An encampment on Cedar Street in San Francisco on Nov. 19, 2024. Photo by Jungho Kim for CalMatters
From CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall:
There are still people living on streets and sidewalks throughout the state, but Californians are starting to care a little less about the issue of homelessness, according to a recent survey.
Only 37% of Californians asked in October said they were “very concerned” about homelessness — down from 58% in 2019. Another 41% of Californians surveyed this year said they were “somewhat concerned.” That’s according to a survey of 1,707 people by the Public Policy Institute of California.
And while 20% of Californians said homelessness was the state’s top issue in 2020, just 6% said so this year. The drop was most notable in the Bay Area, where 28% of residents said they were very concerned about homelessness, compared to 63% in 2019.
Even so, most Californians still regularly see evidence of the homelessness crisis in their communities. More than half said they cross paths with an unhoused individual every day, and two in 10 said they do so every few days.
This change in attitude comes amid several shifts in the state’s homeless policy landscape. A U.S. Supreme Court decision last year gave cities more freedom to penalize unhoused people for sleeping outside, followed by an increase in homelessness-related arrests and citations in cities across California.
There were more than 187,000 Californians sleeping in shelters, on the street and in other places not meant for habitation, as of the last official estimate in January 2024. This year, several California counties reported a decrease in their homeless populations, suggesting the state may finally be making progress. But experts worry upcoming funding cuts for permanent housing and other services at both the state and federal level will undermine those wins.
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Other Stories You Should Know
SF sues Big Junk Food
The Big Valley Market in Bieber on Jan. 30, 2024. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
In a first-of-its kind lawsuit, San Francisco plans to take on some of the biggest names in the food industry over the health harms linked to eating chips, cereal, packaged meals and other ultra-processed foods.
On Tuesday the city’s top attorney, David Chiu, said San Francisco is suing 10 food companies that manufacture ultra-processed foods, including Kraft Heinz Company, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestle USA and Kellogg.
Filed on behalf of the state of California in San Francisco Superior Court, the lawsuit seeks damages for the health costs local governments pay to treat residents suffering from illnesses related to eating ultra-processed foods. These foods make up about 70% of the country’s food supply, and have been linked to obesity, diabetes, cancer and other serious diseases.
Chiu, at a press conference: “Like the tobacco industry, they knew their products make people very sick but hid the truth from the public, profited from untold billions and left Americans to deal with the consequences.”
The lawsuit follows California passing a law in October phasing out ultra-processed foods from school meals. It also comes at a time when President Donald Trump’s administration — led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign — is seeking to curb Americans’ consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Competing insurance ballot measures: Never mind
A voter fills out their ballot at a voting center in the Firebaugh Senior Center in Firebaugh on Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
From CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay:
Proponents of two competing ballot initiatives on insurance regulations have withdrawn their proposals from the 2026 ballot. Proposition 103, the law that governs property insurance in California, remains intact.
In August, an independent insurance agent filed a measure to weaken Prop. 103, and in a subsequent filing added a provision that would have thrown out California’s ability to approve insurers’ rate increases. Consumer advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, whose founder wrote Prop. 103, in September filed a counter-measure that included calling for a policyholder bill of rights.
Both parties agreed to withdraw their petitions on Tuesday, Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court told CalMatters. But his group said “there is still a huge need for many of the other protections in the ballot measure,” and that it may try again for the 2028 ballot.
The insurance agent, Elizabeth Hammack, confirmed to CalMatters that she withdrew her proposal, but said she did not care to explain why at this time.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: A recently passed California law that expands the authority of California’s Public Employment Relations Board sets a precedent that could create chaos in the national economy and undermine union organizing efforts.
UC Davis’ mistreatment of primates at its research center underscores the unnecessary and dangerous taxpayer-funded research scientists conduct on monkeys, writes Emily Talkington, wildlife veterinarian specializing in primates.
Other things worth your time:
Trump administration says it will withhold SNAP from Democrat-led states if they don’t provide data // AP News
Third attempt to repeal Prop. 19’s tax burden on inherited property aims for 2026 ballot // The Mercury News
OpenAI completed its conversion. A new ballot initiative seeks to reverse it // The Wall Street Journal
9th Circuit revives CA law requiring background checks for ammo purchases // San Francisco Chronicle
Why fire agencies keep failing to put out blazes that later turn disastrous // Los Angeles Times
Should small landlords in LA be allowed to raise rents more than their corporate counterparts? // LAist
San Bernardino: The mass shooting that helped Trump redefine America’s immigration debate // Los Angeles Times
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Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California’s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday. She produces and curates WhatMatters, CalMatters’ flagship daily newsletter…
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