
The Bay Area had a housing affordability crisis before the onset of COVID-19, and income and job losses have pushed many to the brink of homelessness.
The Bay Area had a housing affordability crisis before the onset of COVID-19, and income and job losses have pushed many to the brink of homelessness.
As chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, in December I released the “Preserve, Respond, Protect, Recover” budget blueprint.
As a parent of two children in public schools, I worry students are falling behind in their studies as we continue relying solely on remote learning. Additionally, the longer they don’t see their friends and teachers in person, the more social isolation will impact development and emotional intelligence.
Like you, I am ready to put 2020 behind me. With President-elect Joe Biden and the Bay Area’s own Vice President-elect Kamala Harris set to move into the White House, our country can finally get moving in the right direction, starting with getting COVID-19 under control.
As soon as I’m sworn in next month, I’ll prioritize the state’s economic recovery, our children’s education, housing/homelessness, the environment and other pressing needs.
The need for resurfacing on 19th Avenue is an issue I have updated readers on several times over the past few years. I am pleased to finally share that work toward that end will finally begin this month.
When we woke up to a dark and hazy orange sky on Sept. 9, it was an eerie and alarming experience. It looked like a scene from a movie about a dystopian future, but there were no special effects involved. It was real.
Since stay-at-home orders were issued this spring, we have rarely heard about mass shootings at schools and workplaces. However, pre-COVID, the number of incidents had been trending upward for years. In response, I decided to take action.
August will mark five months since the Bay Area and the state of California led the nation with shelter-in-place orders to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Unfortunately, these measures have had adverse effects on our economy. Millions of people have filed for Unemployment Insurance, and countless small businesses have closed or are in danger of closing.
Last fall, I shared that CalTrans had plans to repave the west side’s major arterial road, California State Route 1, designated as 19th Avenue in the Sunset and Park Presidio Boulevard in the Richmond.
The number of Real IDs issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is lagging behind projected demand. If you anticipate needing one, I advise you go to the DMV now because I expect the lines to worsen as we approach Oct. 1.
You see tent encampments growing all over the Bay Area, and there are more and more people living in their cars or RVs. Homelessness persists in California because we have not built enough housing to keep pace with job growth. That has resulted in a shortage that drives up the cost of existing housing.
California is in the midst of a housing crisis. For decades, we have not been building enough homes to meet demand. In fact, by some estimates, we’ve produced only 40 percent of what is needed since 2007.
Our recently concluded 2019 legislative session was the first with our expanded Democratic supermajorities and our new governor, Gavin Newsom. After months of hard work, we passed, and the Governor signed, legislation that makes great strides in our efforts to protect renters, workers and the environment, while we continue to create good jobs and save for the inevitable rainy day. Many of these new laws will take effect on Jan. 1.
Mental Health Support Line
Suicide hotlines have been around for years, but where should people go when they are not in a crisis situation and just need someone with whom they can talk?