A growing and controversial ecosystem of private firefighting companies have seen themselves thrust into the spotlight as some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Los Angeles have gone up in flames. It includes firefighters directly contracted with government agencies as well as those who work for insurance companies and directly for rich families and developers.
Felicia Mello / CalMatters
Posted inLatest News
Floods wrecked these farm towns. Nearly 2 years later, most California aid hasn’t reached people
Floodwaters devastated the small communities of Pajaro and Planada in early 2023. California gave each town $20 million to recover – but as residents face another winter, much of the aid has yet to reach them.
Posted inHousing & Development
How a Trump administration could affect California’s housing crisis
President-elect Donald Trump’s housing policy for his second term is vague at best. But based on available information, many California housing experts are not optimistic about what it could mean for the state’s crisis.
Posted inHousing & Development
California pledged $500 million to help tenants preserve affordable housing. They didn’t get a dime.
California allotted half a billion dollars to help community land trusts across the state. But budget cuts and bureaucracy have land trust advocates back where they were in 2020: seeking state aid to preserve affordable housing.
Posted inLatest News
‘Beyond cruel’: Newsom retaliates against L.A. suburb for its ban on homeless shelters
The mayor of Norwalk said the city enacted its far-reaching ban on shelters and other low-income housing and businesses out of frustration with the state. As Gov. Gavin Newsom escalates his pressure campaign on cities to help solve the state’s homelessness crisis, Norwalk could lose eligibility for state housing and homelessness grants.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
New California law gives tenants more time to respond to eviction notices
Tenant advocates say giving renters 10 days to respond to eviction notices, up from five, will help those who live in rural areas and have trouble finding legal help. Some landlords argue it will increase their costs.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Dream for All: Down payment assistance for first-time California homebuyers relaunches with new lottery
A disproportionate share of down payment loans last year went to homebuyers who were white, non-Latino and living in Sacramento. This time, state officials hope a lottery will make it more equitable.
Posted inEducation
Colleges experiment with restorative justice in sexual assault cases
Some California colleges are responding to campus sexual assault and harassment with restorative justice: a process that brings together the student who was harmed, the person who harmed them and the community to seek solutions.