So far, youth homelessness in California

From CalMatters homelessness reporter Marissa Kendall:

Youth homelessness has dropped by nearly a quarter since 2019 in California, according to a new report it offers a bright spot amid the state’s ongoing struggle to get people off the streets.

Last year’s homeless census counted about 9,900 homeless Californians under the age of 24 — a 24 percent decrease from 2019, according to a report by John Burton Advocates for Youth. The number of young people sleeping rough (not in a shelter) has decreased by 42%.

This progress is not universal. Overall homelessness in California increased 24% during that time. Nationally, youth homelessness has increased by 11%.

So why are things getting better for young people in California?

More money, according to the report. Beginning in the 2018-19 fiscal year, California launched a new grant for homeless housing and services and reserved 5 percent of those funds for young people. By the 2021-22 fiscal year, total grant aid had reached $1 billion, of which 10% was earmarked for youth.

Cutting government funding on the horizon threaten to derail California’s progress. The 2025-26 budget includes no new funding for homeless accommodation, support and prevention (a cut that will not be felt until next year due to the delayed nature of the funding programme). Lawmakers proposed $500 million for the 2026-27 budget, which would be a 50 percent cut from last year’s budget.

Jovenes, Inc., which serves homeless youth in Southeast Los Angeles County, relies on that state money to fund its housing subsidy program, according to the report. Traditional homeless programs tend to prioritize elderly people with disabilities and chronic illnesses who have lived on the streets for a long time, which can make it difficult for young people to find a bed.

• Andrea Marchettiexecutive director of Jovenes: “That’s 219 slots that are going away. The main thing is that there is not much left for (youth in transition) and if the funding is not renewed, we leave thousands of young people without support.”

Former chief of staff to the governor, Gavin Newsom, was indicted Wednesday on multiple counts of fraudwhich allegedly took place during her time working for the governor, Maya S. Miller of CalMatters reports.

Dana Williamson, along with three co-conspirators, were charged “as a result of three years of relentless investigative work,” FBI Sacramento Special Agent Sid Patel said in a statement.

The indictment alleges that from 2022 to 2024, Williamson worked with a Sacramento lobbyist; Sean McCluskey, former chief of staff to former US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra; and two other unnamed co-conspirators to transfer $225,000 from a passive Becerra campaign account to McCluskie for personal use.

The indictment also accuses Williamson of claiming more than $1.7 million in false tax returns, which she used to buy luxury handbags, charter planes and more.

Bessera, who is running for governor in 2026said Wednesday that it was unaware of the scheme and that it was cooperating with the US Department of Justice. Meanwhile, Newsom’s office has distanced the governor from Williamson.

• Izzy GordonNewsom spokesman: “While we are still learning the details of the allegations, the governor expects all public officials to uphold the highest standards of integrity.”

Read more here.

As parts of California experience frequent landslides, floods and other natural disasters, the ability to reliably contact emergency services remains vital for residents. But for years, AT&T has trying to withdraw its copper landline service and abandoning its legal duty to be the “state carrier of last resort,” Yue Stella Yu and Malena Carollo of CalMatters report.

AT&T provides 75% of the state’s telephone service of last resort, covering about 500,000 Californians. This year, she poured at least $4.5 million into passing an ultimately stalled bill that would have allowed her to cut back on her copper service in certain areas of the state in exchange for agreeing to expand her fiber service.

It costs AT&T at least $1 billion a year to maintain landline service in California, and state and federal subsidies for it have declined in recent decades. Still, the company is in the black with $9.7 billion in reported earnings so far this year.

But critics say landline alternatives have their drawbacks: Fiber lines require backup power and cell phone service isn’t as reliable. They also claim that AT&T wants to line shareholders’ pockets at the expense of communities that rely on landlines during emergencies. More than one million 911 calls have been made in California every year on landlines.

Read more here.

California and six other western states that rely on the Colorado River passed a federal deadline on Tuesday to reach a broad agreement on how to reduce water use from the overflowing river. Negotiations now continue until the next deadline in February. Read more by Rachel Becker of CalMatters.