the nonprofit running the sites, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nonprofits say BOSS’ experience is only the latest example of an ongoing struggle that has them operating under the weight of massive debt as they wait on the city to reimburse them for housing and feeding its most vulnerable residents. And it’s those residents who are hurt most as they contend with subpar living conditions at some sites that are exacerbated by the stymied cash flow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No one really knows exactly what’s going on,” John Janosko, a former resident of the Wood Street Cabins, said during a Monday press conference outside the shelters, where advocates rebuked the city and lobbied to take over the sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032760\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032760\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tiny homes trucked into the Wood Street Cabin Community, a planned 100-bed shelter program on the second portion of the Game Changer lot located at 2601 Wood St., in Oakland, on Dec. 16, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said muddled information has left residents uncertain of when they’ll need to find alternative housing, with some expecting to leave in a matter of weeks and others circulating rumors the site may run through the end of the year. According to BOSS, there are currently 70 people living in either the cabins or at the RV site. Of those, 41 are still awaiting a housing placement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The bottom line is we don’t know, so we’re basically here to help uplift and support our family,” Janosko said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>BOSS CEO Donald Frazier said he issued layoff notices to staff last week in preparation to shut down at the end of March after repeated and increasingly urgent requests for payment went unaddressed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was only after the layoff notices went out that city officials sat down with Frazier and provided assurances the city would make good on its debt. In all, Frazier said the city owes BOSS about $900,000 through April and that the organization will need another $480,000 to fund the programs through June.[aside postID=news_12030792 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1020x680.jpg']“We’ll see,” he said. “Until the money is in our hands, I won’t be content.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sean Maher, a spokesperson for the city of Oakland, said in a statement to KQED that staff is working on solutions to “bring the city’s outstanding payments to BOSS up to current, as well as identifying solutions to support the programs’ operations to the end of June.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a Friday meeting, officials with the City Administrator’s Office told Frazier they would provide the back pay owed for November through January within 10 days. As a result, Frazier said he would rescind the layoff notices and inform staff of the June closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This will allow critical time for identifying options for the residents currently being served by both programs,” Maher said, adding that those options would be finalized over the next several days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on Monday, some cabin residents said they had little sense of where they’d end up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll go stay in a tent if it comes to that,” said Jared Defigh, who’s been living at the site for about two years. “I might get housed before then, it’s hard to say.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032761\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032761\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Wood Street resident tours the Tuff Sheds near the Wood Street encampment in Oakland on April 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Late payments from local governments and the state are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/10/nonprofit-reimbursements/\">a thorn in the side of services providers around California\u003c/a>, with some large organizations regularly waiting on tens of millions of dollars in reimbursement at any given time. However, local nonprofits say the lags in Oakland are extreme.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED spoke with three other local nonprofit providers who said payment delays make it particularly challenging to operate in the city. While a typical wait time is two to three months, one leader estimates Oakland takes nearly twice as long to pay. Another said it’s not unusual for the city to run a year behind on payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roots Community Health CEO Noha Aboelata said that for the second year in a row, the city has racked up a million-dollar debt with the nonprofit. She and other CEOs, including some who declined to speak on record, said that while the situation long predates Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027537/oakland-budget-crisis-leads-nonprofit-cuts-leaving-social-services-limbo\">current budget crisis\u003c/a>, it’s only gotten worse. And, Aboelata said the delays now extend to the contracting process itself, meaning organizations are often working for months without contracts in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without a contract in place, you can’t invoice,” she said. “So the delays have gotten incredibly lengthy.”[aside postID=news_12031813 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg']In a statement, Maher said the city values its service providers and welcomes feedback “on ways we can collaboratively improve our work together, including in our contracting, invoicing, and payments processes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aboelata said she understands the city is in a fiscal crisis and is willing to work through it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But we really do need clarity,” she said, echoing the frustration over poor communication with the city that the other CEOs expressed. “Every week we’re not knowing what’s going to happen next or what we’re going to be told, or what we are going to find, so it does create kind of an instability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That instability also breeds inefficiency, leaders said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For BOSS, that means taking out a line of credit to cover operating costs, resulting in added interest payments that will most likely get passed on to taxpayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And residents say it also manifests as mismanagement and subpar conditions at the shelters themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They didn’t have toilet paper, they didn’t have drinking water,” said a former resident of the Wood Street Cabins and advocate who goes by Freeway. “The facilities were constantly non-functioning as they are right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t even have shower heads anymore,” Defigh said. “There might be sewage coming out of that bathroom.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frazier acknowledged those challenges, though he said the sewage issue had been addressed. With cashflow severely limited, he said BOSS struggled to maintain the shelters, leading to health and safety concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032924\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12032924 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A small home is transported to the Wood Street Cabin Community, a planned 100-bed shelter program on the second section of the Game Changer lot at 2601 Wood St. in Oakland, on Dec. 16, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There were tremendous problems,” he said. “All that was a direct result of not having funds to do all the existing maintenance and some deferred maintenance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25867210-letter-to-city-administrator-1/\">In a February letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to City Administrator Jestin Johnson, Frazier alerted officials that delays had “significantly impacted clients, staff wages and limited our ability to accept new clients.” The letter lists an estimated $130,000–$150,000 worth of necessary maintenance, including mold testing, remediation and repairs to over two dozen units. One charred cabin needed removing, according to the letter; others needed new locks, doors, floors and windows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email accompanying the letter, Frazier called the conditions at the cabins “unconscionable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Staff and participants’ health and safety are at risk,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pressure ultimately led the city to reimburse BOSS for payments owed from September and October of last year, he said, but the organization hasn’t been paid since then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a mess,” Frazier said. “It strains the entire agency. It’s like stretching a rubber band — how far can you stretch it before it pops?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Homeless services providers say they’re struggling under the weight of massive debt as they wait on the city of Oakland to reimburse them for housing and feeding its most vulnerable residents. And it’s those residents who are hurt most.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1742929650,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 35,
"wordCount": 1460
},
"headData": {
"title": "‘It’s a Mess’: Homeless Services Nonprofits Say Oakland Routinely Fails to Pay Contracts | KQED",
"description": "Homeless services providers say they’re struggling under the weight of massive debt as they wait on the city of Oakland to reimburse them for housing and feeding its most vulnerable residents. And it’s those residents who are hurt most.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "‘It’s a Mess’: Homeless Services Nonprofits Say Oakland Routinely Fails to Pay Contracts",
"datePublished": "2025-03-25T11:11:46-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-03-25T12:07:30-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12032734",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12032734/homeless-services-nonprofits-oakland-fails-pay-contracts",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>Updated 12:07 p.m. Tuesday\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A year without pay. Millions in debt. Months without a contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those are some of the allegations from homelessness services providers in Oakland that have surfaced since one nonprofit nearly had to shut down two shelters this month. Its experience is shining a spotlight on a broken repayment system that’s thwarting the city’s ability to address one of its most pressing problems.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/news/city-of-oakland-opens-100-bed-cabin-shelter-program-at-wood-street\">Wood Street Community Cabins\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.self-sufficiency.org/rvpark#:~:text=The%20Wood%20Street%20RV%20Safe,support%20to%20find%20permanent%20housing.\">RV safe parking\u003c/a> sites in West Oakland, which consist of 100 cabin beds and 40 RV spots, are slated to close at the end of June but were nearly forced to shut down three months early, after the city missed some five months of payments to the nonprofit running the sites, Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nonprofits say BOSS’ experience is only the latest example of an ongoing struggle that has them operating under the weight of massive debt as they wait on the city to reimburse them for housing and feeding its most vulnerable residents. And it’s those residents who are hurt most as they contend with subpar living conditions at some sites that are exacerbated by the stymied cash flow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No one really knows exactly what’s going on,” John Janosko, a former resident of the Wood Street Cabins, said during a Monday press conference outside the shelters, where advocates rebuked the city and lobbied to take over the sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032760\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032760\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/016_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tiny homes trucked into the Wood Street Cabin Community, a planned 100-bed shelter program on the second portion of the Game Changer lot located at 2601 Wood St., in Oakland, on Dec. 16, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said muddled information has left residents uncertain of when they’ll need to find alternative housing, with some expecting to leave in a matter of weeks and others circulating rumors the site may run through the end of the year. According to BOSS, there are currently 70 people living in either the cabins or at the RV site. Of those, 41 are still awaiting a housing placement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The bottom line is we don’t know, so we’re basically here to help uplift and support our family,” Janosko said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>BOSS CEO Donald Frazier said he issued layoff notices to staff last week in preparation to shut down at the end of March after repeated and increasingly urgent requests for payment went unaddressed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was only after the layoff notices went out that city officials sat down with Frazier and provided assurances the city would make good on its debt. In all, Frazier said the city owes BOSS about $900,000 through April and that the organization will need another $480,000 to fund the programs through June.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12030792",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We’ll see,” he said. “Until the money is in our hands, I won’t be content.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sean Maher, a spokesperson for the city of Oakland, said in a statement to KQED that staff is working on solutions to “bring the city’s outstanding payments to BOSS up to current, as well as identifying solutions to support the programs’ operations to the end of June.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a Friday meeting, officials with the City Administrator’s Office told Frazier they would provide the back pay owed for November through January within 10 days. As a result, Frazier said he would rescind the layoff notices and inform staff of the June closure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This will allow critical time for identifying options for the residents currently being served by both programs,” Maher said, adding that those options would be finalized over the next several days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But on Monday, some cabin residents said they had little sense of where they’d end up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ll go stay in a tent if it comes to that,” said Jared Defigh, who’s been living at the site for about two years. “I might get housed before then, it’s hard to say.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032761\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12032761\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/012_KQED_WoodStreetCommonsEviction_04102023_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Wood Street resident tours the Tuff Sheds near the Wood Street encampment in Oakland on April 10, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Late payments from local governments and the state are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/10/nonprofit-reimbursements/\">a thorn in the side of services providers around California\u003c/a>, with some large organizations regularly waiting on tens of millions of dollars in reimbursement at any given time. However, local nonprofits say the lags in Oakland are extreme.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED spoke with three other local nonprofit providers who said payment delays make it particularly challenging to operate in the city. While a typical wait time is two to three months, one leader estimates Oakland takes nearly twice as long to pay. Another said it’s not unusual for the city to run a year behind on payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Roots Community Health CEO Noha Aboelata said that for the second year in a row, the city has racked up a million-dollar debt with the nonprofit. She and other CEOs, including some who declined to speak on record, said that while the situation long predates Oakland’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027537/oakland-budget-crisis-leads-nonprofit-cuts-leaving-social-services-limbo\">current budget crisis\u003c/a>, it’s only gotten worse. And, Aboelata said the delays now extend to the contracting process itself, meaning organizations are often working for months without contracts in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Without a contract in place, you can’t invoice,” she said. “So the delays have gotten incredibly lengthy.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12031813",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240409-SJEncampmentBan-045-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In a statement, Maher said the city values its service providers and welcomes feedback “on ways we can collaboratively improve our work together, including in our contracting, invoicing, and payments processes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aboelata said she understands the city is in a fiscal crisis and is willing to work through it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But we really do need clarity,” she said, echoing the frustration over poor communication with the city that the other CEOs expressed. “Every week we’re not knowing what’s going to happen next or what we’re going to be told, or what we are going to find, so it does create kind of an instability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That instability also breeds inefficiency, leaders said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For BOSS, that means taking out a line of credit to cover operating costs, resulting in added interest payments that will most likely get passed on to taxpayers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And residents say it also manifests as mismanagement and subpar conditions at the shelters themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They didn’t have toilet paper, they didn’t have drinking water,” said a former resident of the Wood Street Cabins and advocate who goes by Freeway. “The facilities were constantly non-functioning as they are right now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t even have shower heads anymore,” Defigh said. “There might be sewage coming out of that bathroom.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Frazier acknowledged those challenges, though he said the sewage issue had been addressed. With cashflow severely limited, he said BOSS struggled to maintain the shelters, leading to health and safety concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12032924\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12032924 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/004_KQED_WoodStreet_12162022_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A small home is transported to the Wood Street Cabin Community, a planned 100-bed shelter program on the second section of the Game Changer lot at 2601 Wood St. in Oakland, on Dec. 16, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There were tremendous problems,” he said. “All that was a direct result of not having funds to do all the existing maintenance and some deferred maintenance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25867210-letter-to-city-administrator-1/\">In a February letter (PDF)\u003c/a> to City Administrator Jestin Johnson, Frazier alerted officials that delays had “significantly impacted clients, staff wages and limited our ability to accept new clients.” The letter lists an estimated $130,000–$150,000 worth of necessary maintenance, including mold testing, remediation and repairs to over two dozen units. One charred cabin needed removing, according to the letter; others needed new locks, doors, floors and windows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an email accompanying the letter, Frazier called the conditions at the cabins “unconscionable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Staff and participants’ health and safety are at risk,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pressure ultimately led the city to reimburse BOSS for payments owed from September and October of last year, he said, but the organization hasn’t been paid since then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a mess,” Frazier said. “It strains the entire agency. It’s like stretching a rubber band — how far can you stretch it before it pops?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12032734/homeless-services-nonprofits-oakland-fails-pay-contracts",
"authors": [
"11276"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_6266",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_3921",
"news_27626",
"news_4020",
"news_1775",
"news_34054",
"news_3327",
"news_2318",
"news_31342"
],
"featImg": "news_12032752",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12032266": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12032266",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12032266",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1742551217000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "three-months-after-homeless-man-is-killed-in-city-clean-up-vallejo-pauses-encampment-sweeps",
"title": "Three Months After Homeless Man Is Killed in City Cleanup, Vallejo Pauses Encampment Sweeps",
"publishDate": 1742551217,
"format": "audio",
"headTitle": "Three Months After Homeless Man Is Killed in City Cleanup, Vallejo Pauses Encampment Sweeps | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In recent weeks, the public has learned that a 58-year-old man named James Oakley was crushed to death during a city-run trash cleanup on Christmas Eve, sparking outrage and shock among unhoused residents and advocates. Now, the city has put a temporary pause on encampment sweeps. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4765919077&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul style=\"text-align: left\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031016/report-unhoused-man-seen-alive-before-being-crushed-during-vallejo-cleanup\">Report: Unhoused Man Seen Alive Before Being Crushed During Vallejo Cleanup\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:15] \u003c/em>Well, Vanessa, I wonder if you can take us back to Christmas Eve in Vallejo when the city was conducting a cleanup. Where exactly was this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:28] \u003c/em>So it was at the northern edge of the city, sort of near the border with American Canyon. In what appears to have been basically a field or along the edge of this empty land right off of Broadway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:54] \u003c/em>What exactly were they cleaning? I guess what did the city of Vallejo say they were doing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:01] \u003c/em>They described it as an illegal dumping site and they said that a public works crew was out there doing a cleanup. So really all the city acknowledged at the time was that on the morning of December 24th this public works crew was out there doing this cleanup and they came across a body. Officials said that the city was investigating this incident and that the employees involved we’re getting some supportive services. and then the Solano County Coroner’s Office at the time also told reporters that they were investigating. But that’s basically all we knew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:42] \u003c/em>Yeah, it seemed like a sort of incomplete picture at the time. And that was sort of the official story that the city had given on this cleanup. But how much time passes until we actually learn anything new? And what did we learn?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:01] \u003c/em>Right, so about two months later at the end of February, the city announced that a man had in fact been killed during that trash cleanup. The coroner’s office identified him as a 58-year-old black man named James Oakley II, and determined that he died of blunt force trauma, likely caused by heavy machinery. It also became clear at that point that Oakley was unhoused. Local homeless advocates said that they knew him as someone who had been homeless in the city for many years and had lived in the area where that public works crew was doing the trash cleanup. We also learned at that point that the police department’s investigation didn’t find any indication that there was an intent to cause harm. and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office found that there wasn’t enough evidence to file criminal charges. The city manager at that point referred to this as a, quote, tragic accident and said that the city sent its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:21] \u003c/em>And I mean, obviously, this was just shocking information to hear. It sort of really changes and changed, I think, what a lot of people understood and knew about this cleanup and what had actually happened. And you, from there as a reporter, made a couple of records requests, right? What records did you get and what exactly did they show?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:49] \u003c/em>Yeah, we started submitting public records requests at that point for records from the coroner’s office, the police department, other city departments, really in hopes of piecing together what had happened. We’re still waiting on the city to get back to us on multiple fronts, but what we were able to get was the death investigation report and autopsy report from the coroner’s office. I think one of the most significant revelations is the fact that Oakley was seen alive the same morning that he was killed. According to the death investigation report, waste collection workers with this private company, Recology, told police that they had been at the site earlier that morning to pick up trash, but they decided not to pick up the trash when they saw a man there with the stuff. When the Vallejo Public Works crew got there to clear the trash later that morning, They reported seeing a mattress covered with a tarp. along with some tote bags, a shopping cart, and bags of trash. And the workers reported that they kicked this mattress and called out to ask if anybody was there. And when they didn’t get a response, they started clearing the items without lifting this tarp that was covering the mattress. The backhoe operator then went ahead and used the front bucket on this machine to crush the mattress and sort of scoop it up. Between this investigation and the autopsy, the coroner’s office determined that Oakley was killed when the backhoe crushed him and this mattress that he was lying on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:52] \u003c/em>I mean, Vanessa, the details of this story and of this death investigation are just like horrifying to hear. But what do we know about the man who was killed, James Oakley?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:08] \u003c/em>He was 58 at the time of his death. He’d grown up in American Canyon and it sounds like he had been living in this area sort of on the border between Vallejo and American Canyon for some time. We know from old newspaper articles and court records and friends that he was a star athlete In high school, in the 80s, we played football, basketball, baseball. wrestled. But later on, he struggled with drug addiction and served time in prison for manslaughter at one point and then for drug charges as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:51] \u003c/em>I met him. I knew his girlfriend at the time. This is probably a year and a half ago.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:58] \u003c/em>I talked to a man named Sean O’Malley, and O’Malley himself is unhoused and has been for many years in Vallejo. He’s also one of the leaders of the Vallejo Homeless Union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:11] \u003c/em>He’s a big guy, like a gentle giant guy, man. You know, they try to paint this narrative of him. I mean, he did go to prison years ago. I didn’t know him as that. I knew him later, you know what I mean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:19] \u003c/em>He first met Oakley a couple of years ago, he said, when his car broke down in the middle of the road and Oakley offered him a jump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:30] \u003c/em>And he come with his truck, he used to have a jeep, like a red jeep, and he gave me a jump. And I thought it was really cool. Like, you know, I didn’t even know him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:37] \u003c/em>The two of them went on to play dice together. He said they played these weekly dice games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:42] \u003c/em>He always accused me of cheating. He said my dice were loaded because he’s always lost. I was just better, that’s all. You know what I mean? Sore loser, but I am too, so I can’t fault him for that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:51] \u003c/em>He said that Oakley was living in this shed in a parking lot adjacent to the field where he was killed. That’s not something that we were able to confirm, but I was out there and I saw that shed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:05] \u003c/em>What else did Sean tell you about his reaction to what happened to his friend? I mean, I’m sure he was shocked and horrified to hear the details of this cleanup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:18] \u003c/em>Yeah, he was immensely critical of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:22] \u003c/em>You know, it’s definitely incompetence. Most definitely on the city’s part. Is it criminal incompetence? I don’t know, but it’s definitely incompetence. That’s for sure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:30] \u003c/em>He described it as careless, reckless, and negligent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:35] \u003c/em>You know, somebody should be held accountable, you know, most definitely. I mean, okay, an accident, but an accident due to negligence, completely. That kind of accident does not happen. That scooper should never touch the person, ever, period. Shouldn’t even get near a person. Shouldn’t be within 20 feet of somebody.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:56] \u003c/em>What other reactions have you seen from unhoused folks in Vallejo?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:02] \u003c/em>Last week, advocates held a protest and vigil for Oakley in front of Vallejo City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Speaker at the vigil: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:11] \u003c/em>You know, we are here today to uphold brother James, who was brutally killed by state-sponsored violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:20] \u003c/em>There were a couple dozen people out there. They were burning cobalt, there was drumming, there were a number of different speakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Speaker at the vigil: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:31] \u003c/em>We pray that Brother James is in the spirit world with those that love him, getting all the love and hugs that he deserves, that his family has peace right now because we know they’re suffering his loss. Our hearts go out to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:52] \u003c/em>They called on the city to reconsider its approach to handling homeless encampments. And in some cases, advocates were calling for an all-out freeze on sweeps. What they were arguing is that while this death may not have been intentional, it is, in their eyes, the logical end result of policies and practices and rhetoric. that they say dehumanizes homeless people and encourages what they describe as a sort of violence in the form of encampment sweeps. And they were out there really warning that there will be more deaths if things don’t change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:42] \u003c/em>Coming up, how the city of Vallejo responded to James Oakley’s death. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:57] \u003c/em>Well, it seems like there’s a lot of focus then on Vallejo’s policies around homelessness. Has the city or any city official said anything since all of this information has come out?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:13] \u003c/em>I had been reaching out to the city council, to the mayor, to other officials, and heard nothing except for a very brief statement from the city manager. But last week, the mayor did call for a special council meeting to talk about homelessness broadly. And so that finally happened this Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mayor Andrea Sorce: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:35] \u003c/em>I want the community, we haven’t spent enough time on this issue, and so I want the community to say what needs to be said. We have a lot of speakers, so we’re going to be, you know, listening to speakers, and I think that’s an important part of this process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:47] \u003c/em>The mayor, Andrea Sorce, framed this as a forum for the council to hear from the community. And she opened by highlighting that the city has new leadership. So the city council has four new members who were elected in November, including Sorce herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mayor Andrea Sorce: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:05] \u003c/em>I think we’re really ready to tackle this, and that was what I was hoping to do tonight is really start developing effective policy and having this council take the leadership on the issue and get going on this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:16] \u003c/em>So she encouraged folks to say whatever they wanted at this meeting, but really to bring any ideas that they have forward about how to handle this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:28] \u003c/em>And what did you hear from public comment at this meeting? What was sort of the range of, I guess, feelings and requests that folks brought to the council?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:39] \u003c/em>There was some anger and some angst and a lot of frustration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:45] \u003c/em>These sweeps have got to stop, man. They’re ungodly. They kill not only humans, animals, but the planet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:55] \u003c/em>Unhoused people who had been through sweeps talked about the trauma that they experienced. They talked about losing all their belongings in some cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:06] \u003c/em>The current policies of the city of Vallejo are inhumane and violate the basic human rights that should be granted to everyone with or without shelter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:15] \u003c/em>I don’t want to be unhoused. I’ve never wanted to be unhoused. The sweeps don’t work. You take my stuff, throw it away. I used to have an RV. You took it. Now I live in a pickup truck. There’s gotta be a better way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:31] \u003c/em>Residents talked about frustration with encampments. People talked about feeling threatened by unhoused residents with severe mental health issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:46] \u003c/em>My wife was rudely harassed in my presence by a disturbed homeless man outside of the St. Vincent’s Hill Neighborhood Associations meeting downtown. I’m dedicated to Vallejo, but these experiences will scare many away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:00] \u003c/em>Legal camping, the trash, the filth, the toxic smoke, the drug use, and criminal behavior cannot be tolerated in this cash-strapped city. Finally, I must stand up for an innocent Public Works employee who was doing his job clearing an illegal dump site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:18] \u003c/em>Unhoused residents and their advocates and then housed residents and business owners. What they all had in common was a real sense that the status quo is totally unacceptable and that there’s been a real lack of leadership and the city needs to step up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:46] \u003c/em>What came out of this meeting beyond council members hearing from the public? I mean, does the city have anything to say about what it’s going to do to make sure this kind of thing, like what happened to James Oakley, doesn’t happen again?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:04] \u003c/em>Yeah, it was interesting because this incident was the subtext, I think, of this whole conversation. And while several members of the public brought it up explicitly, the council members themselves did not address it at all. It was only at the very end of the meeting that Mayor Source adjourned in honor of James Oakley. It was quite a long meeting. It didn’t end until midnight. And the council members at that point said it was too late to make any productive decisions. What they did agree to do was pick up the conversation again on April 1st. And in the meantime, they directed staff barring some sort of imminent public health issue to pause encampment sweeps. One thing Sean O’Malley told me that he is working on with other advocates is a slate of guidelines to give the city around how to handle encampment removals and debris cleanups. So examples of recommendations that he gave me include providing dumpsters so that garbage doesn’t pile up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:24] \u003c/em>It costs a lot to do debris removal. If they put a dumpster out there, it costs about $600 a month. And the bathrooms, they should be able to subsidize the bathrooms like porta-parties and stuff at every camp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:34] \u003c/em>And he said that they are planning to meet with city officials in the coming weeks to go over this stuff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:45] \u003c/em>And I guess it remains to be seen as well how what happened to James Oakley changes or doesn’t change the city’s policy around encampment sweeps?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:59] \u003c/em>Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think that’s one of the things that we’re all going to be watching for. And how do city leaders navigate the pressure coming from advocates in the wake of this incident alongside the continued pressure that they’re facing from housed residents who are deeply frustrated with the situation. So it will be interesting to see how the city navigates that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "A 58-year-old unhoused man named James Oakley was crushed to death during a city-run trash cleanup on Christmas Eve, sparking outrage and shock among unhoused residents and advocates.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1742589775,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": true,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 55,
"wordCount": 2917
},
"headData": {
"title": "Three Months After Homeless Man Is Killed in City Cleanup, Vallejo Pauses Encampment Sweeps | KQED",
"description": "A 58-year-old unhoused man named James Oakley was crushed to death during a city-run trash cleanup on Christmas Eve, sparking outrage and shock among unhoused residents and advocates.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Three Months After Homeless Man Is Killed in City Cleanup, Vallejo Pauses Encampment Sweeps",
"datePublished": "2025-03-21T03:00:17-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-03-21T13:42:55-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"source": "The Bay",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay",
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/G6C7C3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC4765919077.mp3?updated=1742510562",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12032266",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12032266/three-months-after-homeless-man-is-killed-in-city-clean-up-vallejo-pauses-encampment-sweeps",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In recent weeks, the public has learned that a 58-year-old man named James Oakley was crushed to death during a city-run trash cleanup on Christmas Eve, sparking outrage and shock among unhoused residents and advocates. Now, the city has put a temporary pause on encampment sweeps. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\n\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4765919077&light=true\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul style=\"text-align: left\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12031016/report-unhoused-man-seen-alive-before-being-crushed-during-vallejo-cleanup\">Report: Unhoused Man Seen Alive Before Being Crushed During Vallejo Cleanup\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:15] \u003c/em>Well, Vanessa, I wonder if you can take us back to Christmas Eve in Vallejo when the city was conducting a cleanup. Where exactly was this?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:28] \u003c/em>So it was at the northern edge of the city, sort of near the border with American Canyon. In what appears to have been basically a field or along the edge of this empty land right off of Broadway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:54] \u003c/em>What exactly were they cleaning? I guess what did the city of Vallejo say they were doing?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:01] \u003c/em>They described it as an illegal dumping site and they said that a public works crew was out there doing a cleanup. So really all the city acknowledged at the time was that on the morning of December 24th this public works crew was out there doing this cleanup and they came across a body. Officials said that the city was investigating this incident and that the employees involved we’re getting some supportive services. and then the Solano County Coroner’s Office at the time also told reporters that they were investigating. But that’s basically all we knew.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:42] \u003c/em>Yeah, it seemed like a sort of incomplete picture at the time. And that was sort of the official story that the city had given on this cleanup. But how much time passes until we actually learn anything new? And what did we learn?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:01] \u003c/em>Right, so about two months later at the end of February, the city announced that a man had in fact been killed during that trash cleanup. The coroner’s office identified him as a 58-year-old black man named James Oakley II, and determined that he died of blunt force trauma, likely caused by heavy machinery. It also became clear at that point that Oakley was unhoused. Local homeless advocates said that they knew him as someone who had been homeless in the city for many years and had lived in the area where that public works crew was doing the trash cleanup. We also learned at that point that the police department’s investigation didn’t find any indication that there was an intent to cause harm. and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office found that there wasn’t enough evidence to file criminal charges. The city manager at that point referred to this as a, quote, tragic accident and said that the city sent its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:21] \u003c/em>And I mean, obviously, this was just shocking information to hear. It sort of really changes and changed, I think, what a lot of people understood and knew about this cleanup and what had actually happened. And you, from there as a reporter, made a couple of records requests, right? What records did you get and what exactly did they show?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:49] \u003c/em>Yeah, we started submitting public records requests at that point for records from the coroner’s office, the police department, other city departments, really in hopes of piecing together what had happened. We’re still waiting on the city to get back to us on multiple fronts, but what we were able to get was the death investigation report and autopsy report from the coroner’s office. I think one of the most significant revelations is the fact that Oakley was seen alive the same morning that he was killed. According to the death investigation report, waste collection workers with this private company, Recology, told police that they had been at the site earlier that morning to pick up trash, but they decided not to pick up the trash when they saw a man there with the stuff. When the Vallejo Public Works crew got there to clear the trash later that morning, They reported seeing a mattress covered with a tarp. along with some tote bags, a shopping cart, and bags of trash. And the workers reported that they kicked this mattress and called out to ask if anybody was there. And when they didn’t get a response, they started clearing the items without lifting this tarp that was covering the mattress. The backhoe operator then went ahead and used the front bucket on this machine to crush the mattress and sort of scoop it up. Between this investigation and the autopsy, the coroner’s office determined that Oakley was killed when the backhoe crushed him and this mattress that he was lying on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:52] \u003c/em>I mean, Vanessa, the details of this story and of this death investigation are just like horrifying to hear. But what do we know about the man who was killed, James Oakley?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:08] \u003c/em>He was 58 at the time of his death. He’d grown up in American Canyon and it sounds like he had been living in this area sort of on the border between Vallejo and American Canyon for some time. We know from old newspaper articles and court records and friends that he was a star athlete In high school, in the 80s, we played football, basketball, baseball. wrestled. But later on, he struggled with drug addiction and served time in prison for manslaughter at one point and then for drug charges as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:51] \u003c/em>I met him. I knew his girlfriend at the time. This is probably a year and a half ago.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:58] \u003c/em>I talked to a man named Sean O’Malley, and O’Malley himself is unhoused and has been for many years in Vallejo. He’s also one of the leaders of the Vallejo Homeless Union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:11] \u003c/em>He’s a big guy, like a gentle giant guy, man. You know, they try to paint this narrative of him. I mean, he did go to prison years ago. I didn’t know him as that. I knew him later, you know what I mean?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:19] \u003c/em>He first met Oakley a couple of years ago, he said, when his car broke down in the middle of the road and Oakley offered him a jump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:30] \u003c/em>And he come with his truck, he used to have a jeep, like a red jeep, and he gave me a jump. And I thought it was really cool. Like, you know, I didn’t even know him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:37] \u003c/em>The two of them went on to play dice together. He said they played these weekly dice games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:42] \u003c/em>He always accused me of cheating. He said my dice were loaded because he’s always lost. I was just better, that’s all. You know what I mean? Sore loser, but I am too, so I can’t fault him for that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:51] \u003c/em>He said that Oakley was living in this shed in a parking lot adjacent to the field where he was killed. That’s not something that we were able to confirm, but I was out there and I saw that shed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:05] \u003c/em>What else did Sean tell you about his reaction to what happened to his friend? I mean, I’m sure he was shocked and horrified to hear the details of this cleanup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:18] \u003c/em>Yeah, he was immensely critical of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:22] \u003c/em>You know, it’s definitely incompetence. Most definitely on the city’s part. Is it criminal incompetence? I don’t know, but it’s definitely incompetence. That’s for sure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:30] \u003c/em>He described it as careless, reckless, and negligent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:35] \u003c/em>You know, somebody should be held accountable, you know, most definitely. I mean, okay, an accident, but an accident due to negligence, completely. That kind of accident does not happen. That scooper should never touch the person, ever, period. Shouldn’t even get near a person. Shouldn’t be within 20 feet of somebody.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:56] \u003c/em>What other reactions have you seen from unhoused folks in Vallejo?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:02] \u003c/em>Last week, advocates held a protest and vigil for Oakley in front of Vallejo City Hall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Speaker at the vigil: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:11] \u003c/em>You know, we are here today to uphold brother James, who was brutally killed by state-sponsored violence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:20] \u003c/em>There were a couple dozen people out there. They were burning cobalt, there was drumming, there were a number of different speakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Speaker at the vigil: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:31] \u003c/em>We pray that Brother James is in the spirit world with those that love him, getting all the love and hugs that he deserves, that his family has peace right now because we know they’re suffering his loss. Our hearts go out to them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:52] \u003c/em>They called on the city to reconsider its approach to handling homeless encampments. And in some cases, advocates were calling for an all-out freeze on sweeps. What they were arguing is that while this death may not have been intentional, it is, in their eyes, the logical end result of policies and practices and rhetoric. that they say dehumanizes homeless people and encourages what they describe as a sort of violence in the form of encampment sweeps. And they were out there really warning that there will be more deaths if things don’t change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:42] \u003c/em>Coming up, how the city of Vallejo responded to James Oakley’s death. Stay with us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:57] \u003c/em>Well, it seems like there’s a lot of focus then on Vallejo’s policies around homelessness. Has the city or any city official said anything since all of this information has come out?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:13] \u003c/em>I had been reaching out to the city council, to the mayor, to other officials, and heard nothing except for a very brief statement from the city manager. But last week, the mayor did call for a special council meeting to talk about homelessness broadly. And so that finally happened this Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mayor Andrea Sorce: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:35] \u003c/em>I want the community, we haven’t spent enough time on this issue, and so I want the community to say what needs to be said. We have a lot of speakers, so we’re going to be, you know, listening to speakers, and I think that’s an important part of this process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:47] \u003c/em>The mayor, Andrea Sorce, framed this as a forum for the council to hear from the community. And she opened by highlighting that the city has new leadership. So the city council has four new members who were elected in November, including Sorce herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Mayor Andrea Sorce: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:05] \u003c/em>I think we’re really ready to tackle this, and that was what I was hoping to do tonight is really start developing effective policy and having this council take the leadership on the issue and get going on this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:16] \u003c/em>So she encouraged folks to say whatever they wanted at this meeting, but really to bring any ideas that they have forward about how to handle this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:28] \u003c/em>And what did you hear from public comment at this meeting? What was sort of the range of, I guess, feelings and requests that folks brought to the council?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:39] \u003c/em>There was some anger and some angst and a lot of frustration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:45] \u003c/em>These sweeps have got to stop, man. They’re ungodly. They kill not only humans, animals, but the planet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:55] \u003c/em>Unhoused people who had been through sweeps talked about the trauma that they experienced. They talked about losing all their belongings in some cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:06] \u003c/em>The current policies of the city of Vallejo are inhumane and violate the basic human rights that should be granted to everyone with or without shelter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:15] \u003c/em>I don’t want to be unhoused. I’ve never wanted to be unhoused. The sweeps don’t work. You take my stuff, throw it away. I used to have an RV. You took it. Now I live in a pickup truck. There’s gotta be a better way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:31] \u003c/em>Residents talked about frustration with encampments. People talked about feeling threatened by unhoused residents with severe mental health issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:46] \u003c/em>My wife was rudely harassed in my presence by a disturbed homeless man outside of the St. Vincent’s Hill Neighborhood Associations meeting downtown. I’m dedicated to Vallejo, but these experiences will scare many away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Public Comment: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:00] \u003c/em>Legal camping, the trash, the filth, the toxic smoke, the drug use, and criminal behavior cannot be tolerated in this cash-strapped city. Finally, I must stand up for an innocent Public Works employee who was doing his job clearing an illegal dump site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:18] \u003c/em>Unhoused residents and their advocates and then housed residents and business owners. What they all had in common was a real sense that the status quo is totally unacceptable and that there’s been a real lack of leadership and the city needs to step up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:46] \u003c/em>What came out of this meeting beyond council members hearing from the public? I mean, does the city have anything to say about what it’s going to do to make sure this kind of thing, like what happened to James Oakley, doesn’t happen again?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:16:04] \u003c/em>Yeah, it was interesting because this incident was the subtext, I think, of this whole conversation. And while several members of the public brought it up explicitly, the council members themselves did not address it at all. It was only at the very end of the meeting that Mayor Source adjourned in honor of James Oakley. It was quite a long meeting. It didn’t end until midnight. And the council members at that point said it was too late to make any productive decisions. What they did agree to do was pick up the conversation again on April 1st. And in the meantime, they directed staff barring some sort of imminent public health issue to pause encampment sweeps. One thing Sean O’Malley told me that he is working on with other advocates is a slate of guidelines to give the city around how to handle encampment removals and debris cleanups. So examples of recommendations that he gave me include providing dumpsters so that garbage doesn’t pile up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sean O’Malley: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:24] \u003c/em>It costs a lot to do debris removal. If they put a dumpster out there, it costs about $600 a month. And the bathrooms, they should be able to subsidize the bathrooms like porta-parties and stuff at every camp.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:34] \u003c/em>And he said that they are planning to meet with city officials in the coming weeks to go over this stuff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:45] \u003c/em>And I guess it remains to be seen as well how what happened to James Oakley changes or doesn’t change the city’s policy around encampment sweeps?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Vanessa Rancaño: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:17:59] \u003c/em>Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think that’s one of the things that we’re all going to be watching for. And how do city leaders navigate the pressure coming from advocates in the wake of this incident alongside the continued pressure that they’re facing from housed residents who are deeply frustrated with the situation. So it will be interesting to see how the city navigates that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12032266/three-months-after-homeless-man-is-killed-in-city-clean-up-vallejo-pauses-encampment-sweeps",
"authors": [
"8654",
"11276",
"11831",
"11939",
"11649"
],
"categories": [
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_35129",
"news_21214",
"news_4020",
"news_33812",
"news_22598",
"news_273"
],
"featImg": "news_12031106",
"label": "source_news_12032266"
},
"news_12031813": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12031813",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12031813",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1742407207000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "san-jose-council-gives-initial-approval-mayors-controversial-homelessness-pay-plans",
"title": "San José Council Gives Initial Approval to Mayor’s Controversial Homelessness and Pay Plans",
"publishDate": 1742407207,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "San José Council Gives Initial Approval to Mayor’s Controversial Homelessness and Pay Plans | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029843/san-jose-mayor-pushes-to-arrest-unhoused-who-refuse-shelter\">controversial plans on homelessness\u003c/a> and City Hall pay won initial approval from the city council on Tuesday night after a long and tense meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The council approved Mahan’s preliminary budget for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026772/san-jose-faces-60-million-budget-shortfall-as-negotiations-begin\">upcoming fiscal year\u003c/a>, which includes his proposal to arrest people experiencing homelessness who refuse three offers of shelter. The idea set off hours of heated discussion among residents and council members, suggesting the proposal will continue to stir debate before the council takes a final vote in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a working six-vote majority on the council — at least until a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030375/san-jose-district-3-special-election-whos-running-and-how-to-vote\">special election\u003c/a> next month — Mahan is pursuing his most ambitious spending plan since taking office in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the idea he has dubbed “Responsibility to Shelter,” Mahan is proposing a 2026 ballot measure to tie council and mayoral pay raises to performance metrics. His budget also includes a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026437/san-jose-mayor-proposes-permanent-shift-homeless-funding-from-housing-shelter\">shift in funding\u003c/a> away from affordable housing toward interim housing and shelter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will not be able to maintain the trust of our community and continue to spend tens of millions of dollars a year to invest in interim housing … if we cannot prove to [residents] that it allows us to resolve the homeless encampments that have caused so much harm to the broader community,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031248\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031248\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan is interviewed for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on March 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The budget framework, known as the March Budget Message, was approved on a 7-4 vote, with Councilmembers Rosemary Kamei, Bien Doan, Pam Foley, Michael Mulcahy, George Casey and Carl Salas joining Mahan in support. Councilmembers David Cohen, Peter Ortiz, Domingo Candelas and Pamela Campos voted against the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mahan’s plan to impose penalties for refusing shelter has ignited a firestorm in South Bay politics, \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/alex_lee/status/1898122536560603485\">drawing criticism\u003c/a> from state Assemblymembers Alex Lee and Ash Kalra, as well as members of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Opponents argue that it will leave unhoused people with damaging criminal records and sap city resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the short term, I worry about the impact this will have on emergency services who are already overburdened,” Ortiz said. “Officers are constantly forced to prioritize, to triage emergencies in the field. I’m just nervous about adding another responsibility to the police force.”[aside postID=news_12029843 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240620-AffordableHousingPresser-10-BL_qed-1-1020x680.jpg']The city operates more than 1,000 shelter spaces, including tiny homes and converted motels, and hundreds more units are expected to open this year. The facilities are in high demand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent report from city staff found that just 541 people out of the estimated 5,477 who are living without shelter in the city are “program-resistant.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But crucially, the mayor and council have pledged to maintain no-encampment zones around new interim housing sites, which Mahan described as a key carrot for gaining neighborhood support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mahan said his proposal on pay raises is part of his vision to “deliver the outcomes our residents are demanding and to build trust in government.” If approved by voters, the Salary Setting Commission would align raises (beyond the cost of living) to the city’s progress on council-approved goals, such as reducing homelessness and crime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cohen said the program could lead future councils to prioritize short-term benchmarks or manipulate goals to ensure higher pay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12015960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clusters of tents belonging to unhoused residents line the banks of Coyote Creek near Tully Road on Jan. 4, 2023, in San José, California. \u003ccite>(Dai Sugano/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We might say our current council wouldn’t do that, but going to the voters and changing it is a permanent change,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the homeless enforcement and council pay measures will be voted on separately from the rest of the budget in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city faces an estimated $45.6 million shortfall in the fiscal year beginning July 1. Mahan is proposing to largely close the gap by shifting dedicated homeless funding away from building permanent affordable housing to cover the city’s interim housing costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fate of funding created by Measure E, a 2020 real estate transfer tax, has been central to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989926/san-jose-council-approves-budget-with-historic-shift-in-unhoused-spending\">budget debates\u003c/a> for the past two years. Now, Mahan is pushing to permanently allocate up to 90% for interim housing and shelter, with 10% going to homeless prevention programs like rental assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than a hundred residents lined up to speak at Tuesday’s meeting, with most focused on the more than 5,000 people experiencing homelessness in San José. Deborah Brown urged the council and Mahan to put aside their differences and work with urgency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Tonight, someone will be out there, freezing to death or sick and helpless, and my hope is that you as a unit, who the city has given you the permission to run this city, that you will take those funds that you have and get this problem solved,” Brown said. “I know you can do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s preliminary budget plan includes a 2026 ballot measure to tie council and mayoral pay raises to performance metrics.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1742410807,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 20,
"wordCount": 883
},
"headData": {
"title": "San José Council Gives Initial Approval to Mayor’s Controversial Homelessness and Pay Plans | KQED",
"description": "San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s preliminary budget plan includes a 2026 ballot measure to tie council and mayoral pay raises to performance metrics.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "San José Council Gives Initial Approval to Mayor’s Controversial Homelessness and Pay Plans",
"datePublished": "2025-03-19T11:00:07-07:00",
"dateModified": "2025-03-19T12:00:07-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12031813",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12031813/san-jose-council-gives-initial-approval-mayors-controversial-homelessness-pay-plans",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029843/san-jose-mayor-pushes-to-arrest-unhoused-who-refuse-shelter\">controversial plans on homelessness\u003c/a> and City Hall pay won initial approval from the city council on Tuesday night after a long and tense meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The council approved Mahan’s preliminary budget for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026772/san-jose-faces-60-million-budget-shortfall-as-negotiations-begin\">upcoming fiscal year\u003c/a>, which includes his proposal to arrest people experiencing homelessness who refuse three offers of shelter. The idea set off hours of heated discussion among residents and council members, suggesting the proposal will continue to stir debate before the council takes a final vote in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With a working six-vote majority on the council — at least until a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030375/san-jose-district-3-special-election-whos-running-and-how-to-vote\">special election\u003c/a> next month — Mahan is pursuing his most ambitious spending plan since taking office in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beyond the idea he has dubbed “Responsibility to Shelter,” Mahan is proposing a 2026 ballot measure to tie council and mayoral pay raises to performance metrics. His budget also includes a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026437/san-jose-mayor-proposes-permanent-shift-homeless-funding-from-housing-shelter\">shift in funding\u003c/a> away from affordable housing toward interim housing and shelter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will not be able to maintain the trust of our community and continue to spend tens of millions of dollars a year to invest in interim housing … if we cannot prove to [residents] that it allows us to resolve the homeless encampments that have caused so much harm to the broader community,” Mahan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031248\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031248\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250312-MATT-MAHAN-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan is interviewed for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on March 13, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The budget framework, known as the March Budget Message, was approved on a 7-4 vote, with Councilmembers Rosemary Kamei, Bien Doan, Pam Foley, Michael Mulcahy, George Casey and Carl Salas joining Mahan in support. Councilmembers David Cohen, Peter Ortiz, Domingo Candelas and Pamela Campos voted against the plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mahan’s plan to impose penalties for refusing shelter has ignited a firestorm in South Bay politics, \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/alex_lee/status/1898122536560603485\">drawing criticism\u003c/a> from state Assemblymembers Alex Lee and Ash Kalra, as well as members of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Opponents argue that it will leave unhoused people with damaging criminal records and sap city resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the short term, I worry about the impact this will have on emergency services who are already overburdened,” Ortiz said. “Officers are constantly forced to prioritize, to triage emergencies in the field. I’m just nervous about adding another responsibility to the police force.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12029843",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240620-AffordableHousingPresser-10-BL_qed-1-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The city operates more than 1,000 shelter spaces, including tiny homes and converted motels, and hundreds more units are expected to open this year. The facilities are in high demand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A recent report from city staff found that just 541 people out of the estimated 5,477 who are living without shelter in the city are “program-resistant.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But crucially, the mayor and council have pledged to maintain no-encampment zones around new interim housing sites, which Mahan described as a key carrot for gaining neighborhood support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mahan said his proposal on pay raises is part of his vision to “deliver the outcomes our residents are demanding and to build trust in government.” If approved by voters, the Salary Setting Commission would align raises (beyond the cost of living) to the city’s progress on council-approved goals, such as reducing homelessness and crime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cohen said the program could lead future councils to prioritize short-term benchmarks or manipulate goals to ensure higher pay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015960\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12015960\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/SantaClaraCountyHomelessnessGetty1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clusters of tents belonging to unhoused residents line the banks of Coyote Creek near Tully Road on Jan. 4, 2023, in San José, California. \u003ccite>(Dai Sugano/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We might say our current council wouldn’t do that, but going to the voters and changing it is a permanent change,” he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both the homeless enforcement and council pay measures will be voted on separately from the rest of the budget in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city faces an estimated $45.6 million shortfall in the fiscal year beginning July 1. Mahan is proposing to largely close the gap by shifting dedicated homeless funding away from building permanent affordable housing to cover the city’s interim housing costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fate of funding created by Measure E, a 2020 real estate transfer tax, has been central to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989926/san-jose-council-approves-budget-with-historic-shift-in-unhoused-spending\">budget debates\u003c/a> for the past two years. Now, Mahan is pushing to permanently allocate up to 90% for interim housing and shelter, with 10% going to homeless prevention programs like rental assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than a hundred residents lined up to speak at Tuesday’s meeting, with most focused on the more than 5,000 people experiencing homelessness in San José. Deborah Brown urged the council and Mahan to put aside their differences and work with urgency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Tonight, someone will be out there, freezing to death or sick and helpless, and my hope is that you as a unit, who the city has given you the permission to run this city, that you will take those funds that you have and get this problem solved,” Brown said. “I know you can do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12031813/san-jose-council-gives-initial-approval-mayors-controversial-homelessness-pay-plans",
"authors": [
"227"
],
"categories": [
"news_6266",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_3921",
"news_34377",
"news_4020",
"news_1775",
"news_31197",
"news_17968",
"news_18541",
"news_3327",
"news_21285"
],
"featImg": "news_12031817",
"label": "news"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"radioSearchSegmentsReducer": {},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"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",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"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",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"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": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"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": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"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": {
"site": "news",
"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",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"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": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"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": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"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": {
"site": "news",
"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",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"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": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"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": {
"site": "news",
"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",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"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/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"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",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"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": {
"site": "radio",
"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"
}
},
"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": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"racesGeneralEl2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/news?tag=homelessness": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 72,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 804,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"news_12041026",
"news_12039730",
"news_12038589",
"news_12036665",
"news_12036408",
"news_12033966",
"news_12033293",
"news_12033092",
"news_12032918",
"news_12032734",
"news_12032266",
"news_12031813"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news_tag_homelessness": {
"isLoading": true
},
"news_4020": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4020",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4020",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Homelessness",
"slug": "homelessness",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Homelessness | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "index"
},
"ttid": 4039,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/homelessness"
},
"source_news_12033293": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12033293",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "El Tímpano",
"link": "https://www.eltimpano.org/",
"isLoading": false
},
"source_news_12032266": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12032266",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Bay",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay",
"isLoading": false
},
"news_31795": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31795",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31795",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31812,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/california"
},
"news_6266": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6266",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6266",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6290,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/housing"
},
"news_8": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_8",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "8",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/news"
},
"news_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/politics"
},
"news_3921": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3921",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3921",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "affordable housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "affordable housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3940,
"slug": "affordable-housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/affordable-housing"
},
"news_18538": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18538",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18538",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california"
},
"news_1323": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1323",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1323",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Donald Trump",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Donald Trump Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1335,
"slug": "donald-trump",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/donald-trump"
},
"news_35095": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35095",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35095",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "encampments",
"slug": "encampments",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "encampments | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35112,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/encampments"
},
"news_20466": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20466",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20466",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Executive Order",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Executive Order Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20483,
"slug": "executive-order",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/executive-order"
},
"news_34377": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34377",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34377",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "featured-politics",
"slug": "featured-politics",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "featured-politics Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34394,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-politics"
},
"news_35063": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35063",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35063",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "federal funding",
"slug": "federal-funding",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "federal funding | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35080,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/federal-funding"
},
"news_35129": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35129",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35129",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "homeless",
"slug": "homeless",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "homeless | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35146,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/homeless"
},
"news_1775": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1775",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1775",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1790,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/housing"
},
"news_17968": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17968",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17968",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 18002,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/politics"
},
"news_33738": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33738",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33738",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33755,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/california"
},
"news_33734": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33734",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33734",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local Politics",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Politics Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33751,
"slug": "local-politics",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/local-politics"
},
"news_33733": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33733",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33733",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33750,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/news"
},
"news_16": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_16",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "16",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Gavin Newsom",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Gavin Newsom Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16,
"slug": "gavin-newsom",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/gavin-newsom"
},
"news_21214": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21214",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21214",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "homeless encampments",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "homeless encampments Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21231,
"slug": "homeless-encampments",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/homeless-encampments"
},
"news_33739": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33739",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33739",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Housing",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Housing Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33756,
"slug": "housing",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/housing"
},
"news_35213": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35213",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35213",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "homeless shelters",
"slug": "homeless-shelters",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "homeless shelters | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35230,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/homeless-shelters"
},
"news_29607": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_29607",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "29607",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "unhoused",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "unhoused Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 29624,
"slug": "unhoused",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/unhoused"
},
"news_18481": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18481",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18481",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "CALmatters",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "affiliate",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "CALmatters Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18515,
"slug": "calmatters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/affiliate/calmatters"
},
"news_33730": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33730",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33730",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oakland Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33747,
"slug": "oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/oakland"
},
"news_33729": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33729",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33729",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33746,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/san-francisco"
},
"news_33731": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33731",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33731",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33748,
"slug": "south-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/south-bay"
},
"news_6188": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6188",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6188",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Law and Justice",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Law and Justice Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6212,
"slug": "law-and-justice",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/law-and-justice"
},
"news_34431": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34431",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34431",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "camping ordinance",
"slug": "camping-ordinance",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "camping ordinance | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34448,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/camping-ordinance"
},
"news_37": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_37",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "37",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Fresno",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Fresno Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 37,
"slug": "fresno",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/fresno"
},
"news_28250": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_28250",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "28250",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28267,
"slug": "local",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/local"
},
"news_269": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_269",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "269",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "BART",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "BART Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 277,
"slug": "bart",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/bart"
},
"news_17626": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17626",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17626",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "crime",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "crime Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17660,
"slug": "crime",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/crime"
},
"news_34055": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34055",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34055",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Daniel Lurie",
"slug": "daniel-lurie",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Daniel Lurie | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34072,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/daniel-lurie"
},
"news_27626": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_27626",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "27626",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 27643,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-news"
},
"news_320": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_320",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "320",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Muni",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Muni Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 328,
"slug": "muni",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/muni"
},
"news_38": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_38",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "38",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 58,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco"
},
"news_34417": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34417",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34417",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "housing shortage",
"slug": "housing-shortage",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "housing shortage | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34434,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/housing-shortage"
},
"news_31584": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31584",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31584",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "sunset district",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "sunset district Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31601,
"slug": "sunset-district",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sunset-district"
},
"news_457": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_457",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "457",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16998,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/health"
},
"news_1169": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1169",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1169",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1180,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/immigration"
},
"news_30826": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_30826",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "30826",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "children's mental health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "children's mental health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 30843,
"slug": "childrens-mental-health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/childrens-mental-health"
},
"news_18543": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18543",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18543",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 466,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/health"
},
"news_17708": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17708",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17708",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "immigrants",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "immigrants Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17742,
"slug": "immigrants",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/immigrants"
},
"news_33747": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33747",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33747",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33764,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/health"
},
"news_33748": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33748",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33748",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33765,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/immigration"
},
"news_20179": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20179",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20179",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Buffy Wicks",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Buffy Wicks Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20196,
"slug": "buffy-wicks",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/buffy-wicks"
},
"news_32695": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32695",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32695",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "construction",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "construction Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32712,
"slug": "construction",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/construction"
},
"news_25468": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_25468",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "25468",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Matt Haney",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Matt Haney Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 25485,
"slug": "matt-haney",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/matt-haney"
},
"news_34054": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34054",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34054",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "oakland Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 34071,
"slug": "oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/oakland"
},
"news_3327": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3327",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3327",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "shelter",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "shelter Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3345,
"slug": "shelter",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/shelter"
},
"news_2318": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2318",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2318",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "West Oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "West Oakland Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2333,
"slug": "west-oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/west-oakland"
},
"news_31342": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31342",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31342",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "wood street",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "wood street Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31359,
"slug": "wood-street",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/wood-street"
},
"news_33812": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33812",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33812",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Interests",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Interests Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33829,
"slug": "interests",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/interests"
},
"news_22598": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22598",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22598",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The Bay",
"description": "\u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11638190\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/02/TheBay_1200x6301.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\u003cbr/>\r\n\r\nEvery good story starts local. So that’s where we start. \u003ci>The Bay\u003c/i> is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea.\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong>Subscribe to The Bay:\u003c/strong>\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?mt=2\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/Listen_on_Apple_Podcasts_sRGB_US-e1515635079510.png\" />\u003c/a>",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Every good story starts local. So that’s where we start. The Bay is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea. Subscribe to The Bay:",
"title": "The Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22615,
"slug": "the-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/the-bay"
},
"news_273": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_273",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "273",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Vallejo",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Vallejo Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 281,
"slug": "vallejo",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/vallejo"
},
"news_31197": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31197",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31197",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Matt Mahan",
"slug": "matt-mahan",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Matt Mahan | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 31214,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/matt-mahan"
},
"news_18541": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18541",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18541",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Jose",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Jose Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 91,
"slug": "san-jose",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-jose"
},
"news_21285": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21285",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21285",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "South Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "South Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21302,
"slug": "south-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/south-bay"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
},
"requestOutcomesReducer": {
"notFound": []
},
"navPromosReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": true,
"promos": {
"news": {
"name": "2026 Voter Guide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"imageURL": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Nav-News-Nov2026ElectionCoverage@2x-7bd4aad4.png",
"description": "Get informed in minutes with our Voter Guide for California’s November 3 election."
},
"podcasts-radio": {},
"video-tv": {},
"events": {},
"support": {}
}
}
}
