KQED aims to tell the story of how California got into a housing affordability crisis by exploring the history and regional policies of the Bay Area. We want to know how marginalized residents are affected.
San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods
After the $18,000 Scam, How Can Bay Area Renters Protect Themselves?
Who Represents Unaccompanied Migrant Kids in Immigration Court
California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts
Oakland Sues La Peralta Apartment Owners Over Elevator Outages, Livability Issues
California FAIR Plan Announces 29.1% Rate Hike for Homeowners This Fall
A Simple Way to Prevent Homelessness Is Growing in San Francisco. Is It Sustainable?
Alameda County Approves $1.3 Million in Reparations for Displaced Black Hayward Families
A Community for Formerly Incarcerated San Franciscans Looks to Homeownership
Could Smart Homes Make Electrification More Affordable for Californians?
San Francisco Opens Affordable Housing at Site of Former Haight Street McDonald’s
Can Marina Residents Stop a Massive San Francisco Housing Redevelopment Project?
Funding for KQED housing coverage is provided by the San Francisco Foundation.
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"content": "\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "City leaders are considering allowing more density in single-family neighborhoods, which make up the bulk of the city’s residential space.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "after-the-18000-scam-how-can-bay-area-renters-protect-themselves",
"title": "After the $18,000 Scam, How Can Bay Area Renters Protect Themselves?",
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"headTitle": "After the $18,000 Scam, How Can Bay Area Renters Protect Themselves? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>In the last few weeks, a nightmare \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/housing\">housing\u003c/a> scam sent shockwaves across the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A scam so fiendish that even Reddit users — not always known for their compassion — \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco/comments/1vdozwj/i_got_scammed_out_of_18600_for_a_rental_scam\">were sympathetic\u003c/a> to the target. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, San Francisco resident Alvin Tran posted online about how he lost over $18,000 in a rental scam last month.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tran’s story soon made \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/how-savvy-renter-lost-18k-real-estate-scam-22374427.php\">headlines\u003c/a> — and not just because of how much money he lost to someone claiming to be the owner of a highly coveted apartment in the city’s Duboce Triangle neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also has renters across the region thinking: As scammers adopt more advanced technology and strategies in \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-bedroom-home-san-francisco-22373582.php\">an increasingly expensive rental market\u003c/a>, what can you do to avoid being the next target?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘So elaborate and sophisticated’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Tran told KQED, he first saw the Duboce apartment listed on Craigslist and began messaging the person behind the listing, who claimed to be the building’s owner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That person invited Tran to check out the rental — at a real open house, hosted by the real owner. But Tran didn’t know that the owner never listed the apartment on Craigslist. The open house was so busy that he said he barely got a chance to talk to the landlord.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After the open house, he wired $18,600 to the Craigslist “landlord,” which included first and last months’ rent, along with a security deposit. On the day Tran was meant to pick up the keys at the apartment, nobody showed — and his panicked messages to the person he believed to be his new landlord went unanswered.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was all so elaborate and sophisticated that I just couldn’t believe that it was a scam,” Tran told KQED. And the complexity of the scam — with a bad actor inserting themselves online between a renter and an actual landlord — has even surprised local officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Tran] really didn’t do anything wrong here. He took nearly every precaution that a reasonable person could take,” said Amanda Fried, chief assistant treasurer for San Francisco, who’s part of a \u003ca href=\"https://sftreasurer.org/san-francisco-becomes-first-city-country-build-unified-response-scams\">citywide initiative\u003c/a> launched this summer to prevent fraud and support victims.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some industry experts say it’s getting harder to spot a scam as fraudsters depend more on AI. Historically, an email with poor grammar or a strange voice on the phone could raise red flags, said Clayton LiaBraaten, spokesperson for Truecaller, a company that identifies and blocks fraudulent calls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Now, I can have a perfectly scripted voice, email or text message,” LiaBraaten said. “These scammers are very accomplished at AI.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But renters, take a breath — the battle is not lost. There are still several strategies to catch a scam before losing any money, even if technology is making everything more complicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what experts told KQED you should do before handing over any money to someone online that claims to lease the home you want.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 1: How much are they asking for upfront?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Tran visited the open house, he loved the apartment but saw that he wasn’t the only one. He spotted six other groups, and someone had even shown up with a completed application.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was feeling the pressure: How do I make myself stand out? How do I secure the apartment?” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So after the open house, Tran wrote to the individual who made the Craigslist post and said he was willing to put money down immediately to secure the lease. The individual asked for first and last month’s rent, along with an additional deposit — totaling $18,600.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095538\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran poses for a portrait in Duboce Park on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The sheer amount here is immediately a red flag, said Ora Prochovnick, director of litigation for the San Francisco renters’ rights group, Eviction Defense Collaborative. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why: In 2023, state lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240ab12\">approved Assembly Bill 12\u003c/a>, which limits how much landlords can charge a renter upfront. Most property owners are now prohibited from charging tenants an amount that’s greater than two months of rent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If one month’s rent at an apartment you are looking at is $3,000 a month, the landlord can only charge you an additional $3,000 deposit — and can only charge a maximum of $6,000 upfront.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some landlords may have different names for a deposit payment, like “security deposit,” “last month’s rent deposit” or “cleaning deposit”.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But it doesn’t matter what they call it,” Prochovnick said. “If the landlord is taking the money at the start of the tenancy and will be holding it for the duration of the time the tenant lives there, the most that they can [ask for as a deposit] is one time the rent.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are some exceptions: Property owners with four rental units or less across two different properties are allowed to charge more. But all renters should take a pause if they are asked for a deposit that exceeds AB 12’s limit, Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t stop a scam, but it would at least reduce the amount that you lose,” she said, adding that it’s likely Tran’s scammer didn’t know about this law. There are many rules California landlords have to follow, and someone claiming to be one is expected to keep track of them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 2: Cross-reference the property across different platforms\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you find a home you like on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, it’s a good idea to also look up the address on real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia or Apartments.com.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As a diligent consumer, I should be ensuring that the contact details are the same [across websites],” Prochovnick said. “What’s the full name of the person to be identified? Is the rent price the same? The agent names should match perfectly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Tran’s case, the person on Craigslist \u003cem>was \u003c/em>also using the real landlord’s name. When the Craigslist scammer ghosted him once the money was wired, Tran panicked and checked the apartment’s Zillow listing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095539\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He ended up finding the \u003cem>real\u003c/em> owner, who never received any payment. “That’s when I got the confirmation that the Craigslist did not belong to the owner,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tran said that in the years leading up to this incident, he’d found two old apartments on Craigslist without any problem.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But LiaBraaten from Truecaller said he’d advise would-be renters to use this site with caution. Instead, “Deal with platforms that are specifically dedicated to the rental market,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Craigslist did not immediately return KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 3: Confirm property ownership yourself\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once you’ve cross-referenced online listings, go to the official source. Your city’s planning department or assessor-recorder’s office may have an online portal where you can look up an address and find whose name is linked to the property. In some cases, you may have to go to city hall to do this in person.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We should especially be doing that if we’re dealing with an independent landlord rather than with a property management company,” Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also recommended you always visit the property yourself. If the landlord keeps giving you reasons for why you can’t visit, that’s another red flag. “Never fall for that. You have to physically visit the property,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Apartment buildings in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of course, Tran \u003cem>did\u003c/em> visit the property — which is why it’s also crucial to use any visit to “physically confirm the identity of the person who’s showing you the place,” Prochovnick said. “Ask them for their real estate license number, their corporate credentials or some kind of ID.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tran admitted that he didn’t do this at the open house. There were so many people there that day that he barely got a chance to speak with the owner, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But I think had I just done that and gone the extra mile to verify his contact information, this whole scam would have fallen apart,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 4: Be cautious of direct bank transfers\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All experts KQED spoke with were very clear about avoiding direct transfers from your bank account — also known as wire transfers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Don’t wire money, don’t use crypto, don’t use those digital apps that we’ve all come to love like Venmo and Zelle,” Prochovnick said, “because you’re not protected when you use those tools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In her experience, most real estate management companies take payments via credit card or check.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you pay with a credit card, you could get the payment canceled, and you have fraud protection through your credit card company,” she said. “If you do it with a check or money order, you could stop payment on the check.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you still are going to wire money, LiaBraaten from Truecaller recommended you verify the destination and ask if the recipient’s information makes sense to you. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Verify: Is this going to an individual or to a business entity?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 5: Keep a record of what’s going on\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if it all \u003cem>feels\u003c/em> legit, keep a record of every interaction you have with the person claiming to be the property owner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Screenshot online listings, emails, payments and text messages — especially if you’re communicating on a platform like WhatsApp, where one user can delete messages for everyone else in the chat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you are about to sign a contract or put down a deposit, you should document every step of the way … so that you’re able to reconstruct [what happened],” LiaBraaten said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Having a complete timeline of what happened will be invaluable if it ends up being a scam and you decide to report what happened to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is something Tran did very well — when he alerted the San Francisco Police Department, he was able to share every piece of communication he had with the scammer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, in the weeks since Tran filed a report, he said that law enforcement has yet to contact him directly in response.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 6: Don’t let the pressure of apartment hunting get to you\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps what makes Tran’s case a true Bay Area story is the huge pressure he felt as he looked for a new home amid a competitive rental market.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His attempt to secure the Duboce apartment was spurred by a rent hike of almost 20% at his current spot — way past what he said he can afford.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Partly fueled by the AI boom, rents in San Francisco have risen this year \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/04/oakland-artificial-intelligence-ai-housing-rents-san-francisco/\">faster than anywhere else\u003c/a> in the country, and the rest of the Bay Area is starting to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-price-apartment-oakland-22329281.php\">feel the heat\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs outside of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Prochovnick said not to let the pressure prevent you from doing your due diligence when it comes to finding a new home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re tempted to go ahead and wire money — even though it’s not safe — so that you could go to the head of the line,” she said. “This anxiety about the shortage of affordable units is absolutely inducing people to be more susceptible to scams.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And when rents are so high here, she said, “it’s creating a greater incentive to \u003cem>be \u003c/em>a scammer.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095528\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tran’s story soon made \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/how-savvy-renter-lost-18k-real-estate-scam-22374427.php\">headlines\u003c/a> — and not just because of how much money he lost to someone claiming to be the owner of a highly coveted apartment in the city’s Duboce Triangle neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Tran’s story soon made \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/how-savvy-renter-lost-18k-real-estate-scam-22374427.php\">headlines\u003c/a> — and not just because of how much money he lost to someone claiming to be the owner of a highly coveted apartment in the city’s Duboce Triangle neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It also has renters across the region thinking: As scammers adopt more advanced technology and strategies in \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-bedroom-home-san-francisco-22373582.php\">an increasingly expensive rental market\u003c/a>, what can you do to avoid being the next target?\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It also has renters across the region thinking: As scammers adopt more advanced technology and strategies in \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-bedroom-home-san-francisco-22373582.php\">an increasingly expensive rental market\u003c/a>, what can you do to avoid being the next target?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘So elaborate and sophisticated’",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘So elaborate and sophisticated’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘So elaborate and sophisticated’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As Tran told KQED, he first saw the Duboce apartment listed on Craigslist and began messaging the person behind the listing, who claimed to be the building’s owner.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>As Tran told KQED, he first saw the Duboce apartment listed on Craigslist and began messaging the person behind the listing, who claimed to be the building’s owner.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That person invited Tran to check out the rental — at a real open house, hosted by the real owner. But Tran didn’t know that the owner never listed the apartment on Craigslist. The open house was so busy that he said he barely got a chance to talk to the landlord.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>That person invited Tran to check out the rental — at a real open house, hosted by the real owner. But Tran didn’t know that the owner never listed the apartment on Craigslist. The open house was so busy that he said he barely got a chance to talk to the landlord.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After the open house, he wired $18,600 to the Craigslist “landlord,” which included first and last months’ rent, along with a security deposit. On the day Tran was meant to pick up the keys at the apartment, nobody showed — and his panicked messages to the person he believed to be his new landlord went unanswered.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After the open house, he wired $18,600 to the Craigslist “landlord,” which included first and last months’ rent, along with a security deposit. On the day Tran was meant to pick up the keys at the apartment, nobody showed — and his panicked messages to the person he believed to be his new landlord went unanswered.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095527\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was all so elaborate and sophisticated that I just couldn’t believe that it was a scam,” Tran told KQED. And the complexity of the scam — with a bad actor inserting themselves online between a renter and an actual landlord — has even surprised local officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was all so elaborate and sophisticated that I just couldn’t believe that it was a scam,” Tran told KQED. And the complexity of the scam — with a bad actor inserting themselves online between a renter and an actual landlord — has even surprised local officials. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Tran] really didn’t do anything wrong here. He took nearly every precaution that a reasonable person could take,” said Amanda Fried, chief assistant treasurer for San Francisco, who’s part of a \u003ca href=\"https://sftreasurer.org/san-francisco-becomes-first-city-country-build-unified-response-scams\">citywide initiative\u003c/a> launched this summer to prevent fraud and support victims.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Tran] really didn’t do anything wrong here. He took nearly every precaution that a reasonable person could take,” said Amanda Fried, chief assistant treasurer for San Francisco, who’s part of a \u003ca href=\"https://sftreasurer.org/san-francisco-becomes-first-city-country-build-unified-response-scams\">citywide initiative\u003c/a> launched this summer to prevent fraud and support victims.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some industry experts say it’s getting harder to spot a scam as fraudsters depend more on AI. Historically, an email with poor grammar or a strange voice on the phone could raise red flags, said Clayton LiaBraaten, spokesperson for Truecaller, a company that identifies and blocks fraudulent calls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some industry experts say it’s getting harder to spot a scam as fraudsters depend more on AI. Historically, an email with poor grammar or a strange voice on the phone could raise red flags, said Clayton LiaBraaten, spokesperson for Truecaller, a company that identifies and blocks fraudulent calls. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Now, I can have a perfectly scripted voice, email or text message,” LiaBraaten said. “These scammers are very accomplished at AI.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Now, I can have a perfectly scripted voice, email or text message,” LiaBraaten said. “These scammers are very accomplished at AI.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But renters, take a breath — the battle is not lost. There are still several strategies to catch a scam before losing any money, even if technology is making everything more complicated. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But renters, take a breath — the battle is not lost. There are still several strategies to catch a scam before losing any money, even if technology is making everything more complicated. \u003c/p>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what experts told KQED you should do before handing over any money to someone online that claims to lease the home you want.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what experts told KQED you should do before handing over any money to someone online that claims to lease the home you want.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Tip 1: How much are they asking for upfront?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 1: How much are they asking for upfront?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 1: How much are they asking for upfront?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Tran visited the open house, he loved the apartment but saw that he wasn’t the only one. He spotted six other groups, and someone had even shown up with a completed application.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>When Tran visited the open house, he loved the apartment but saw that he wasn’t the only one. He spotted six other groups, and someone had even shown up with a completed application.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was feeling the pressure: How do I make myself stand out? How do I secure the apartment?” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“I was feeling the pressure: How do I make myself stand out? How do I secure the apartment?” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So after the open house, Tran wrote to the individual who made the Craigslist post and said he was willing to put money down immediately to secure the lease. The individual asked for first and last month’s rent, along with an additional deposit — totaling $18,600.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>So after the open house, Tran wrote to the individual who made the Craigslist post and said he was willing to put money down immediately to secure the lease. The individual asked for first and last month’s rent, along with an additional deposit — totaling $18,600.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095538\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran poses for a portrait in Duboce Park on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095538\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran poses for a portrait in Duboce Park on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The sheer amount here is immediately a red flag, said Ora Prochovnick, director of litigation for the San Francisco renters’ rights group, Eviction Defense Collaborative. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The sheer amount here is immediately a red flag, said Ora Prochovnick, director of litigation for the San Francisco renters’ rights group, Eviction Defense Collaborative. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Why: In 2023, state lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240ab12\">approved Assembly Bill 12\u003c/a>, which limits how much landlords can charge a renter upfront. Most property owners are now prohibited from charging tenants an amount that’s greater than two months of rent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Why: In 2023, state lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240ab12\">approved Assembly Bill 12\u003c/a>, which limits how much landlords can charge a renter upfront. Most property owners are now prohibited from charging tenants an amount that’s greater than two months of rent.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If one month’s rent at an apartment you are looking at is $3,000 a month, the landlord can only charge you an additional $3,000 deposit — and can only charge a maximum of $6,000 upfront.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If one month’s rent at an apartment you are looking at is $3,000 a month, the landlord can only charge you an additional $3,000 deposit — and can only charge a maximum of $6,000 upfront.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some landlords may have different names for a deposit payment, like “security deposit,” “last month’s rent deposit” or “cleaning deposit”.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Some landlords may have different names for a deposit payment, like “security deposit,” “last month’s rent deposit” or “cleaning deposit”.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But it doesn’t matter what they call it,” Prochovnick said. “If the landlord is taking the money at the start of the tenancy and will be holding it for the duration of the time the tenant lives there, the most that they can [ask for as a deposit] is one time the rent.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“But it doesn’t matter what they call it,” Prochovnick said. “If the landlord is taking the money at the start of the tenancy and will be holding it for the duration of the time the tenant lives there, the most that they can [ask for as a deposit] is one time the rent.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are some exceptions: Property owners with four rental units or less across two different properties are allowed to charge more. But all renters should take a pause if they are asked for a deposit that exceeds AB 12’s limit, Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There are some exceptions: Property owners with four rental units or less across two different properties are allowed to charge more. But all renters should take a pause if they are asked for a deposit that exceeds AB 12’s limit, Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t stop a scam, but it would at least reduce the amount that you lose,” she said, adding that it’s likely Tran’s scammer didn’t know about this law. There are many rules California landlords have to follow, and someone claiming to be one is expected to keep track of them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t stop a scam, but it would at least reduce the amount that you lose,” she said, adding that it’s likely Tran’s scammer didn’t know about this law. There are many rules California landlords have to follow, and someone claiming to be one is expected to keep track of them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Tip 2: Cross-reference the property across different platforms",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 2: Cross-reference the property across different platforms\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 2: Cross-reference the property across different platforms\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you find a home you like on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, it’s a good idea to also look up the address on real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia or Apartments.com.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you find a home you like on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, it’s a good idea to also look up the address on real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia or Apartments.com.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As a diligent consumer, I should be ensuring that the contact details are the same [across websites],” Prochovnick said. “What’s the full name of the person to be identified? Is the rent price the same? The agent names should match perfectly.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As a diligent consumer, I should be ensuring that the contact details are the same [across websites],” Prochovnick said. “What’s the full name of the person to be identified? Is the rent price the same? The agent names should match perfectly.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Tran’s case, the person on Craigslist \u003cem>was \u003c/em>also using the real landlord’s name. When the Craigslist scammer ghosted him once the money was wired, Tran panicked and checked the apartment’s Zillow listing. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In Tran’s case, the person on Craigslist \u003cem>was \u003c/em>also using the real landlord’s name. When the Craigslist scammer ghosted him once the money was wired, Tran panicked and checked the apartment’s Zillow listing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095539\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095539\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He ended up finding the \u003cem>real\u003c/em> owner, who never received any payment. “That’s when I got the confirmation that the Craigslist did not belong to the owner,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>He ended up finding the \u003cem>real\u003c/em> owner, who never received any payment. “That’s when I got the confirmation that the Craigslist did not belong to the owner,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tran said that in the years leading up to this incident, he’d found two old apartments on Craigslist without any problem.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tran said that in the years leading up to this incident, he’d found two old apartments on Craigslist without any problem.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But LiaBraaten from Truecaller said he’d advise would-be renters to use this site with caution. Instead, “Deal with platforms that are specifically dedicated to the rental market,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But LiaBraaten from Truecaller said he’d advise would-be renters to use this site with caution. Instead, “Deal with platforms that are specifically dedicated to the rental market,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Craigslist did not immediately return KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Craigslist did not immediately return KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Tip 3: Confirm property ownership yourself",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 3: Confirm property ownership yourself\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once you’ve cross-referenced online listings, go to the official source. Your city’s planning department or assessor-recorder’s office may have an online portal where you can look up an address and find whose name is linked to the property. In some cases, you may have to go to city hall to do this in person.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Once you’ve cross-referenced online listings, go to the official source. Your city’s planning department or assessor-recorder’s office may have an online portal where you can look up an address and find whose name is linked to the property. In some cases, you may have to go to city hall to do this in person.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We should especially be doing that if we’re dealing with an independent landlord rather than with a property management company,” Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We should especially be doing that if we’re dealing with an independent landlord rather than with a property management company,” Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She also recommended you always visit the property yourself. If the landlord keeps giving you reasons for why you can’t visit, that’s another red flag. “Never fall for that. You have to physically visit the property,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>She also recommended you always visit the property yourself. If the landlord keeps giving you reasons for why you can’t visit, that’s another red flag. “Never fall for that. You have to physically visit the property,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Apartment buildings in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069652\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Apartment buildings in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of course, Tran \u003cem>did\u003c/em> visit the property — which is why it’s also crucial to use any visit to “physically confirm the identity of the person who’s showing you the place,” Prochovnick said. “Ask them for their real estate license number, their corporate credentials or some kind of ID.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Of course, Tran \u003cem>did\u003c/em> visit the property — which is why it’s also crucial to use any visit to “physically confirm the identity of the person who’s showing you the place,” Prochovnick said. “Ask them for their real estate license number, their corporate credentials or some kind of ID.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tran admitted that he didn’t do this at the open house. There were so many people there that day that he barely got a chance to speak with the owner, he said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Tran admitted that he didn’t do this at the open house. There were so many people there that day that he barely got a chance to speak with the owner, he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But I think had I just done that and gone the extra mile to verify his contact information, this whole scam would have fallen apart,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“But I think had I just done that and gone the extra mile to verify his contact information, this whole scam would have fallen apart,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Tip 4: Be cautious of direct bank transfers",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 4: Be cautious of direct bank transfers\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 4: Be cautious of direct bank transfers\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All experts KQED spoke with were very clear about avoiding direct transfers from your bank account — also known as wire transfers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>All experts KQED spoke with were very clear about avoiding direct transfers from your bank account — also known as wire transfers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Don’t wire money, don’t use crypto, don’t use those digital apps that we’ve all come to love like Venmo and Zelle,” Prochovnick said, “because you’re not protected when you use those tools.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Don’t wire money, don’t use crypto, don’t use those digital apps that we’ve all come to love like Venmo and Zelle,” Prochovnick said, “because you’re not protected when you use those tools.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In her experience, most real estate management companies take payments via credit card or check.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In her experience, most real estate management companies take payments via credit card or check.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069627\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you pay with a credit card, you could get the payment canceled, and you have fraud protection through your credit card company,” she said. “If you do it with a check or money order, you could stop payment on the check.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If you pay with a credit card, you could get the payment canceled, and you have fraud protection through your credit card company,” she said. “If you do it with a check or money order, you could stop payment on the check.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you still are going to wire money, LiaBraaten from Truecaller recommended you verify the destination and ask if the recipient’s information makes sense to you. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if you still are going to wire money, LiaBraaten from Truecaller recommended you verify the destination and ask if the recipient’s information makes sense to you. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Verify: Is this going to an individual or to a business entity?” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Verify: Is this going to an individual or to a business entity?” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Tip 5: Keep a record of what’s going on",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even if it all \u003cem>feels\u003c/em> legit, keep a record of every interaction you have with the person claiming to be the property owner. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even if it all \u003cem>feels\u003c/em> legit, keep a record of every interaction you have with the person claiming to be the property owner. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Screenshot online listings, emails, payments and text messages — especially if you’re communicating on a platform like WhatsApp, where one user can delete messages for everyone else in the chat.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Screenshot online listings, emails, payments and text messages — especially if you’re communicating on a platform like WhatsApp, where one user can delete messages for everyone else in the chat.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you are about to sign a contract or put down a deposit, you should document every step of the way … so that you’re able to reconstruct [what happened],” LiaBraaten said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“When you are about to sign a contract or put down a deposit, you should document every step of the way … so that you’re able to reconstruct [what happened],” LiaBraaten said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Having a complete timeline of what happened will be invaluable if it ends up being a scam and you decide to report what happened to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Having a complete timeline of what happened will be invaluable if it ends up being a scam and you decide to report what happened to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This is something Tran did very well — when he alerted the San Francisco Police Department, he was able to share every piece of communication he had with the scammer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This is something Tran did very well — when he alerted the San Francisco Police Department, he was able to share every piece of communication he had with the scammer.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, in the weeks since Tran filed a report, he said that law enforcement has yet to contact him directly in response.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Tip 6: Don’t let the pressure of apartment hunting get to you",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perhaps what makes Tran’s case a true Bay Area story is the huge pressure he felt as he looked for a new home amid a competitive rental market.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His attempt to secure the Duboce apartment was spurred by a rent hike of almost 20% at his current spot — way past what he said he can afford.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>His attempt to secure the Duboce apartment was spurred by a rent hike of almost 20% at his current spot — way past what he said he can afford.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Partly fueled by the AI boom, rents in San Francisco have risen this year \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/04/oakland-artificial-intelligence-ai-housing-rents-san-francisco/\">faster than anywhere else\u003c/a> in the country, and the rest of the Bay Area is starting to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-price-apartment-oakland-22329281.php\">feel the heat\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Partly fueled by the AI boom, rents in San Francisco have risen this year \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/04/oakland-artificial-intelligence-ai-housing-rents-san-francisco/\">faster than anywhere else\u003c/a> in the country, and the rest of the Bay Area is starting to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-price-apartment-oakland-22329281.php\">feel the heat\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs outside of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Prochovnick said not to let the pressure prevent you from doing your due diligence when it comes to finding a new home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’re tempted to go ahead and wire money — even though it’s not safe — so that you could go to the head of the line,” she said. “This anxiety about the shortage of affordable units is absolutely inducing people to be more susceptible to scams.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And when rents are so high here, she said, “it’s creating a greater incentive to \u003cem>be \u003c/em>a scammer.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In the last few weeks, a nightmare \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/housing\">housing\u003c/a> scam sent shockwaves across the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A scam so fiendish that even Reddit users — not always known for their compassion — \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco/comments/1vdozwj/i_got_scammed_out_of_18600_for_a_rental_scam\">were sympathetic\u003c/a> to the target. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, San Francisco resident Alvin Tran posted online about how he lost over $18,000 in a rental scam last month.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095528\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-13-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tran’s story soon made \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/how-savvy-renter-lost-18k-real-estate-scam-22374427.php\">headlines\u003c/a> — and not just because of how much money he lost to someone claiming to be the owner of a highly coveted apartment in the city’s Duboce Triangle neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also has renters across the region thinking: As scammers adopt more advanced technology and strategies in \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-bedroom-home-san-francisco-22373582.php\">an increasingly expensive rental market\u003c/a>, what can you do to avoid being the next target?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘So elaborate and sophisticated’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As Tran told KQED, he first saw the Duboce apartment listed on Craigslist and began messaging the person behind the listing, who claimed to be the building’s owner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That person invited Tran to check out the rental — at a real open house, hosted by the real owner. But Tran didn’t know that the owner never listed the apartment on Craigslist. The open house was so busy that he said he barely got a chance to talk to the landlord.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After the open house, he wired $18,600 to the Craigslist “landlord,” which included first and last months’ rent, along with a security deposit. On the day Tran was meant to pick up the keys at the apartment, nobody showed — and his panicked messages to the person he believed to be his new landlord went unanswered.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RENTALSCAM-10-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was all so elaborate and sophisticated that I just couldn’t believe that it was a scam,” Tran told KQED. And the complexity of the scam — with a bad actor inserting themselves online between a renter and an actual landlord — has even surprised local officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Tran] really didn’t do anything wrong here. He took nearly every precaution that a reasonable person could take,” said Amanda Fried, chief assistant treasurer for San Francisco, who’s part of a \u003ca href=\"https://sftreasurer.org/san-francisco-becomes-first-city-country-build-unified-response-scams\">citywide initiative\u003c/a> launched this summer to prevent fraud and support victims.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some industry experts say it’s getting harder to spot a scam as fraudsters depend more on AI. Historically, an email with poor grammar or a strange voice on the phone could raise red flags, said Clayton LiaBraaten, spokesperson for Truecaller, a company that identifies and blocks fraudulent calls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Now, I can have a perfectly scripted voice, email or text message,” LiaBraaten said. “These scammers are very accomplished at AI.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But renters, take a breath — the battle is not lost. There are still several strategies to catch a scam before losing any money, even if technology is making everything more complicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what experts told KQED you should do before handing over any money to someone online that claims to lease the home you want.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 1: How much are they asking for upfront?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Tran visited the open house, he loved the apartment but saw that he wasn’t the only one. He spotted six other groups, and someone had even shown up with a completed application.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was feeling the pressure: How do I make myself stand out? How do I secure the apartment?” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So after the open house, Tran wrote to the individual who made the Craigslist post and said he was willing to put money down immediately to secure the lease. The individual asked for first and last month’s rent, along with an additional deposit — totaling $18,600.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095538\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-06-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran poses for a portrait in Duboce Park on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The sheer amount here is immediately a red flag, said Ora Prochovnick, director of litigation for the San Francisco renters’ rights group, Eviction Defense Collaborative. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why: In 2023, state lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202320240ab12\">approved Assembly Bill 12\u003c/a>, which limits how much landlords can charge a renter upfront. Most property owners are now prohibited from charging tenants an amount that’s greater than two months of rent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If one month’s rent at an apartment you are looking at is $3,000 a month, the landlord can only charge you an additional $3,000 deposit — and can only charge a maximum of $6,000 upfront.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some landlords may have different names for a deposit payment, like “security deposit,” “last month’s rent deposit” or “cleaning deposit”.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But it doesn’t matter what they call it,” Prochovnick said. “If the landlord is taking the money at the start of the tenancy and will be holding it for the duration of the time the tenant lives there, the most that they can [ask for as a deposit] is one time the rent.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are some exceptions: Property owners with four rental units or less across two different properties are allowed to charge more. But all renters should take a pause if they are asked for a deposit that exceeds AB 12’s limit, Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t stop a scam, but it would at least reduce the amount that you lose,” she said, adding that it’s likely Tran’s scammer didn’t know about this law. There are many rules California landlords have to follow, and someone claiming to be one is expected to keep track of them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 2: Cross-reference the property across different platforms\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you find a home you like on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, it’s a good idea to also look up the address on real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia or Apartments.com.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As a diligent consumer, I should be ensuring that the contact details are the same [across websites],” Prochovnick said. “What’s the full name of the person to be identified? Is the rent price the same? The agent names should match perfectly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Tran’s case, the person on Craigslist \u003cem>was \u003c/em>also using the real landlord’s name. When the Craigslist scammer ghosted him once the money was wired, Tran panicked and checked the apartment’s Zillow listing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095539\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081426-RentalScam-08-MC_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvin Tran walks the streets of the Duboce Triangle on Aug. 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He ended up finding the \u003cem>real\u003c/em> owner, who never received any payment. “That’s when I got the confirmation that the Craigslist did not belong to the owner,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tran said that in the years leading up to this incident, he’d found two old apartments on Craigslist without any problem.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But LiaBraaten from Truecaller said he’d advise would-be renters to use this site with caution. Instead, “Deal with platforms that are specifically dedicated to the rental market,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Craigslist did not immediately return KQED’s request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 3: Confirm property ownership yourself\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once you’ve cross-referenced online listings, go to the official source. Your city’s planning department or assessor-recorder’s office may have an online portal where you can look up an address and find whose name is linked to the property. In some cases, you may have to go to city hall to do this in person.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>We should especially be doing that if we’re dealing with an independent landlord rather than with a property management company,” Prochovnick said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She also recommended you always visit the property yourself. If the landlord keeps giving you reasons for why you can’t visit, that’s another red flag. “Never fall for that. You have to physically visit the property,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/001_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Apartment buildings in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of course, Tran \u003cem>did\u003c/em> visit the property — which is why it’s also crucial to use any visit to “physically confirm the identity of the person who’s showing you the place,” Prochovnick said. “Ask them for their real estate license number, their corporate credentials or some kind of ID.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tran admitted that he didn’t do this at the open house. There were so many people there that day that he barely got a chance to speak with the owner, he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But I think had I just done that and gone the extra mile to verify his contact information, this whole scam would have fallen apart,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 4: Be cautious of direct bank transfers\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All experts KQED spoke with were very clear about avoiding direct transfers from your bank account — also known as wire transfers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Don’t wire money, don’t use crypto, don’t use those digital apps that we’ve all come to love like Venmo and Zelle,” Prochovnick said, “because you’re not protected when you use those tools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In her experience, most real estate management companies take payments via credit card or check.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069627\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/024_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs in the window of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you pay with a credit card, you could get the payment canceled, and you have fraud protection through your credit card company,” she said. “If you do it with a check or money order, you could stop payment on the check.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you still are going to wire money, LiaBraaten from Truecaller recommended you verify the destination and ask if the recipient’s information makes sense to you. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Verify: Is this going to an individual or to a business entity?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 5: Keep a record of what’s going on\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if it all \u003cem>feels\u003c/em> legit, keep a record of every interaction you have with the person claiming to be the property owner. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Screenshot online listings, emails, payments and text messages — especially if you’re communicating on a platform like WhatsApp, where one user can delete messages for everyone else in the chat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you are about to sign a contract or put down a deposit, you should document every step of the way … so that you’re able to reconstruct [what happened],” LiaBraaten said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Having a complete timeline of what happened will be invaluable if it ends up being a scam and you decide to report what happened to law enforcement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This is something Tran did very well — when he alerted the San Francisco Police Department, he was able to share every piece of communication he had with the scammer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, in the weeks since Tran filed a report, he said that law enforcement has yet to contact him directly in response.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 6: Don’t let the pressure of apartment hunting get to you\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps what makes Tran’s case a true Bay Area story is the huge pressure he felt as he looked for a new home amid a competitive rental market.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His attempt to secure the Duboce apartment was spurred by a rent hike of almost 20% at his current spot — way past what he said he can afford.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Partly fueled by the AI boom, rents in San Francisco have risen this year \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/06/04/oakland-artificial-intelligence-ai-housing-rents-san-francisco/\">faster than anywhere else\u003c/a> in the country, and the rest of the Bay Area is starting to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/rent-price-apartment-oakland-22329281.php\">feel the heat\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058552\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/012_SanFrancisco_Housing_07292021_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A “For Rent” sign hangs outside of an apartment building in Nob Hill in San Francisco on July 29, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Prochovnick said not to let the pressure prevent you from doing your due diligence when it comes to finding a new home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re tempted to go ahead and wire money — even though it’s not safe — so that you could go to the head of the line,” she said. “This anxiety about the shortage of affordable units is absolutely inducing people to be more susceptible to scams.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And when rents are so high here, she said, “it’s creating a greater incentive to \u003cem>be \u003c/em>a scammer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, August 18, 2026\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>A California lifeguard and the boy he rescued off the coast of Santa Cruz last month were reunited at the White House yesterday, as the president honored both as heroes.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Governor Gavin Newsom has set a goal to add 2.5 million new units to California’s housing stock by 2030.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A state bill heading for a final vote as early as this week would permanently extend a fund to help oil industry workers affected by California’s transition away from fossil fuels.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A federal judge in Oakland is weighing whether a Trump administration plan to replace a network of seasoned legal aid organizations with new groups is an adequate way to represent unaccompanied children in immigration court.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/08/california-rhna-housing-affordable-progress/\">State Housing Goals Are Not Being Met\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every eight years, state housing regulators give cities and counties across California an especially dreaded homework assignment: Make a plan for a bunch of new homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration assigns localities goals to hit at four different affordability levels. Collectively, the numbers represent the housing department’s best estimate of the number of new homes needed to match any expected population growth and to chip away at the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/09/california-housing-shortage/\">decades-in-the-making shortage\u003c/a> of affordable places to live.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But, less than a third of cities and counties are on track to permit enough “above moderate” units, the category that typically refers to market-rate housing, according to data submitted by locals to the state housing department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Only five jurisdictions in the entire state are permitting at a pace to hit all four income targets. Four are the lightly populated unincorporated bits of small, mostly rural counties: Plumas, Napa, Yolo and Mono. The fifth is Placerville, a town of roughly 11,000 people in the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oil Workers Await Final Vote on Funding Bill\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A fund to help oil industry workers affected by California’s transition away from fossil fuels could be permanently extended as early as this week, if AB 2157 passes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>‘The Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Fund pays up to $15,000 dollars for education, or on the job training to transition to other industries. The program is currently set to end July 1st, 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fund aims to help the state’s oil workers, who have reeled from refinery closures in the state. From 2020 to 2021, two refinery closures led to more than 600 full time workers losing employment. In April of this year, 282 Valero employees lost their jobs when the oil giant closed its Benicia refinery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates for oil and gas workers are urging lawmakers to make the fund –which sunsets next year–permanent. The legislature has until the end of the month to decide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unaccompanied Migrant Kids May Soon Face Legal Gap\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Legal aid groups said they will continue to represent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">unaccompanied immigrant children\u003c/a> in the Bay Area even after the Trump administration shifted federal funding away from seasoned service providers to a controversial anti-trafficking group.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/12/nx-s1-5929456/migrant-children-our-rescue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$158 million contract —\u003c/a> which could grow to $244 million — to Our Rescue, a Utah-based anti-human-trafficking group whose founder was accused of sexual exploitation and whose current director led Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during the first Trump administration. The group touts its expertise assisting law enforcement with sting operations, but advocates say it lacks experience representing children in immigration court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Katrina Logan, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://clsepa.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto,\u003c/a> said her team of lawyers and social workers is not walking away from the 33 children they represent, even though their contract funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services expired July 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our attorneys have been doing this type of law for many years. They’ve developed the expertise,” Logan said. “They understand how to support clients. So it’s definitely tough to be losing this funding.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a declaration last week, the government said it was looking for additional contractors to provide legal representation for kids and trying to work out a transitional contract with the \u003ca href=\"https://acaciajustice.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Acacia Center for Justice\u003c/a> (which holds the master contract on behalf of Community Legal Services ) to “support an orderly transition of cases to new legal service providers, including \u003ca href=\"https://ourrescue.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Our Rescue\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, August 18, 2026\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>A California lifeguard and the boy he rescued off the coast of Santa Cruz last month were reunited at the White House yesterday, as the president honored both as heroes.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Governor Gavin Newsom has set a goal to add 2.5 million new units to California’s housing stock by 2030.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A state bill heading for a final vote as early as this week would permanently extend a fund to help oil industry workers affected by California’s transition away from fossil fuels.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A federal judge in Oakland is weighing whether a Trump administration plan to replace a network of seasoned legal aid organizations with new groups is an adequate way to represent unaccompanied children in immigration court.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/08/california-rhna-housing-affordable-progress/\">State Housing Goals Are Not Being Met\u003c/a>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every eight years, state housing regulators give cities and counties across California an especially dreaded homework assignment: Make a plan for a bunch of new homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration assigns localities goals to hit at four different affordability levels. Collectively, the numbers represent the housing department’s best estimate of the number of new homes needed to match any expected population growth and to chip away at the state’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2025/09/california-housing-shortage/\">decades-in-the-making shortage\u003c/a> of affordable places to live.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But, less than a third of cities and counties are on track to permit enough “above moderate” units, the category that typically refers to market-rate housing, according to data submitted by locals to the state housing department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Only five jurisdictions in the entire state are permitting at a pace to hit all four income targets. Four are the lightly populated unincorporated bits of small, mostly rural counties: Plumas, Napa, Yolo and Mono. The fifth is Placerville, a town of roughly 11,000 people in the Sierra foothills east of Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oil Workers Await Final Vote on Funding Bill\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A fund to help oil industry workers affected by California’s transition away from fossil fuels could be permanently extended as early as this week, if AB 2157 passes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>‘The Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Fund pays up to $15,000 dollars for education, or on the job training to transition to other industries. The program is currently set to end July 1st, 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fund aims to help the state’s oil workers, who have reeled from refinery closures in the state. From 2020 to 2021, two refinery closures led to more than 600 full time workers losing employment. In April of this year, 282 Valero employees lost their jobs when the oil giant closed its Benicia refinery.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates for oil and gas workers are urging lawmakers to make the fund –which sunsets next year–permanent. The legislature has until the end of the month to decide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unaccompanied Migrant Kids May Soon Face Legal Gap\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Legal aid groups said they will continue to represent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">unaccompanied immigrant children\u003c/a> in the Bay Area even after the Trump administration shifted federal funding away from seasoned service providers to a controversial anti-trafficking group.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/12/nx-s1-5929456/migrant-children-our-rescue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$158 million contract —\u003c/a> which could grow to $244 million — to Our Rescue, a Utah-based anti-human-trafficking group whose founder was accused of sexual exploitation and whose current director led Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during the first Trump administration. The group touts its expertise assisting law enforcement with sting operations, but advocates say it lacks experience representing children in immigration court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Katrina Logan, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://clsepa.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto,\u003c/a> said her team of lawyers and social workers is not walking away from the 33 children they represent, even though their contract funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services expired July 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our attorneys have been doing this type of law for many years. They’ve developed the expertise,” Logan said. “They understand how to support clients. So it’s definitely tough to be losing this funding.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a declaration last week, the government said it was looking for additional contractors to provide legal representation for kids and trying to work out a transitional contract with the \u003ca href=\"https://acaciajustice.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Acacia Center for Justice\u003c/a> (which holds the master contract on behalf of Community Legal Services ) to “support an orderly transition of cases to new legal service providers, including \u003ca href=\"https://ourrescue.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Our Rescue\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-food-banks-brace-for-slow-moving-avalanche-of-snap-cuts",
"title": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts",
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"headTitle": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "An already strained network of food banks across California is bracing for even greater need due to federal food assistance cuts. ",
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"title": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-sues-la-peralta-apartment-owners-over-elevator-outages-livability-issues",
"title": "Oakland Sues La Peralta Apartment Owners Over Elevator Outages, Livability Issues",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Sues La Peralta Apartment Owners Over Elevator Outages, Livability Issues | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Unable to assist because of her own mobility issues, Kathy Vaquilar called 911 last summer when her husband fell in their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/housing\">Oakland apartment\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because there was no working elevator in their building, however, paramedics had to strap the 80-year-old Richard Johnson into something like a tarp to bring him down four flights of stairs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That elevator outage at La Peralta in downtown Oakland lasted 52 days, from June 28 to Aug. 18, 2025. In a complaint filed Aug. 11 against the building’s owners and operators, City Attorney Ryan Richardson notes that variations of Vaquilar and Johnson’s ordeal were experienced by many of the 93 residential units.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095132\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kathy Vaquilar holds a photo of her deceased husband, Rich Johnson, at the La Peralta building where the couple lived, in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You have the situation where there are people with mobility issues that are on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of this building, and they didn’t have easy ways to take care of their basic needs, to go outside, to do their laundry, to take their trash out,” Richardson said. “And if there was an emergency, they were at the mercy of folks getting to them, as opposed to them being able to evacuate easily.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Filed in Alameda County Superior Court, the suit by the city attorney notes that La Peralta’s elevator problems were so pervasive that the Oakland Fire Department had to free tenants trapped in elevators 14 times between 2024 and 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the fire department called such frequency very uncommon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Summer 2025 elevator outage was not an isolated incident at La Peralta; it is part of Defendants’ dangerous pattern of refusing to conduct regular maintenance of their elevators, causing repeated emergency rescue events,” the complaint states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Richardson’s suit names as defendants 184 13th Street Associates, which owns La Peralta; the Mosser Companies, which runs it; and CEO Neveo Mosser. The Mosser Companies is one of Northern California’s largest housing providers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit alleges that Neveo Mosser runs both of the named companies and used the corporate ownership structure to “insulate himself from the liabilities connected to his failure to provide habitable living conditions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mosser representatives did not return a request for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents said Mosser did not fix La Peralta’s broken passenger and freight elevators until it faced media attention and a city inquiry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095130\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The La Peralta building in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vaquilar, 68, noted in an interview that the elevator outage occurred while she was taking care of her gravely ill husband in what would be the last summer of his life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was under a lot of stress, too,” Vaquilar said. “Because I had to work full-time and take care of him, as well. And I would come home at lunchtime and check on him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because of her own mobility issues, Vaquilar said every trip home meant an exhausting and sometimes painful climb up to her four flights of stairs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you’re carrying groceries or garbage or laundry, it’s just extra hard. I’d have to take breaks at each of the levels,” Vaquilar said, adding that she’d sometimes have to make multiple trips. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/elevator-not-working-5-weeks-oakland-apartment-building-tenants-turn-team/17444876/\">told ABC7\u003c/a> at the time that he felt trapped in his apartment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He died this past April.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think he would have gone out a lot more… and he needed to go out and get some sunshine,” Vaquilar said. “It definitely impacted his health.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Counting other habitability issues, the lawsuit alleges that Mosser failed to fix fire damage, structural damage and pest infestations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095306\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kathy Vaquilar waits for the elevator at the La Peralta building, where she lives, in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. The City of Oakland and tenants are suing La Peralta’s landlord, Mosser Living, over the unusable elevators. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland’s Elevator Maintenance Ordinance requires landlords to post a notice any time elevators are out of service and to estimate when they’ll be working again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Repairs must be completed as soon as reasonably possible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If elevators are out of service for more than 24 hours, landlords are required to pay to temporarily relocate any tenants who are severely impacted, including those with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Richardson said his office is seeking assurances that the elevators will be regularly maintained, that the other habitability issues will be addressed, and that Mosser will offer compensation for the tenants, including any who may have moved out because of the elevator problems.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We also want to make sure the tenants who were … fulfilling their side of the bargain and paying their rent this entire time, but didn’t receive a habitable, dignified place to live, that they get some restitution,” Richardson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vaquilar is among a group of La Peralta residents who are also pursuing their own lawsuit against Mosser. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095164\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Panels that once displayed elevator-safety and maintenance credentials are now empty inside the elevator at the La Peralta building in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I know that people want compensation,” Vaquilar said. “The compensation would definitely help a lot because they keep raising the rent here … and that’s ridiculous because we’re not getting the kind of service that we should if we’re paying rent on a regular basis.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Mosser lawsuit comes a month after Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-lawsuit-mann-dodg-landlords-extended/\">extended its oversight\u003c/a> of landlords Baljit Singh Mann and Surinder Mann, members of a family known for owning dozens of properties across the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland first sued the Manns and their companies in 2021 for poor living conditions and illegal unit conversions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That oversight was meant to end this fall, but Richardson’s office accused the Manns of not keeping up with their agreement, and the two sides agreed to extend the arrangement for three years.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because there was no working elevator in their building, however, paramedics had to strap the 80-year-old Richard Johnson into something like a tarp to bring him down four flights of stairs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That elevator outage at La Peralta in downtown Oakland lasted 52 days, from June 28 to Aug. 18, 2025. In a complaint filed Aug. 11 against the building’s owners and operators, City Attorney Ryan Richardson notes that variations of Vaquilar and Johnson’s ordeal were experienced by many of the 93 residential units.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You have the situation where there are people with mobility issues that are on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of this building, and they didn’t have easy ways to take care of their basic needs, to go outside, to do their laundry, to take their trash out,” Richardson said. “And if there was an emergency, they were at the mercy of folks getting to them, as opposed to them being able to evacuate easily.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Filed in Alameda County Superior Court, the suit by the city attorney notes that La Peralta’s elevator problems were so pervasive that the Oakland Fire Department had to free tenants trapped in elevators 14 times between 2024 and 2025. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the fire department called such frequency very uncommon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The Summer 2025 elevator outage was not an isolated incident at La Peralta; it is part of Defendants’ dangerous pattern of refusing to conduct regular maintenance of their elevators, causing repeated emergency rescue events,” the complaint states.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Richardson’s suit names as defendants 184 13th Street Associates, which owns La Peralta; the Mosser Companies, which runs it; and CEO Neveo Mosser. The Mosser Companies is one of Northern California’s largest housing providers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Richardson’s suit names as defendants 184 13th Street Associates, which owns La Peralta; the Mosser Companies, which runs it; and CEO Neveo Mosser. The Mosser Companies is one of Northern California’s largest housing providers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lawsuit alleges that Neveo Mosser runs both of the named companies and used the corporate ownership structure to “insulate himself from the liabilities connected to his failure to provide habitable living conditions.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mosser representatives did not return a request for comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Residents said Mosser did not fix La Peralta’s broken passenger and freight elevators until it faced media attention and a city inquiry. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095130\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The La Peralta building in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vaquilar, 68, noted in an interview that the elevator outage occurred while she was taking care of her gravely ill husband in what would be the last summer of his life. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was under a lot of stress, too,” Vaquilar said. “Because I had to work full-time and take care of him, as well. And I would come home at lunchtime and check on him.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because of her own mobility issues, Vaquilar said every trip home meant an exhausting and sometimes painful climb up to her four flights of stairs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you’re carrying groceries or garbage or laundry, it’s just extra hard. I’d have to take breaks at each of the levels,” Vaquilar said, adding that she’d sometimes have to make multiple trips. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/elevator-not-working-5-weeks-oakland-apartment-building-tenants-turn-team/17444876/\">told ABC7\u003c/a> at the time that he felt trapped in his apartment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He died this past April.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think he would have gone out a lot more… and he needed to go out and get some sunshine,” Vaquilar said. “It definitely impacted his health.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Counting other habitability issues, the lawsuit alleges that Mosser failed to fix fire damage, structural damage and pest infestations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095306\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kathy Vaquilar waits for the elevator at the La Peralta building, where she lives, in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. The City of Oakland and tenants are suing La Peralta’s landlord, Mosser Living, over the unusable elevators.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095306\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kathy Vaquilar waits for the elevator at the La Peralta building, where she lives, in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. The City of Oakland and tenants are suing La Peralta’s landlord, Mosser Living, over the unusable elevators.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oakland’s Elevator Maintenance Ordinance requires landlords to post a notice any time elevators are out of service and to estimate when they’ll be working again. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Repairs must be completed as soon as reasonably possible. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If elevators are out of service for more than 24 hours, landlords are required to pay to temporarily relocate any tenants who are severely impacted, including those with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Richardson said his office is seeking assurances that the elevators will be regularly maintained, that the other habitability issues will be addressed, and that Mosser will offer compensation for the tenants, including any who may have moved out because of the elevator problems.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Richardson said his office is seeking assurances that the elevators will be regularly maintained, that the other habitability issues will be addressed, and that Mosser will offer compensation for the tenants, including any who may have moved out because of the elevator problems.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We also want to make sure the tenants who were … fulfilling their side of the bargain and paying their rent this entire time, but didn’t receive a habitable, dignified place to live, that they get some restitution,” Richardson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We also want to make sure the tenants who were … fulfilling their side of the bargain and paying their rent this entire time, but didn’t receive a habitable, dignified place to live, that they get some restitution,” Richardson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vaquilar is among a group of La Peralta residents who are also pursuing their own lawsuit against Mosser. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Vaquilar is among a group of La Peralta residents who are also pursuing their own lawsuit against Mosser. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095164\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Panels that once displayed elevator-safety and maintenance credentials are now empty inside the elevator at the La Peralta building in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095164\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Panels that once displayed elevator-safety and maintenance credentials are now empty inside the elevator at the La Peralta building in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I know that people want compensation,” Vaquilar said. “The compensation would definitely help a lot because they keep raising the rent here … and that’s ridiculous because we’re not getting the kind of service that we should if we’re paying rent on a regular basis.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I know that people want compensation,” Vaquilar said. “The compensation would definitely help a lot because they keep raising the rent here … and that’s ridiculous because we’re not getting the kind of service that we should if we’re paying rent on a regular basis.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Mosser lawsuit comes a month after Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-lawsuit-mann-dodg-landlords-extended/\">extended its oversight\u003c/a> of landlords Baljit Singh Mann and Surinder Mann, members of a family known for owning dozens of properties across the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The Oakland city attorney alleges repeated elevator failures, fire and structural damage and pests at the six-story building.",
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"title": "Oakland Sues La Peralta Apartment Owners Over Elevator Outages, Livability Issues | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Unable to assist because of her own mobility issues, Kathy Vaquilar called 911 last summer when her husband fell in their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/housing\">Oakland apartment\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because there was no working elevator in their building, however, paramedics had to strap the 80-year-old Richard Johnson into something like a tarp to bring him down four flights of stairs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That elevator outage at La Peralta in downtown Oakland lasted 52 days, from June 28 to Aug. 18, 2025. In a complaint filed Aug. 11 against the building’s owners and operators, City Attorney Ryan Richardson notes that variations of Vaquilar and Johnson’s ordeal were experienced by many of the 93 residential units.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095132\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kathy Vaquilar holds a photo of her deceased husband, Rich Johnson, at the La Peralta building where the couple lived, in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You have the situation where there are people with mobility issues that are on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of this building, and they didn’t have easy ways to take care of their basic needs, to go outside, to do their laundry, to take their trash out,” Richardson said. “And if there was an emergency, they were at the mercy of folks getting to them, as opposed to them being able to evacuate easily.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Filed in Alameda County Superior Court, the suit by the city attorney notes that La Peralta’s elevator problems were so pervasive that the Oakland Fire Department had to free tenants trapped in elevators 14 times between 2024 and 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for the fire department called such frequency very uncommon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Summer 2025 elevator outage was not an isolated incident at La Peralta; it is part of Defendants’ dangerous pattern of refusing to conduct regular maintenance of their elevators, causing repeated emergency rescue events,” the complaint states.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Richardson’s suit names as defendants 184 13th Street Associates, which owns La Peralta; the Mosser Companies, which runs it; and CEO Neveo Mosser. The Mosser Companies is one of Northern California’s largest housing providers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit alleges that Neveo Mosser runs both of the named companies and used the corporate ownership structure to “insulate himself from the liabilities connected to his failure to provide habitable living conditions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mosser representatives did not return a request for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents said Mosser did not fix La Peralta’s broken passenger and freight elevators until it faced media attention and a city inquiry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095130\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-02-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The La Peralta building in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vaquilar, 68, noted in an interview that the elevator outage occurred while she was taking care of her gravely ill husband in what would be the last summer of his life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was under a lot of stress, too,” Vaquilar said. “Because I had to work full-time and take care of him, as well. And I would come home at lunchtime and check on him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because of her own mobility issues, Vaquilar said every trip home meant an exhausting and sometimes painful climb up to her four flights of stairs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you’re carrying groceries or garbage or laundry, it’s just extra hard. I’d have to take breaks at each of the levels,” Vaquilar said, adding that she’d sometimes have to make multiple trips. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/post/elevator-not-working-5-weeks-oakland-apartment-building-tenants-turn-team/17444876/\">told ABC7\u003c/a> at the time that he felt trapped in his apartment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He died this past April.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think he would have gone out a lot more… and he needed to go out and get some sunshine,” Vaquilar said. “It definitely impacted his health.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Counting other habitability issues, the lawsuit alleges that Mosser failed to fix fire damage, structural damage and pest infestations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095306\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-10-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kathy Vaquilar waits for the elevator at the La Peralta building, where she lives, in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. The City of Oakland and tenants are suing La Peralta’s landlord, Mosser Living, over the unusable elevators. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland’s Elevator Maintenance Ordinance requires landlords to post a notice any time elevators are out of service and to estimate when they’ll be working again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Repairs must be completed as soon as reasonably possible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If elevators are out of service for more than 24 hours, landlords are required to pay to temporarily relocate any tenants who are severely impacted, including those with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Richardson said his office is seeking assurances that the elevators will be regularly maintained, that the other habitability issues will be addressed, and that Mosser will offer compensation for the tenants, including any who may have moved out because of the elevator problems.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We also want to make sure the tenants who were … fulfilling their side of the bargain and paying their rent this entire time, but didn’t receive a habitable, dignified place to live, that they get some restitution,” Richardson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vaquilar is among a group of La Peralta residents who are also pursuing their own lawsuit against Mosser. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095164\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260813-OAK-LANDLORD-SUIT-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Panels that once displayed elevator-safety and maintenance credentials are now empty inside the elevator at the La Peralta building in Oakland on Aug. 13, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I know that people want compensation,” Vaquilar said. “The compensation would definitely help a lot because they keep raising the rent here … and that’s ridiculous because we’re not getting the kind of service that we should if we’re paying rent on a regular basis.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Mosser lawsuit comes a month after Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/07/17/oakland-lawsuit-mann-dodg-landlords-extended/\">extended its oversight\u003c/a> of landlords Baljit Singh Mann and Surinder Mann, members of a family known for owning dozens of properties across the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oakland first sued the Manns and their companies in 2021 for poor living conditions and illegal unit conversions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That oversight was meant to end this fall, but Richardson’s office accused the Manns of not keeping up with their agreement, and the two sides agreed to extend the arrangement for three years.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-fair-plan-announces-29-1-rate-hike-for-homeowners-this-fall",
"title": "California FAIR Plan Announces 29.1% Rate Hike for Homeowners This Fall",
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"headTitle": "California FAIR Plan Announces 29.1% Rate Hike for Homeowners This Fall | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026808/fair-plan-bailout-from-insurance-companies-policyholders-following-la-fires\">insurer of last resort\u003c/a> is about to get significantly more expensive for policyholders starting Oct. 15, 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California FAIR Plan will be increasing its rates by an average of 29.1% for its more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/\">675,000\u003c/a> customers — the highest rate bump in recent history. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The exact increase depends on each homeowner’s situation. Those living in areas at a high risk of wildfire may pay significantly more. Some will see their wildfire premiums double. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s definitely going to cause pain for some people,” said Karl Sussman, broker and insurance expert. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Policyholders with less risk will be less impacted. In residential, urban communities in the Bay Area, some might even see reductions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12071333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Overhead shot of a newly completed model home in what will become Northern California’s first wildfire-prepared neighborhood. (Courtesy of Rachael Gauthier)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FAIR Plan asked for a higher rate hike of 35.8% from the California Department of Insurance, which oversees rate setting, last September. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://woods.stanford.edu/news/californias-home-insurance-crisis-spreading-beyond-wildfire-country\">study \u003c/a>released in June by Stanford University researchers found California homeowners insurance premiums are up 84% since 2020. FAIR Plan enrollment has nearly tripled — from under 2% to 5% of homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FAIR Plan was designed as a temporary way to get coverage, not as a long-term insurance provider. But years of catastrophic fire damage and inflation prompted traditional insurers to pull back from areas at high risk of wildfire damage. For many Californians, the Plan became their first and only option. Half of homes in some high fire risk areas, such as Truckee, Nevada City, Malibu and Lake Arrowhead, are insured through the FAIR Plan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of June 2026, the FAIR Plan’s total exposure is $768 billion, reflecting an 11% increase since September 2025 and a 250% increase since September 2022. This dwarfs its direct cash balance, which sits between $200 and $400 million. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To pay out catastrophic claims, the Plan relies on reinsurance, bonds and the ability to get money from private insurance companies and surcharges on policyholders. Some insurance experts have questioned how the FAIR Plan spends its money, citing bureaucratic inefficiencies and lengthy and costly legal battles, such as its fight to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmglaw.com/insurance-4/los-angeles-court-finds-california-fair-plan-policy-coverage-for-smoke-damage-illegal/\">avoid\u003c/a> paying for smoke damage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While enrollments in the FAIR Plan are still increasing, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/#:~:text=The%20FAIR%20Plan's%20total%20NB%20through%209,in%20September%202022%20(Fiscal%20Year%20End%202022\">pace of growth\u003c/a> appears to be slowing, according to recent data from the FAIR Plan. New business this year is down 25% over last year. Insurance regulators are hopeful this is a sign reforms passed through in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/180-climate-change/sustainable-insurance-strategy.Cfm\">Sustainable Insurance Strategy\u003c/a> are working. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same time, California is seeing more traditional insurers writing policies again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have markets that didn’t exist a month ago. And in another month, we’ll probably have more markets, again, that didn’t exist,” Sussman said. “So, while we see the FAIR Plan rates going up, we [also] see the ability for people that are with the FAIR Plans to go and find private insurance, which, at the end of the day, is what we want them to be doing.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California FAIR Plan will be increasing its rates by an average of 29.1% for its more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/\">675,000\u003c/a> customers — the highest rate bump in recent history. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The exact increase depends on each homeowner’s situation. Those living in areas at a high risk of wildfire may pay significantly more. Some will see their wildfire premiums double. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Policyholders with less risk will be less impacted. In residential, urban communities in the Bay Area, some might even see reductions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12071333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Overhead shot of a newly completed model home in what will become Northern California’s first wildfire-prepared neighborhood.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12071333\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Overhead shot of a newly completed model home in what will become Northern California’s first wildfire-prepared neighborhood.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The FAIR Plan asked for a higher rate hike of 35.8% from the California Department of Insurance, which oversees rate setting, last September. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://woods.stanford.edu/news/californias-home-insurance-crisis-spreading-beyond-wildfire-country\">study \u003c/a>released in June by Stanford University researchers found California homeowners insurance premiums are up 84% since 2020. FAIR Plan enrollment has nearly tripled — from under 2% to 5% of homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The FAIR Plan was designed as a temporary way to get coverage, not as a long-term insurance provider. But years of catastrophic fire damage and inflation prompted traditional insurers to pull back from areas at high risk of wildfire damage. For many Californians, the Plan became their first and only option. Half of homes in some high fire risk areas, such as Truckee, Nevada City, Malibu and Lake Arrowhead, are insured through the FAIR Plan. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The FAIR Plan was designed as a temporary way to get coverage, not as a long-term insurance provider. But years of catastrophic fire damage and inflation prompted traditional insurers to pull back from areas at high risk of wildfire damage. For many Californians, the Plan became their first and only option. Half of homes in some high fire risk areas, such as Truckee, Nevada City, Malibu and Lake Arrowhead, are insured through the FAIR Plan. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As of June 2026, the FAIR Plan’s total exposure is $768 billion, reflecting an 11% increase since September 2025 and a 250% increase since September 2022. This dwarfs its direct cash balance, which sits between $200 and $400 million. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To pay out catastrophic claims, the Plan relies on reinsurance, bonds and the ability to get money from private insurance companies and surcharges on policyholders. Some insurance experts have questioned how the FAIR Plan spends its money, citing bureaucratic inefficiencies and lengthy and costly legal battles, such as its fight to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmglaw.com/insurance-4/los-angeles-court-finds-california-fair-plan-policy-coverage-for-smoke-damage-illegal/\">avoid\u003c/a> paying for smoke damage. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>To pay out catastrophic claims, the Plan relies on reinsurance, bonds and the ability to get money from private insurance companies and surcharges on policyholders. Some insurance experts have questioned how the FAIR Plan spends its money, citing bureaucratic inefficiencies and lengthy and costly legal battles, such as its fight to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmglaw.com/insurance-4/los-angeles-court-finds-california-fair-plan-policy-coverage-for-smoke-damage-illegal/\">avoid\u003c/a> paying for smoke damage. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While enrollments in the FAIR Plan are still increasing, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/#:~:text=The%20FAIR%20Plan's%20total%20NB%20through%209,in%20September%202022%20(Fiscal%20Year%20End%202022\">pace of growth\u003c/a> appears to be slowing, according to recent data from the FAIR Plan. New business this year is down 25% over last year. Insurance regulators are hopeful this is a sign reforms passed through in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/180-climate-change/sustainable-insurance-strategy.Cfm\">Sustainable Insurance Strategy\u003c/a> are working. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While enrollments in the FAIR Plan are still increasing, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/#:~:text=The%20FAIR%20Plan's%20total%20NB%20through%209,in%20September%202022%20(Fiscal%20Year%20End%202022\">pace of growth\u003c/a> appears to be slowing, according to recent data from the FAIR Plan. New business this year is down 25% over last year. Insurance regulators are hopeful this is a sign reforms passed through in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/180-climate-change/sustainable-insurance-strategy.Cfm\">Sustainable Insurance Strategy\u003c/a> are working. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the same time, California is seeing more traditional insurers writing policies again. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have markets that didn’t exist a month ago. And in another month, we’ll probably have more markets, again, that didn’t exist,” Sussman said. “So, while we see the FAIR Plan rates going up, we [also] see the ability for people that are with the FAIR Plans to go and find private insurance, which, at the end of the day, is what we want them to be doing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Nearly 700,000 customers will see the largest rate increase in the insurer’s recent history. \n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12026808/fair-plan-bailout-from-insurance-companies-policyholders-following-la-fires\">insurer of last resort\u003c/a> is about to get significantly more expensive for policyholders starting Oct. 15, 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California FAIR Plan will be increasing its rates by an average of 29.1% for its more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/\">675,000\u003c/a> customers — the highest rate bump in recent history. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The exact increase depends on each homeowner’s situation. Those living in areas at a high risk of wildfire may pay significantly more. Some will see their wildfire premiums double. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s definitely going to cause pain for some people,” said Karl Sussman, broker and insurance expert. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Policyholders with less risk will be less impacted. In residential, urban communities in the Bay Area, some might even see reductions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12071333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260123-Insurance-Home-01-KQED-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Overhead shot of a newly completed model home in what will become Northern California’s first wildfire-prepared neighborhood. (Courtesy of Rachael Gauthier)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FAIR Plan asked for a higher rate hike of 35.8% from the California Department of Insurance, which oversees rate setting, last September. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://woods.stanford.edu/news/californias-home-insurance-crisis-spreading-beyond-wildfire-country\">study \u003c/a>released in June by Stanford University researchers found California homeowners insurance premiums are up 84% since 2020. FAIR Plan enrollment has nearly tripled — from under 2% to 5% of homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FAIR Plan was designed as a temporary way to get coverage, not as a long-term insurance provider. But years of catastrophic fire damage and inflation prompted traditional insurers to pull back from areas at high risk of wildfire damage. For many Californians, the Plan became their first and only option. Half of homes in some high fire risk areas, such as Truckee, Nevada City, Malibu and Lake Arrowhead, are insured through the FAIR Plan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As of June 2026, the FAIR Plan’s total exposure is $768 billion, reflecting an 11% increase since September 2025 and a 250% increase since September 2022. This dwarfs its direct cash balance, which sits between $200 and $400 million. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To pay out catastrophic claims, the Plan relies on reinsurance, bonds and the ability to get money from private insurance companies and surcharges on policyholders. Some insurance experts have questioned how the FAIR Plan spends its money, citing bureaucratic inefficiencies and lengthy and costly legal battles, such as its fight to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmglaw.com/insurance-4/los-angeles-court-finds-california-fair-plan-policy-coverage-for-smoke-damage-illegal/\">avoid\u003c/a> paying for smoke damage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While enrollments in the FAIR Plan are still increasing, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cfpnet.com/key-statistics-data/#:~:text=The%20FAIR%20Plan's%20total%20NB%20through%209,in%20September%202022%20(Fiscal%20Year%20End%202022\">pace of growth\u003c/a> appears to be slowing, according to recent data from the FAIR Plan. New business this year is down 25% over last year. Insurance regulators are hopeful this is a sign reforms passed through in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/180-climate-change/sustainable-insurance-strategy.Cfm\">Sustainable Insurance Strategy\u003c/a> are working. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same time, California is seeing more traditional insurers writing policies again. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have markets that didn’t exist a month ago. And in another month, we’ll probably have more markets, again, that didn’t exist,” Sussman said. “So, while we see the FAIR Plan rates going up, we [also] see the ability for people that are with the FAIR Plans to go and find private insurance, which, at the end of the day, is what we want them to be doing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "a-simple-way-to-prevent-homelessness-is-growing-in-san-francisco-is-it-sustainable",
"title": "A Simple Way to Prevent Homelessness Is Growing in San Francisco. Is It Sustainable?",
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"headTitle": "A Simple Way to Prevent Homelessness Is Growing in San Francisco. Is It Sustainable? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Esmeralda Celis didn’t know how her family would survive last winter. Her husband, who worked multiple restaurant jobs, was suddenly forced to leave the country for several months due to his immigration status. She was left to care for their four children for months without income in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, one of the country’s most expensive places to live.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Once we hit January, I was scrambling to figure out how I’m going to pay for these bills, how I’m going to provide for my children, how I’m going to keep the roof over their head,” said Celis, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment near Civic Center. “It was extremely stressful. They saw mom in shambles.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unsure of where to go, she told a counselor at her child’s school about their situation. They connected her with Compass Family Services, one of several nonprofits that recently received an injection of private philanthropic funding to help families on the brink of homelessness stay put. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The nonprofit stepped in to cover her $2,600 monthly rent from January through May, tiding them over until Celis’ husband came back and could return to work. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The instability of not having a home or roof would have been detrimental for my children,” said Celis, whose daughter has cystic fibrosis and requires breathing treatments and frequent medical visits. “This definitely helped with the stability and, more than anything, keeping my children’s peace.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Celis and her three children Pedro, 9, Josio, 3, and Aribelle, 11, pose for a photo at the Helen Diller Civic Center Playground in San Francisco on July 29, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Celis’ experience is growing increasingly common as the cost of living in San Francisco has skyrocketed, most recently driven by the artificial intelligence boom. The average cost of a two-bedroom apartment in the city is now $6,382, according to Zillow, up about $1,759 since last year. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083310/fewer-people-are-sleeping-on-san-francisco-streets-but-family-homelessness-is-up\">Families experiencing homelessness\u003c/a> increased by 15% since 2024, according to the latest point-in-time count of the city’s homelessness population. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/2026-point-in-time-count-preliminary-results\">actual number of people\u003c/a> in families experiencing homelessness increased by 34%, from 1,103 people in 2024 to 1,474 people in 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the city has a vast network of support services for people experiencing homelessness, it’s now increasingly looking at how to prevent people from losing housing by offering support before an eviction notice hits or families are forced to leave. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Tipping Point Community, a philanthropic organization started by Mayor Daniel Lurie before he entered office, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029619/luries-nonprofit-giving-san-francisco-11-million-prevent-family-homelessness\">donated $11 million last year\u003c/a> toward a yearlong pilot project targeting family homelessness with a focus on prevention. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nonprofits receiving the funding included Compass Family Services, Mission Economic Development Agency, APA Family Support Services, Mission Neighborhood Centers and Glide. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These groups have all worked in the community for several years, and are using the pilot program funds to help families cover a financial shock that might cause them to lose their home, whether that’s a pileup of medical bills or car maintenance so they can continue getting to work. The short-term relief has varied in amount and duration depending on a family’s situation, but has ranged from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly 900 families in San Francisco have been supported through the pilot program so far. The pilot has extended another six months to the end of 2026, after which there will be an external analysis on the outcomes of the effort, according to Tipping Point executive director Sam Cobbs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re serving people who wouldn’t have traditionally touched the family homelessness system until much later on,” Cobbs said. “These organizations that we work with are incredible and, as we anticipated, are the first line of defense for families when they’re facing eviction or run into trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The prevention-focused approach is gaining steam in communities around the country, largely fueled by private dollars and local government spending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are no federal funding streams for this kind of homelessness prevention, and federal funding for affordable housing has declined in recent years as the cost of living has gone up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say it’s a more cost-effective approach to other downstream homelessness solutions like adding new permanent supportive housing, which can cost upward of $600,000 per unit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, Santa Clara County adopted a homelessness prevention system modeled by the San Jose-based nonprofit Destination: Home into its broader public safety net. It now provides around 2,500 households at risk of homelessness per year with prevention assistance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Studies on the effort have shown that the upstream support can dramatically slow the pace of families entering homelessness. In Santa Clara County, 93% of families who received services early remained housed. Less than 10% became homeless two years later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12082708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-1536x1060.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference on housing and homelessness in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 19, 2024. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Overwhelmingly, people who receive that assistance are not showing up later in homeless shelters or street outreach programs, which suggests that the short-term assistance is really effective at helping folks maintain their housing or housing stability,” said Ryan Finnegan, deputy director of research for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco does have a rental assistance program, called ERAP, and the pilot is seeking to find ways to improve that system to better serve families facing homelessness. In addition to funding the nonprofits’ work, Tipping Point is helping the city build a database of its homelessness response systems to better coordinate resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as the approach gains traction across the increasingly expensive Bay Area, some limitations are emerging. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One issue is simply finding the families who might benefit the most from the assistance. Programs often target families based on information in social services databases, or find families through existing nonprofits and networks on the ground, like Celis’ school counselor. But making actual connections can be difficult. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They do have the challenge of reaching people effectively, because who really answers unknown phone calls from the county government, you know, and especially if it’s people who really are facing a lot of disruptions to their housing stability,” Finnegan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Celis hugs her daughter Josio, 3, at the Helen Diller Civic Center Playground in San Francisco on July 29, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then once short-term assistance dries up, Finnegan said, many families who are living on thin margins may still struggle to get by. In 2025, researchers at the Terner Center \u003ca href=\"https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/research-and-policy/navigating-the-post-subsidy-cliff-considerations-for-families-approaching-the-end-of-rapid-rehousing/\">found\u003c/a> that as rental assistance programs ended, some families doubled up with other relatives, moved or faced threats of eviction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The theory is that their incomes hopefully rise over time to meet the market rents, but in a place like the Bay Area where market rent is so high, that doesn’t really happen very often,” Finnegan said. “Maybe that one-time assistance helps them stay out of shelters for a year. And then in that second year, they’re back where they were.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jennifer Loving, who runs Destination: Home, said that prevention has been a success in many cities looking to slow the rate of homelessness. Part of that has been the local governments’ investment into prevention on a wider scale. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our partnership is deeply rooted with the city of San José and the county of Santa Clara, and they both contribute dollars to our system-wide prevention model. But it didn’t start out that way,” Loving said. “If we would have tried to sustain this with only private dollars, it wouldn’t be sustainable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to prevention assistance, Santa Clara County has also been exploring guaranteed income pilots to help families longer-term. Loving said many families receiving the assistance ultimately need help digging out of poverty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The underlying issue, Loving said, is that many working families simply can’t afford today’s housing market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Frankly the thing that’s the best for everybody is rent they can afford,” Loving said. “Affordable housing is always going to be the number one most important issue. But production, development and funding for deeply affordable housing dried up,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its most recent budget, San Francisco agreed to fund more than 700 additional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087973/with-family-homelessness-up-san-francisco-looks-to-extend-short-term-rental-subsidies\">short-term rental subsidies\u003c/a>, which typically cover families for between two and five years, plus 75 long-term subsidies after a push from housing advocates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People are realizing that philanthropy can only go so far. And this is the perfect use of philanthropy. You have flexible dollars to try something, understand what works and what doesn’t work. Then work with the government to scale what works,” Cobbs said. “Everything that we’ve done here has been hand in hand with San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Celis, the short-term rental relief was a lifeline, allowing her to avoid debt and keep the family’s housing situation steady.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she said the city must do more to bring down the cost of housing for families like hers, who want to stay in a sanctuary city that’s close to their friends and doctors. Supporters of such assistance also point out that the approach helps preserve the diversity and breadth of the community, from gardeners to daycare employees and restaurant workers who don’t make sky-high tech salaries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Celis is hoping to one day secure a larger unit through the city’s housing lottery system. She’s waited years already.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a crisis out here,” Celis said. “The city really needs to hold their word to make it affordable, or we’re going to have more families leaving.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Esmeralda Celis didn’t know how her family would survive last winter. Her husband, who worked multiple restaurant jobs, was suddenly forced to leave the country for several months due to his immigration status. She was left to care for their four children for months without income in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, one of the country’s most expensive places to live.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Esmeralda Celis didn’t know how her family would survive last winter. Her husband, who worked multiple restaurant jobs, was suddenly forced to leave the country for several months due to his immigration status. She was left to care for their four children for months without income in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, one of the country’s most expensive places to live.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Once we hit January, I was scrambling to figure out how I’m going to pay for these bills, how I’m going to provide for my children, how I’m going to keep the roof over their head,” said Celis, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment near Civic Center. “It was extremely stressful. They saw mom in shambles.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Once we hit January, I was scrambling to figure out how I’m going to pay for these bills, how I’m going to provide for my children, how I’m going to keep the roof over their head,” said Celis, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment near Civic Center. “It was extremely stressful. They saw mom in shambles.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Unsure of where to go, she told a counselor at her child’s school about their situation. They connected her with Compass Family Services, one of several nonprofits that recently received an injection of private philanthropic funding to help families on the brink of homelessness stay put. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Unsure of where to go, she told a counselor at her child’s school about their situation. They connected her with Compass Family Services, one of several nonprofits that recently received an injection of private philanthropic funding to help families on the brink of homelessness stay put. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The nonprofit stepped in to cover her $2,600 monthly rent from January through May, tiding them over until Celis’ husband came back and could return to work. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The nonprofit stepped in to cover her $2,600 monthly rent from January through May, tiding them over until Celis’ husband came back and could return to work. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The instability of not having a home or roof would have been detrimental for my children,” said Celis, whose daughter has cystic fibrosis and requires breathing treatments and frequent medical visits. “This definitely helped with the stability and, more than anything, keeping my children’s peace.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The instability of not having a home or roof would have been detrimental for my children,” said Celis, whose daughter has cystic fibrosis and requires breathing treatments and frequent medical visits. “This definitely helped with the stability and, more than anything, keeping my children’s peace.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Celis and her three children Pedro, 9, Josio, 3, and Aribelle, 11, pose for a photo at the Helen Diller Civic Center Playground in San Francisco on July 29, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093706\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Celis and her three children Pedro, 9, Josio, 3, and Aribelle, 11, pose for a photo at the Helen Diller Civic Center Playground in San Francisco on July 29, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Celis’ experience is growing increasingly common as the cost of living in San Francisco has skyrocketed, most recently driven by the artificial intelligence boom. The average cost of a two-bedroom apartment in the city is now $6,382, according to Zillow, up about $1,759 since last year. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083310/fewer-people-are-sleeping-on-san-francisco-streets-but-family-homelessness-is-up\">Families experiencing homelessness\u003c/a> increased by 15% since 2024, according to the latest point-in-time count of the city’s homelessness population. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/2026-point-in-time-count-preliminary-results\">actual number of people\u003c/a> in families experiencing homelessness increased by 34%, from 1,103 people in 2024 to 1,474 people in 2026.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Celis’ experience is growing increasingly common as the cost of living in San Francisco has skyrocketed, most recently driven by the artificial intelligence boom. The average cost of a two-bedroom apartment in the city is now $6,382, according to Zillow, up about $1,759 since last year. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083310/fewer-people-are-sleeping-on-san-francisco-streets-but-family-homelessness-is-up\">Families experiencing homelessness\u003c/a> increased by 15% since 2024, according to the latest point-in-time count of the city’s homelessness population. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/2026-point-in-time-count-preliminary-results\">actual number of people\u003c/a> in families experiencing homelessness increased by 34%, from 1,103 people in 2024 to 1,474 people in 2026.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the city has a vast network of support services for people experiencing homelessness, it’s now increasingly looking at how to prevent people from losing housing by offering support before an eviction notice hits or families are forced to leave. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the city has a vast network of support services for people experiencing homelessness, it’s now increasingly looking at how to prevent people from losing housing by offering support before an eviction notice hits or families are forced to leave. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Tipping Point Community, a philanthropic organization started by Mayor Daniel Lurie before he entered office, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029619/luries-nonprofit-giving-san-francisco-11-million-prevent-family-homelessness\">donated $11 million last year\u003c/a> toward a yearlong pilot project targeting family homelessness with a focus on prevention. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Tipping Point Community, a philanthropic organization started by Mayor Daniel Lurie before he entered office, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029619/luries-nonprofit-giving-san-francisco-11-million-prevent-family-homelessness\">donated $11 million last year\u003c/a> toward a yearlong pilot project targeting family homelessness with a focus on prevention. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nonprofits receiving the funding included Compass Family Services, Mission Economic Development Agency, APA Family Support Services, Mission Neighborhood Centers and Glide. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nonprofits receiving the funding included Compass Family Services, Mission Economic Development Agency, APA Family Support Services, Mission Neighborhood Centers and Glide. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These groups have all worked in the community for several years, and are using the pilot program funds to help families cover a financial shock that might cause them to lose their home, whether that’s a pileup of medical bills or car maintenance so they can continue getting to work. The short-term relief has varied in amount and duration depending on a family’s situation, but has ranged from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These groups have all worked in the community for several years, and are using the pilot program funds to help families cover a financial shock that might cause them to lose their home, whether that’s a pileup of medical bills or car maintenance so they can continue getting to work. The short-term relief has varied in amount and duration depending on a family’s situation, but has ranged from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nearly 900 families in San Francisco have been supported through the pilot program so far. The pilot has extended another six months to the end of 2026, after which there will be an external analysis on the outcomes of the effort, according to Tipping Point executive director Sam Cobbs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nearly 900 families in San Francisco have been supported through the pilot program so far. The pilot has extended another six months to the end of 2026, after which there will be an external analysis on the outcomes of the effort, according to Tipping Point executive director Sam Cobbs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re serving people who wouldn’t have traditionally touched the family homelessness system until much later on,” Cobbs said. “These organizations that we work with are incredible and, as we anticipated, are the first line of defense for families when they’re facing eviction or run into trouble.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re serving people who wouldn’t have traditionally touched the family homelessness system until much later on,” Cobbs said. “These organizations that we work with are incredible and, as we anticipated, are the first line of defense for families when they’re facing eviction or run into trouble.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The prevention-focused approach is gaining steam in communities around the country, largely fueled by private dollars and local government spending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The prevention-focused approach is gaining steam in communities around the country, largely fueled by private dollars and local government spending. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There are no federal funding streams for this kind of homelessness prevention, and federal funding for affordable housing has declined in recent years as the cost of living has gone up. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There are no federal funding streams for this kind of homelessness prevention, and federal funding for affordable housing has declined in recent years as the cost of living has gone up. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters say it’s a more cost-effective approach to other downstream homelessness solutions like adding new permanent supportive housing, which can cost upward of $600,000 per unit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supporters say it’s a more cost-effective approach to other downstream homelessness solutions like adding new permanent supportive housing, which can cost upward of $600,000 per unit. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2024, Santa Clara County adopted a homelessness prevention system modeled by the San Jose-based nonprofit Destination: Home into its broader public safety net. It now provides around 2,500 households at risk of homelessness per year with prevention assistance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2024, Santa Clara County adopted a homelessness prevention system modeled by the San Jose-based nonprofit Destination: Home into its broader public safety net. It now provides around 2,500 households at risk of homelessness per year with prevention assistance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Studies on the effort have shown that the upstream support can dramatically slow the pace of families entering homelessness. In Santa Clara County, 93% of families who received services early remained housed. Less than 10% became homeless two years later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Studies on the effort have shown that the upstream support can dramatically slow the pace of families entering homelessness. In Santa Clara County, 93% of families who received services early remained housed. Less than 10% became homeless two years later. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-1536x1060.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12082708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-1536x1060.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference on housing and homelessness in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 19, 2024. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12082708\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference on housing and homelessness in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 19, 2024. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Overwhelmingly, people who receive that assistance are not showing up later in homeless shelters or street outreach programs, which suggests that the short-term assistance is really effective at helping folks maintain their housing or housing stability,” said Ryan Finnegan, deputy director of research for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Overwhelmingly, people who receive that assistance are not showing up later in homeless shelters or street outreach programs, which suggests that the short-term assistance is really effective at helping folks maintain their housing or housing stability,” said Ryan Finnegan, deputy director of research for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco does have a rental assistance program, called ERAP, and the pilot is seeking to find ways to improve that system to better serve families facing homelessness. In addition to funding the nonprofits’ work, Tipping Point is helping the city build a database of its homelessness response systems to better coordinate resources. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco does have a rental assistance program, called ERAP, and the pilot is seeking to find ways to improve that system to better serve families facing homelessness. In addition to funding the nonprofits’ work, Tipping Point is helping the city build a database of its homelessness response systems to better coordinate resources. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But as the approach gains traction across the increasingly expensive Bay Area, some limitations are emerging. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But as the approach gains traction across the increasingly expensive Bay Area, some limitations are emerging. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One issue is simply finding the families who might benefit the most from the assistance. Programs often target families based on information in social services databases, or find families through existing nonprofits and networks on the ground, like Celis’ school counselor. But making actual connections can be difficult. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One issue is simply finding the families who might benefit the most from the assistance. Programs often target families based on information in social services databases, or find families through existing nonprofits and networks on the ground, like Celis’ school counselor. But making actual connections can be difficult. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They do have the challenge of reaching people effectively, because who really answers unknown phone calls from the county government, you know, and especially if it’s people who really are facing a lot of disruptions to their housing stability,” Finnegan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They do have the challenge of reaching people effectively, because who really answers unknown phone calls from the county government, you know, and especially if it’s people who really are facing a lot of disruptions to their housing stability,” Finnegan said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Celis hugs her daughter Josio, 3, at the Helen Diller Civic Center Playground in San Francisco on July 29, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then once short-term assistance dries up, Finnegan said, many families who are living on thin margins may still struggle to get by. In 2025, researchers at the Terner Center \u003ca href=\"https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/research-and-policy/navigating-the-post-subsidy-cliff-considerations-for-families-approaching-the-end-of-rapid-rehousing/\">found\u003c/a> that as rental assistance programs ended, some families doubled up with other relatives, moved or faced threats of eviction.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Then once short-term assistance dries up, Finnegan said, many families who are living on thin margins may still struggle to get by. In 2025, researchers at the Terner Center \u003ca href=\"https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/research-and-policy/navigating-the-post-subsidy-cliff-considerations-for-families-approaching-the-end-of-rapid-rehousing/\">found\u003c/a> that as rental assistance programs ended, some families doubled up with other relatives, moved or faced threats of eviction.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The theory is that their incomes hopefully rise over time to meet the market rents, but in a place like the Bay Area where market rent is so high, that doesn’t really happen very often,” Finnegan said. “Maybe that one-time assistance helps them stay out of shelters for a year. And then in that second year, they’re back where they were.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The theory is that their incomes hopefully rise over time to meet the market rents, but in a place like the Bay Area where market rent is so high, that doesn’t really happen very often,” Finnegan said. “Maybe that one-time assistance helps them stay out of shelters for a year. And then in that second year, they’re back where they were.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jennifer Loving, who runs Destination: Home, said that prevention has been a success in many cities looking to slow the rate of homelessness. Part of that has been the local governments’ investment into prevention on a wider scale. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jennifer Loving, who runs Destination: Home, said that prevention has been a success in many cities looking to slow the rate of homelessness. Part of that has been the local governments’ investment into prevention on a wider scale. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our partnership is deeply rooted with the city of San José and the county of Santa Clara, and they both contribute dollars to our system-wide prevention model. But it didn’t start out that way,” Loving said. “If we would have tried to sustain this with only private dollars, it wouldn’t be sustainable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Our partnership is deeply rooted with the city of San José and the county of Santa Clara, and they both contribute dollars to our system-wide prevention model. But it didn’t start out that way,” Loving said. “If we would have tried to sustain this with only private dollars, it wouldn’t be sustainable.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to prevention assistance, Santa Clara County has also been exploring guaranteed income pilots to help families longer-term. Loving said many families receiving the assistance ultimately need help digging out of poverty.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The underlying issue, Loving said, is that many working families simply can’t afford today’s housing market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Frankly the thing that’s the best for everybody is rent they can afford,” Loving said. “Affordable housing is always going to be the number one most important issue. But production, development and funding for deeply affordable housing dried up,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Frankly the thing that’s the best for everybody is rent they can afford,” Loving said. “Affordable housing is always going to be the number one most important issue. But production, development and funding for deeply affordable housing dried up,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In its most recent budget, San Francisco agreed to fund more than 700 additional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087973/with-family-homelessness-up-san-francisco-looks-to-extend-short-term-rental-subsidies\">short-term rental subsidies\u003c/a>, which typically cover families for between two and five years, plus 75 long-term subsidies after a push from housing advocates. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In its most recent budget, San Francisco agreed to fund more than 700 additional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087973/with-family-homelessness-up-san-francisco-looks-to-extend-short-term-rental-subsidies\">short-term rental subsidies\u003c/a>, which typically cover families for between two and five years, plus 75 long-term subsidies after a push from housing advocates. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People are realizing that philanthropy can only go so far. And this is the perfect use of philanthropy. You have flexible dollars to try something, understand what works and what doesn’t work. Then work with the government to scale what works,” Cobbs said. “Everything that we’ve done here has been hand in hand with San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Celis, the short-term rental relief was a lifeline, allowing her to avoid debt and keep the family’s housing situation steady.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But she said the city must do more to bring down the cost of housing for families like hers, who want to stay in a sanctuary city that’s close to their friends and doctors. Supporters of such assistance also point out that the approach helps preserve the diversity and breadth of the community, from gardeners to daycare employees and restaurant workers who don’t make sky-high tech salaries. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But she said the city must do more to bring down the cost of housing for families like hers, who want to stay in a sanctuary city that’s close to their friends and doctors. Supporters of such assistance also point out that the approach helps preserve the diversity and breadth of the community, from gardeners to daycare employees and restaurant workers who don’t make sky-high tech salaries. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Celis is hoping to one day secure a larger unit through the city’s housing lottery system. She’s waited years already.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a crisis out here,” Celis said. “The city really needs to hold their word to make it affordable, or we’re going to have more families leaving.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a crisis out here,” Celis said. “The city really needs to hold their word to make it affordable, or we’re going to have more families leaving.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Families say rental assistance is a crucial lifeline in an increasingly expensive city, but the need is growing. \n",
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"title": "A Simple Way to Prevent Homelessness Is Growing in San Francisco. Is It Sustainable? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Esmeralda Celis didn’t know how her family would survive last winter. Her husband, who worked multiple restaurant jobs, was suddenly forced to leave the country for several months due to his immigration status. She was left to care for their four children for months without income in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, one of the country’s most expensive places to live.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Once we hit January, I was scrambling to figure out how I’m going to pay for these bills, how I’m going to provide for my children, how I’m going to keep the roof over their head,” said Celis, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment near Civic Center. “It was extremely stressful. They saw mom in shambles.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Unsure of where to go, she told a counselor at her child’s school about their situation. They connected her with Compass Family Services, one of several nonprofits that recently received an injection of private philanthropic funding to help families on the brink of homelessness stay put. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The nonprofit stepped in to cover her $2,600 monthly rent from January through May, tiding them over until Celis’ husband came back and could return to work. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The instability of not having a home or roof would have been detrimental for my children,” said Celis, whose daughter has cystic fibrosis and requires breathing treatments and frequent medical visits. “This definitely helped with the stability and, more than anything, keeping my children’s peace.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Celis and her three children Pedro, 9, Josio, 3, and Aribelle, 11, pose for a photo at the Helen Diller Civic Center Playground in San Francisco on July 29, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Celis’ experience is growing increasingly common as the cost of living in San Francisco has skyrocketed, most recently driven by the artificial intelligence boom. The average cost of a two-bedroom apartment in the city is now $6,382, according to Zillow, up about $1,759 since last year. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083310/fewer-people-are-sleeping-on-san-francisco-streets-but-family-homelessness-is-up\">Families experiencing homelessness\u003c/a> increased by 15% since 2024, according to the latest point-in-time count of the city’s homelessness population. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/2026-point-in-time-count-preliminary-results\">actual number of people\u003c/a> in families experiencing homelessness increased by 34%, from 1,103 people in 2024 to 1,474 people in 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the city has a vast network of support services for people experiencing homelessness, it’s now increasingly looking at how to prevent people from losing housing by offering support before an eviction notice hits or families are forced to leave. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Tipping Point Community, a philanthropic organization started by Mayor Daniel Lurie before he entered office, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029619/luries-nonprofit-giving-san-francisco-11-million-prevent-family-homelessness\">donated $11 million last year\u003c/a> toward a yearlong pilot project targeting family homelessness with a focus on prevention. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nonprofits receiving the funding included Compass Family Services, Mission Economic Development Agency, APA Family Support Services, Mission Neighborhood Centers and Glide. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These groups have all worked in the community for several years, and are using the pilot program funds to help families cover a financial shock that might cause them to lose their home, whether that’s a pileup of medical bills or car maintenance so they can continue getting to work. The short-term relief has varied in amount and duration depending on a family’s situation, but has ranged from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly 900 families in San Francisco have been supported through the pilot program so far. The pilot has extended another six months to the end of 2026, after which there will be an external analysis on the outcomes of the effort, according to Tipping Point executive director Sam Cobbs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re serving people who wouldn’t have traditionally touched the family homelessness system until much later on,” Cobbs said. “These organizations that we work with are incredible and, as we anticipated, are the first line of defense for families when they’re facing eviction or run into trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The prevention-focused approach is gaining steam in communities around the country, largely fueled by private dollars and local government spending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There are no federal funding streams for this kind of homelessness prevention, and federal funding for affordable housing has declined in recent years as the cost of living has gone up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say it’s a more cost-effective approach to other downstream homelessness solutions like adding new permanent supportive housing, which can cost upward of $600,000 per unit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2024, Santa Clara County adopted a homelessness prevention system modeled by the San Jose-based nonprofit Destination: Home into its broader public safety net. It now provides around 2,500 households at risk of homelessness per year with prevention assistance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Studies on the effort have shown that the upstream support can dramatically slow the pace of families entering homelessness. In Santa Clara County, 93% of families who received services early remained housed. Less than 10% became homeless two years later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12082708\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2172244931-1536x1060.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference on housing and homelessness in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 19, 2024. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Overwhelmingly, people who receive that assistance are not showing up later in homeless shelters or street outreach programs, which suggests that the short-term assistance is really effective at helping folks maintain their housing or housing stability,” said Ryan Finnegan, deputy director of research for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco does have a rental assistance program, called ERAP, and the pilot is seeking to find ways to improve that system to better serve families facing homelessness. In addition to funding the nonprofits’ work, Tipping Point is helping the city build a database of its homelessness response systems to better coordinate resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as the approach gains traction across the increasingly expensive Bay Area, some limitations are emerging. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One issue is simply finding the families who might benefit the most from the assistance. Programs often target families based on information in social services databases, or find families through existing nonprofits and networks on the ground, like Celis’ school counselor. But making actual connections can be difficult. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They do have the challenge of reaching people effectively, because who really answers unknown phone calls from the county government, you know, and especially if it’s people who really are facing a lot of disruptions to their housing stability,” Finnegan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093703\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260729_SFFamiliesPilot_GC-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Esmeralda Celis hugs her daughter Josio, 3, at the Helen Diller Civic Center Playground in San Francisco on July 29, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then once short-term assistance dries up, Finnegan said, many families who are living on thin margins may still struggle to get by. In 2025, researchers at the Terner Center \u003ca href=\"https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/research-and-policy/navigating-the-post-subsidy-cliff-considerations-for-families-approaching-the-end-of-rapid-rehousing/\">found\u003c/a> that as rental assistance programs ended, some families doubled up with other relatives, moved or faced threats of eviction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The theory is that their incomes hopefully rise over time to meet the market rents, but in a place like the Bay Area where market rent is so high, that doesn’t really happen very often,” Finnegan said. “Maybe that one-time assistance helps them stay out of shelters for a year. And then in that second year, they’re back where they were.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jennifer Loving, who runs Destination: Home, said that prevention has been a success in many cities looking to slow the rate of homelessness. Part of that has been the local governments’ investment into prevention on a wider scale. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our partnership is deeply rooted with the city of San José and the county of Santa Clara, and they both contribute dollars to our system-wide prevention model. But it didn’t start out that way,” Loving said. “If we would have tried to sustain this with only private dollars, it wouldn’t be sustainable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to prevention assistance, Santa Clara County has also been exploring guaranteed income pilots to help families longer-term. Loving said many families receiving the assistance ultimately need help digging out of poverty.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The underlying issue, Loving said, is that many working families simply can’t afford today’s housing market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Frankly the thing that’s the best for everybody is rent they can afford,” Loving said. “Affordable housing is always going to be the number one most important issue. But production, development and funding for deeply affordable housing dried up,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its most recent budget, San Francisco agreed to fund more than 700 additional \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087973/with-family-homelessness-up-san-francisco-looks-to-extend-short-term-rental-subsidies\">short-term rental subsidies\u003c/a>, which typically cover families for between two and five years, plus 75 long-term subsidies after a push from housing advocates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People are realizing that philanthropy can only go so far. And this is the perfect use of philanthropy. You have flexible dollars to try something, understand what works and what doesn’t work. Then work with the government to scale what works,” Cobbs said. “Everything that we’ve done here has been hand in hand with San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Celis, the short-term rental relief was a lifeline, allowing her to avoid debt and keep the family’s housing situation steady.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But she said the city must do more to bring down the cost of housing for families like hers, who want to stay in a sanctuary city that’s close to their friends and doctors. Supporters of such assistance also point out that the approach helps preserve the diversity and breadth of the community, from gardeners to daycare employees and restaurant workers who don’t make sky-high tech salaries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Celis is hoping to one day secure a larger unit through the city’s housing lottery system. She’s waited years already.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a crisis out here,” Celis said. “The city really needs to hold their word to make it affordable, or we’re going to have more families leaving.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "alameda-county-approves-1-3-million-in-reparations-for-displaced-black-hayward-families",
"title": "Alameda County Approves $1.3 Million in Reparations for Displaced Black Hayward Families",
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"headTitle": "Alameda County Approves $1.3 Million in Reparations for Displaced Black Hayward Families | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Alameda County supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to begin sending \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/reparations\">cash payments\u003c/a> to the last surviving homeowners forced out of Russell City, the unincorporated community dismantled by the county and the city of Hayward six decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote approved a memorandum of understanding with Hayward that sets up shared governance of a $1.3 million \u003ca href=\"https://reparations.alamedacountyca.gov/reparations-for-wrongfully-evicted-russell-city-residents-nbc-bay-area/\">redress fund\u003c/a>, seeded by all five supervisors, the city and the Alameda County Office of Education, to make amends to residents who had property seized during the 1960s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisors also authorized the county to issue a first round of payments of up to $25,000 per household. Russell City \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11922175/remembering-russell-city-a-thriving-east-bay-town-razed-by-racist-government\">once stood on the Hayward shoreline\u003c/a>, south of the modern Hayward Regional Shoreline Park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the 1960s, county authorities declared Russell City blighted and used eminent domain to acquire close to 700 parcels, displacing roughly 1,400 residents and converting the land into an industrial park annexed by Hayward in 1964. Today, nothing of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12051329/displaced-russell-city-residents-set-to-receive-cash-reparations\">the historic Black and Latino community\u003c/a> survives, except the name of the Calpine Russell City Energy Center, a natural gas power plant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/12/IMG_2829-scaled-e1638419681640.jpg\" alt='A board reads, \"Russell City: The city may be gone, but the memories live on.\"' class=\"wp-image-11897865\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A board honoring the families that lived in Russell City is displayed during the annual Russell City reunion picnic at Kennedy Park in Hayward on Sept. 3, 2017. (Courtesy of Aisha Knowles)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Fifth Amendment allows the government to seize private property for public use and requires it to pay “just compensation” in return. Research by the city of Hayward found some Russell City homeowners received around $2,000 for their homes, and some as little as $250.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded in 1853, Russell City was named for a Gold Rush-era schoolteacher, Joel Russell. The neighborhood filled in as World War II drew workers to nearby factories. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At a time when racial covenants and redlining shut Black and Latino families out elsewhere, unincorporated Russell City became one of the few places in the East Bay where they could buy property and build. Families kept sheep, chickens, pigs and rabbits, and tended gardens big enough to feed neighbors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-megaphone wp-block-embed-megaphone\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4087576125&light=true\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Decades later, Hayward and Alameda County issued formal \u003ca href=\"https://www.hayward-ca.gov/discover/news/nov21/hayward-city-council-issues-formal-apology-citys-role-racial-discrimination-0\">apologies\u003c/a> to community members in 2021 and 2023, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez, who represents Hayward, Newark, Union City and parts of Fremont, and who supported the reparations plan, said the vote moves the county toward action.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No payment can fully repair the harm caused by the destruction of Russell City,” she said. “But these first redress payments represent an important step toward acknowledging that harm, honoring the resilience of former residents and advancing justice for their families.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Márquez’s voice broke as she explained why the first round goes only to the oldest survivors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When families come together, we don’t ask elders to get in line,” she said. “They are served first.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/Elisa-Marquez-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/Elisa-Marquez-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/Elisa-Marquez-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/Elisa-Marquez-Getty-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez speaks during a press conference in Hayward, California, on March 2, 2026. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/board/bos_calendar/documents/RussellCMOU\">The first phase\u003c/a> of reparations is deliberately narrow. To qualify, an applicant must have both lived in and personally owned a home in Russell City between Jan. 1, 1961, and Dec. 31, 1964, and had that property taken by eminent domain during those years. Money is allocated by household rather than by person, and split evenly among qualifying residents of the same home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Márquez said the county is “not anticipating a large number this first round” because applicants must still be living and must have owned their home. Once those payments go out, she said, the working group will release criteria for a second phase that includes descendants, though that will require another board vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several speakers pressed the board on how the money will be divided. Priscilla Figueroa, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hayward-ca.gov/your-government/staff/priscilla-figueroa\">Hayward resident\u003c/a> whose late husband’s family lived in Russell City, noted that $1.3 million divided by $25,000 covers only 52 households, and questioned how the county would determine who receives the full amount. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deborah Harris, who grew up in Russell City with her parents, asked how the county will handle households where the original landowner has died, adding that “probably all of the original landowners are deceased at this point.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hayward Councilmember \u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedacountyca.gov/board/bos_calendar/documents/DocsAgendaReg_08_04_26/GENERAL%20ADMINISTRATION/Set%20Matter%20Calendar/Supervisor%20M%c3%a1rquez_409832.pdf\">Angela Andrews\u003c/a>, who spoke at the meeting on Hayward’s behalf, said the city’s 2021 apology was not enough on its own. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“An apology is nothing without action,” she said. She urged philanthropic partners, the real estate industry and the business community to contribute to the fund, saying they benefited from the displacement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Nate Miley committed another $250,000, and Márquez said she would match it, which would bring the fund to $1.8 million. Both stressed the pledges are not binding yet and will have to return to the board, likely in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aisha Knowles, a Russell City descendant who chaired Hayward’s steering committee — and who produced a documentary on the community’s displacement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theapologyfilm.com/\">\u003cem>The Apology\u003c/em>\u003c/a> — asked the county to aim higher, arguing the fund should eventually match what Russell City land sold for. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She told supervisors her grandfather never recovered from the loss.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My grandfather did not live to be 50,” she said. “I am a year older than he was able to live and enjoy his life after Russell City.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She urged the board not to stop at phase one. “For those who are needing something to interrupt the trauma that they’ve held onto for the past 70 to 80 years, I encourage you to continue this work, and I thank you for staying in the fight.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The vote approved a memorandum of understanding with Hayward that sets up shared governance of a $1.3 million \u003ca href=\"https://reparations.alamedacountyca.gov/reparations-for-wrongfully-evicted-russell-city-residents-nbc-bay-area/\">redress fund\u003c/a>, seeded by all five supervisors, the city and the Alameda County Office of Education, to make amends to residents who had property seized during the 1960s. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supervisors also authorized the county to issue a first round of payments of up to $25,000 per household. Russell City \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11922175/remembering-russell-city-a-thriving-east-bay-town-razed-by-racist-government\">once stood on the Hayward shoreline\u003c/a>, south of the modern Hayward Regional Shoreline Park. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supervisors also authorized the county to issue a first round of payments of up to $25,000 per household. Russell City \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11922175/remembering-russell-city-a-thriving-east-bay-town-razed-by-racist-government\">once stood on the Hayward shoreline\u003c/a>, south of the modern Hayward Regional Shoreline Park. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the 1960s, county authorities declared Russell City blighted and used eminent domain to acquire close to 700 parcels, displacing roughly 1,400 residents and converting the land into an industrial park annexed by Hayward in 1964. Today, nothing of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12051329/displaced-russell-city-residents-set-to-receive-cash-reparations\">the historic Black and Latino community\u003c/a> survives, except the name of the Calpine Russell City Energy Center, a natural gas power plant.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the 1960s, county authorities declared Russell City blighted and used eminent domain to acquire close to 700 parcels, displacing roughly 1,400 residents and converting the land into an industrial park annexed by Hayward in 1964. Today, nothing of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12051329/displaced-russell-city-residents-set-to-receive-cash-reparations\">the historic Black and Latino community\u003c/a> survives, except the name of the Calpine Russell City Energy Center, a natural gas power plant.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Fifth Amendment allows the government to seize private property for public use and requires it to pay “just compensation” in return. Research by the city of Hayward found some Russell City homeowners received around $2,000 for their homes, and some as little as $250.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Fifth Amendment allows the government to seize private property for public use and requires it to pay “just compensation” in return. Research by the city of Hayward found some Russell City homeowners received around $2,000 for their homes, and some as little as $250.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Founded in 1853, Russell City was named for a Gold Rush-era schoolteacher, Joel Russell. The neighborhood filled in as World War II drew workers to nearby factories. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At a time when racial covenants and redlining shut Black and Latino families out elsewhere, unincorporated Russell City became one of the few places in the East Bay where they could buy property and build. Families kept sheep, chickens, pigs and rabbits, and tended gardens big enough to feed neighbors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At a time when racial covenants and redlining shut Black and Latino families out elsewhere, unincorporated Russell City became one of the few places in the East Bay where they could buy property and build. Families kept sheep, chickens, pigs and rabbits, and tended gardens big enough to feed neighbors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Decades later, Hayward and Alameda County issued formal \u003ca href=\"https://www.hayward-ca.gov/discover/news/nov21/hayward-city-council-issues-formal-apology-citys-role-racial-discrimination-0\">apologies\u003c/a> to community members in 2021 and 2023, respectively.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez, who represents Hayward, Newark, Union City and parts of Fremont, and who supported the reparations plan, said the vote moves the county toward action.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“No payment can fully repair the harm caused by the destruction of Russell City,” she said. “But these first redress payments represent an important step toward acknowledging that harm, honoring the resilience of former residents and advancing justice for their families.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“No payment can fully repair the harm caused by the destruction of Russell City,” she said. “But these first redress payments represent an important step toward acknowledging that harm, honoring the resilience of former residents and advancing justice for their families.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Márquez’s voice broke as she explained why the first round goes only to the oldest survivors. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When families come together, we don’t ask elders to get in line,” she said. “They are served first.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/board/bos_calendar/documents/RussellCMOU\">The first phase\u003c/a> of reparations is deliberately narrow. To qualify, an applicant must have both lived in and personally owned a home in Russell City between Jan. 1, 1961, and Dec. 31, 1964, and had that property taken by eminent domain during those years. Money is allocated by household rather than by person, and split evenly among qualifying residents of the same home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/board/bos_calendar/documents/RussellCMOU\">The first phase\u003c/a> of reparations is deliberately narrow. To qualify, an applicant must have both lived in and personally owned a home in Russell City between Jan. 1, 1961, and Dec. 31, 1964, and had that property taken by eminent domain during those years. Money is allocated by household rather than by person, and split evenly among qualifying residents of the same home. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Márquez said the county is “not anticipating a large number this first round” because applicants must still be living and must have owned their home. Once those payments go out, she said, the working group will release criteria for a second phase that includes descendants, though that will require another board vote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Márquez said the county is “not anticipating a large number this first round” because applicants must still be living and must have owned their home. Once those payments go out, she said, the working group will release criteria for a second phase that includes descendants, though that will require another board vote.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Several speakers pressed the board on how the money will be divided. Priscilla Figueroa, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hayward-ca.gov/your-government/staff/priscilla-figueroa\">Hayward resident\u003c/a> whose late husband’s family lived in Russell City, noted that $1.3 million divided by $25,000 covers only 52 households, and questioned how the county would determine who receives the full amount. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Several speakers pressed the board on how the money will be divided. Priscilla Figueroa, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hayward-ca.gov/your-government/staff/priscilla-figueroa\">Hayward resident\u003c/a> whose late husband’s family lived in Russell City, noted that $1.3 million divided by $25,000 covers only 52 households, and questioned how the county would determine who receives the full amount. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Deborah Harris, who grew up in Russell City with her parents, asked how the county will handle households where the original landowner has died, adding that “probably all of the original landowners are deceased at this point.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Deborah Harris, who grew up in Russell City with her parents, asked how the county will handle households where the original landowner has died, adding that “probably all of the original landowners are deceased at this point.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hayward Councilmember \u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedacountyca.gov/board/bos_calendar/documents/DocsAgendaReg_08_04_26/GENERAL%20ADMINISTRATION/Set%20Matter%20Calendar/Supervisor%20M%c3%a1rquez_409832.pdf\">Angela Andrews\u003c/a>, who spoke at the meeting on Hayward’s behalf, said the city’s 2021 apology was not enough on its own. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“An apology is nothing without action,” she said. She urged philanthropic partners, the real estate industry and the business community to contribute to the fund, saying they benefited from the displacement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supervisor Nate Miley committed another $250,000, and Márquez said she would match it, which would bring the fund to $1.8 million. Both stressed the pledges are not binding yet and will have to return to the board, likely in the fall.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aisha Knowles, a Russell City descendant who chaired Hayward’s steering committee — and who produced a documentary on the community’s displacement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theapologyfilm.com/\">\u003cem>The Apology\u003c/em>\u003c/a> — asked the county to aim higher, arguing the fund should eventually match what Russell City land sold for. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aisha Knowles, a Russell City descendant who chaired Hayward’s steering committee — and who produced a documentary on the community’s displacement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theapologyfilm.com/\">\u003cem>The Apology\u003c/em>\u003c/a> — asked the county to aim higher, arguing the fund should eventually match what Russell City land sold for. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She told supervisors her grandfather never recovered from the loss.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My grandfather did not live to be 50,” she said. “I am a year older than he was able to live and enjoy his life after Russell City.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She urged the board not to stop at phase one. “For those who are needing something to interrupt the trauma that they’ve held onto for the past 70 to 80 years, I encourage you to continue this work, and I thank you for staying in the fight.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She urged the board not to stop at phase one. “For those who are needing something to interrupt the trauma that they’ve held onto for the past 70 to 80 years, I encourage you to continue this work, and I thank you for staying in the fight.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Surviving homeowners of the East Bay neighborhood, whose property the county seized by eminent domain in the early 1960s, can receive up to $25,000 per household.\n",
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"title": "Alameda County Approves $1.3 Million in Reparations for Displaced Black Hayward Families | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Alameda County supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to begin sending \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/reparations\">cash payments\u003c/a> to the last surviving homeowners forced out of Russell City, the unincorporated community dismantled by the county and the city of Hayward six decades ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote approved a memorandum of understanding with Hayward that sets up shared governance of a $1.3 million \u003ca href=\"https://reparations.alamedacountyca.gov/reparations-for-wrongfully-evicted-russell-city-residents-nbc-bay-area/\">redress fund\u003c/a>, seeded by all five supervisors, the city and the Alameda County Office of Education, to make amends to residents who had property seized during the 1960s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisors also authorized the county to issue a first round of payments of up to $25,000 per household. Russell City \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11922175/remembering-russell-city-a-thriving-east-bay-town-razed-by-racist-government\">once stood on the Hayward shoreline\u003c/a>, south of the modern Hayward Regional Shoreline Park. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the 1960s, county authorities declared Russell City blighted and used eminent domain to acquire close to 700 parcels, displacing roughly 1,400 residents and converting the land into an industrial park annexed by Hayward in 1964. Today, nothing of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12051329/displaced-russell-city-residents-set-to-receive-cash-reparations\">the historic Black and Latino community\u003c/a> survives, except the name of the Calpine Russell City Energy Center, a natural gas power plant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/12/IMG_2829-scaled-e1638419681640.jpg\" alt='A board reads, \"Russell City: The city may be gone, but the memories live on.\"' class=\"wp-image-11897865\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A board honoring the families that lived in Russell City is displayed during the annual Russell City reunion picnic at Kennedy Park in Hayward on Sept. 3, 2017. (Courtesy of Aisha Knowles)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Fifth Amendment allows the government to seize private property for public use and requires it to pay “just compensation” in return. Research by the city of Hayward found some Russell City homeowners received around $2,000 for their homes, and some as little as $250.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded in 1853, Russell City was named for a Gold Rush-era schoolteacher, Joel Russell. The neighborhood filled in as World War II drew workers to nearby factories. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At a time when racial covenants and redlining shut Black and Latino families out elsewhere, unincorporated Russell City became one of the few places in the East Bay where they could buy property and build. Families kept sheep, chickens, pigs and rabbits, and tended gardens big enough to feed neighbors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-megaphone wp-block-embed-megaphone\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4087576125&light=true\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Decades later, Hayward and Alameda County issued formal \u003ca href=\"https://www.hayward-ca.gov/discover/news/nov21/hayward-city-council-issues-formal-apology-citys-role-racial-discrimination-0\">apologies\u003c/a> to community members in 2021 and 2023, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez, who represents Hayward, Newark, Union City and parts of Fremont, and who supported the reparations plan, said the vote moves the county toward action.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No payment can fully repair the harm caused by the destruction of Russell City,” she said. “But these first redress payments represent an important step toward acknowledging that harm, honoring the resilience of former residents and advancing justice for their families.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Márquez’s voice broke as she explained why the first round goes only to the oldest survivors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When families come together, we don’t ask elders to get in line,” she said. “They are served first.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/Elisa-Marquez-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/Elisa-Marquez-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/Elisa-Marquez-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/Elisa-Marquez-Getty-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Márquez speaks during a press conference in Hayward, California, on March 2, 2026. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/board/bos_calendar/documents/RussellCMOU\">The first phase\u003c/a> of reparations is deliberately narrow. To qualify, an applicant must have both lived in and personally owned a home in Russell City between Jan. 1, 1961, and Dec. 31, 1964, and had that property taken by eminent domain during those years. Money is allocated by household rather than by person, and split evenly among qualifying residents of the same home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Márquez said the county is “not anticipating a large number this first round” because applicants must still be living and must have owned their home. Once those payments go out, she said, the working group will release criteria for a second phase that includes descendants, though that will require another board vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several speakers pressed the board on how the money will be divided. Priscilla Figueroa, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hayward-ca.gov/your-government/staff/priscilla-figueroa\">Hayward resident\u003c/a> whose late husband’s family lived in Russell City, noted that $1.3 million divided by $25,000 covers only 52 households, and questioned how the county would determine who receives the full amount. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Deborah Harris, who grew up in Russell City with her parents, asked how the county will handle households where the original landowner has died, adding that “probably all of the original landowners are deceased at this point.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hayward Councilmember \u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedacountyca.gov/board/bos_calendar/documents/DocsAgendaReg_08_04_26/GENERAL%20ADMINISTRATION/Set%20Matter%20Calendar/Supervisor%20M%c3%a1rquez_409832.pdf\">Angela Andrews\u003c/a>, who spoke at the meeting on Hayward’s behalf, said the city’s 2021 apology was not enough on its own. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“An apology is nothing without action,” she said. She urged philanthropic partners, the real estate industry and the business community to contribute to the fund, saying they benefited from the displacement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Nate Miley committed another $250,000, and Márquez said she would match it, which would bring the fund to $1.8 million. Both stressed the pledges are not binding yet and will have to return to the board, likely in the fall.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aisha Knowles, a Russell City descendant who chaired Hayward’s steering committee — and who produced a documentary on the community’s displacement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.theapologyfilm.com/\">\u003cem>The Apology\u003c/em>\u003c/a> — asked the county to aim higher, arguing the fund should eventually match what Russell City land sold for. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She told supervisors her grandfather never recovered from the loss.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My grandfather did not live to be 50,” she said. “I am a year older than he was able to live and enjoy his life after Russell City.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She urged the board not to stop at phase one. “For those who are needing something to interrupt the trauma that they’ve held onto for the past 70 to 80 years, I encourage you to continue this work, and I thank you for staying in the fight.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "A Community for Formerly Incarcerated San Franciscans Looks to Homeownership",
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"headTitle": "A Community for Formerly Incarcerated San Franciscans Looks to Homeownership | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Buying a house amid San Francisco’s spiraling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">affordability crisis\u003c/a> can be daunting in even the most traditional of circumstances. But a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11867110/for-some-parolees-facing-homelessness-communal-houses-fill-the-gap\">group of formerly incarcerated residents\u003c/a> living in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood is taking on the challenge by trying to buy their beloved Victorian rental, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/template.house/\">Template House\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their vision is to transition the property to a local land trust, ensuring the unique house can exist in perpetuity and offer a shot at communal living for people with experience in the criminal justice system. But as home prices across the city continue to rise because of the artificial intelligence boom, the deadline for the group to raise the money it needs to complete the deal is looming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The thing that I really want to do is to take this building off the speculative market. I want this house to be returned to this use case, and a land trust locks it in, in a way that’s really powerful,” said Zarinah Agnew, 44, who runs The Second Life Project, part of the nonprofit District Commons, which is helping steward the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>District Commons runs several communal homes in San Francisco. Template House was formed in 2019 with the specific goal of offering communal living for people exiting prison. The owners, local couple Jessy Kate and Robbie Schingler, supported the vision behind the abolitionist cooperative and agreed to give residents seven years to buy the four-bedroom house and its shady backyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those seven years are now almost up. The five residents are furiously fundraising $1.4 million to purchase the $2 million house. They have secured roughly $63,000 so far through donations, largely from individuals, plus $100,000 in a low-interest loan, with the help of the consulting firm Land and Power, which has helped tenants purchase their buildings in California and New York.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zarinah Agnew sits inside Template House in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Their deadline to close on the house is at the end of this year. While the owners support the vision and have kept the price stable to support the sale even as the housing market explodes, they plan to put it on the market if the current residents can’t meet their goal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For most, if not all, residents, that would mean moving out of the communal house and likely out of the city to find equivalent rents. Resident Eldridge Cruse, 56, said he pays $1,450 per month for his bed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates of the model say the need is more pressing than ever. In addition to the AI boom pushing rents to nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.zillow.com/rental-manager/market-trends/san-francisco-ca/?bedrooms=1\">$4,000 for a one-bedroom\u003c/a>, a shift toward tougher-on-crime policing and prosecution both locally and nationally is occurring, which can leave people who have been arrested or incarcerated facing more barriers to accessing stable housing.[aside postID=news_12087973 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260127-SUPERBOWLHOMELESSNESS-13-BL-KQED.jpg']In San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/arrests-drug-seizures-and-federal-drug-trafficking-charges-surge-san-francisco-through\">arrests have surged in recent years\u003c/a> even as crime rates overall have \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/PoliceCommission7826_-__Crime_Trends_Notes.pdf\">decreased\u003c/a>. Public safety dominated political discussions and campaigns coming out of the pandemic, and the city has moved to put programs like a \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/06/08/nonprofit-keeps-95-clients-jail-court-sf-courts-want-kill/\">pretrial diversion program\u003c/a> on the chopping block. That has the potential to increase the jail population and create an even larger number of people with barriers to securing leases and closing housing deals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Template House is currently a permanent home for five residents. But the house often keeps a bed or two open for people in an emergency who are looking for a place to sleep while figuring out their next steps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had two young guys come in from ICE detention who just needed a place to be. If they didn’t have an address, they were going to remain incarcerated,” said Agnew, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “It’s a way of being able to offer solidarity and pay it forward, so it’s nice to have a couple of empty beds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Cruse, one of the original full-time tenants at Template House, the space has been an unexpectedly critical part of his journey reacclimating back into everyday society.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cruse arrived at Template House after spending 29 years in prison for being involved in a murder. Released without parole after his case was overturned in 2019, he didn’t qualify for transitional housing or other step-down programs. He connected with Agnew after a series of phone calls with lawyers and friends, and she offered him a place to crash at one of the other communal homes part of District Commons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he arrived, he immediately recognized some of the men he knew in prison sitting around a common area, and said he felt waves of relief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eldridge Cruse carries a pot of soup to the backyard for a dinner party at Template House in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to keep alive is that spirit of coming home to someplace that brings comfort instead of anxiety. And my success since I’ve been here has been attributed to me having such a soft landing,” said Cruse, who now is an assistant director at a homeless shelter in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after Cruse arrived in 2019, District Commons proceeded to add another house to their community of cooperatives at the Haight-Ashbury building that’s now Template House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group landed on a strategy to work with Agnew’s nonprofit to purchase the house. Part of the thinking was that some people exiting incarceration might not have ample savings to put into buying a house and fundraising with the nonprofit could allow them to personally save in the meantime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also more straightforward to fundraise for a nonprofit than for individuals. And, residents can learn about the process of homeownership and the financial steps to get there, while avoiding some of the financial pressure to manage the dynamics of San Francisco’s unforgiving housing market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087369\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087369\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-14-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-14-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-14-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-14-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents and friends gather for a backyard dinner party at Template House in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I can deal with the social aspect of this, but the management aspect, I leave it to the professionals,” Cruse said. “Who knows? Maybe one day I will be able to do it. But as of this time, it is very important for those who do know how to do this correctly that they do take the lead in it. And one day, then we’re able to take on those responsibilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not everyone in the house has lived experience in prison, and integrating different life and financial backgrounds is part of the group’s theory of success, as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is always some difficulty that can come with living in co-ops. It’s never quite as rosy as some might try to portray,” said Jeremy Mack, who lived at the house for around two years during graduate school and does not have direct personal experience with the justice system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But ultimately, spaces like Template are filling such an important gap that exists in the city and in the Bay Area at large, and are really a beautiful oasis in a landscape right now that is increasingly carceral, that is increasingly difficult to navigate, and expensive for people who are coming out of incarceration,” Mack said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087368\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087368\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents and friends gather for a backyard dinner party at Template House in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Template housemates say their long-term vision is a model of “mutually stewarded autonomy,” where they learn to run and manage the house together and ultimately take it off the market long-term by transferring it to a land trust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Community Land Trust is a sort of legal structure that can outlive your lifetime,” Agnew said. “We talked about whether people wanted to do a shared ownership model, but everybody said that that was too stressful and would be a lot of admin… People really wanted to focus on the family and home dynamic more than the operations and logistics.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cruse said he already knows there’s demand, based on conversations he has with other formerly incarcerated people he knows and meets, whether that’s at backyard barbecues he co-hosts or just through community networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, residents and their allies are hurrying to recruit potential donors and lenders in the next six months to make the model feasible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Template is our step forward to see if we can create this cooperative, self-managing ownership structure as an alternative to halfway houses at scale,” he said. “This is just the beginning of something that is needed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "A Community for Formerly Incarcerated San Franciscans Looks to Homeownership | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Buying a house amid San Francisco’s spiraling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">affordability crisis\u003c/a> can be daunting in even the most traditional of circumstances. But a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11867110/for-some-parolees-facing-homelessness-communal-houses-fill-the-gap\">group of formerly incarcerated residents\u003c/a> living in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood is taking on the challenge by trying to buy their beloved Victorian rental, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/template.house/\">Template House\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their vision is to transition the property to a local land trust, ensuring the unique house can exist in perpetuity and offer a shot at communal living for people with experience in the criminal justice system. But as home prices across the city continue to rise because of the artificial intelligence boom, the deadline for the group to raise the money it needs to complete the deal is looming.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The thing that I really want to do is to take this building off the speculative market. I want this house to be returned to this use case, and a land trust locks it in, in a way that’s really powerful,” said Zarinah Agnew, 44, who runs The Second Life Project, part of the nonprofit District Commons, which is helping steward the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>District Commons runs several communal homes in San Francisco. Template House was formed in 2019 with the specific goal of offering communal living for people exiting prison. The owners, local couple Jessy Kate and Robbie Schingler, supported the vision behind the abolitionist cooperative and agreed to give residents seven years to buy the four-bedroom house and its shady backyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those seven years are now almost up. The five residents are furiously fundraising $1.4 million to purchase the $2 million house. They have secured roughly $63,000 so far through donations, largely from individuals, plus $100,000 in a low-interest loan, with the help of the consulting firm Land and Power, which has helped tenants purchase their buildings in California and New York.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zarinah Agnew sits inside Template House in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Their deadline to close on the house is at the end of this year. While the owners support the vision and have kept the price stable to support the sale even as the housing market explodes, they plan to put it on the market if the current residents can’t meet their goal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For most, if not all, residents, that would mean moving out of the communal house and likely out of the city to find equivalent rents. Resident Eldridge Cruse, 56, said he pays $1,450 per month for his bed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates of the model say the need is more pressing than ever. In addition to the AI boom pushing rents to nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.zillow.com/rental-manager/market-trends/san-francisco-ca/?bedrooms=1\">$4,000 for a one-bedroom\u003c/a>, a shift toward tougher-on-crime policing and prosecution both locally and nationally is occurring, which can leave people who have been arrested or incarcerated facing more barriers to accessing stable housing.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In San Francisco, \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/arrests-drug-seizures-and-federal-drug-trafficking-charges-surge-san-francisco-through\">arrests have surged in recent years\u003c/a> even as crime rates overall have \u003ca href=\"https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/PoliceCommission7826_-__Crime_Trends_Notes.pdf\">decreased\u003c/a>. Public safety dominated political discussions and campaigns coming out of the pandemic, and the city has moved to put programs like a \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2026/06/08/nonprofit-keeps-95-clients-jail-court-sf-courts-want-kill/\">pretrial diversion program\u003c/a> on the chopping block. That has the potential to increase the jail population and create an even larger number of people with barriers to securing leases and closing housing deals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Template House is currently a permanent home for five residents. But the house often keeps a bed or two open for people in an emergency who are looking for a place to sleep while figuring out their next steps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We had two young guys come in from ICE detention who just needed a place to be. If they didn’t have an address, they were going to remain incarcerated,” said Agnew, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “It’s a way of being able to offer solidarity and pay it forward, so it’s nice to have a couple of empty beds.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Cruse, one of the original full-time tenants at Template House, the space has been an unexpectedly critical part of his journey reacclimating back into everyday society.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cruse arrived at Template House after spending 29 years in prison for being involved in a murder. Released without parole after his case was overturned in 2019, he didn’t qualify for transitional housing or other step-down programs. He connected with Agnew after a series of phone calls with lawyers and friends, and she offered him a place to crash at one of the other communal homes part of District Commons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When he arrived, he immediately recognized some of the men he knew in prison sitting around a common area, and said he felt waves of relief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eldridge Cruse carries a pot of soup to the backyard for a dinner party at Template House in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“What we’re trying to keep alive is that spirit of coming home to someplace that brings comfort instead of anxiety. And my success since I’ve been here has been attributed to me having such a soft landing,” said Cruse, who now is an assistant director at a homeless shelter in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after Cruse arrived in 2019, District Commons proceeded to add another house to their community of cooperatives at the Haight-Ashbury building that’s now Template House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The group landed on a strategy to work with Agnew’s nonprofit to purchase the house. Part of the thinking was that some people exiting incarceration might not have ample savings to put into buying a house and fundraising with the nonprofit could allow them to personally save in the meantime.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also more straightforward to fundraise for a nonprofit than for individuals. And, residents can learn about the process of homeownership and the financial steps to get there, while avoiding some of the financial pressure to manage the dynamics of San Francisco’s unforgiving housing market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087369\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087369\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-14-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-14-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-14-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-14-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents and friends gather for a backyard dinner party at Template House in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I can deal with the social aspect of this, but the management aspect, I leave it to the professionals,” Cruse said. “Who knows? Maybe one day I will be able to do it. But as of this time, it is very important for those who do know how to do this correctly that they do take the lead in it. And one day, then we’re able to take on those responsibilities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not everyone in the house has lived experience in prison, and integrating different life and financial backgrounds is part of the group’s theory of success, as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is always some difficulty that can come with living in co-ops. It’s never quite as rosy as some might try to portray,” said Jeremy Mack, who lived at the house for around two years during graduate school and does not have direct personal experience with the justice system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But ultimately, spaces like Template are filling such an important gap that exists in the city and in the Bay Area at large, and are really a beautiful oasis in a landscape right now that is increasingly carceral, that is increasingly difficult to navigate, and expensive for people who are coming out of incarceration,” Mack said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087368\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087368\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260611-TEMPLATEHOUSE-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents and friends gather for a backyard dinner party at Template House in San Francisco on June 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Template housemates say their long-term vision is a model of “mutually stewarded autonomy,” where they learn to run and manage the house together and ultimately take it off the market long-term by transferring it to a land trust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Community Land Trust is a sort of legal structure that can outlive your lifetime,” Agnew said. “We talked about whether people wanted to do a shared ownership model, but everybody said that that was too stressful and would be a lot of admin… People really wanted to focus on the family and home dynamic more than the operations and logistics.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cruse said he already knows there’s demand, based on conversations he has with other formerly incarcerated people he knows and meets, whether that’s at backyard barbecues he co-hosts or just through community networks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, residents and their allies are hurrying to recruit potential donors and lenders in the next six months to make the model feasible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Template is our step forward to see if we can create this cooperative, self-managing ownership structure as an alternative to halfway houses at scale,” he said. “This is just the beginning of something that is needed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Could Smart Homes Make Electrification More Affordable for Californians?",
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"headTitle": "Could Smart Homes Make Electrification More Affordable for Californians? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tucked away in the East Bay foothills, a sleek white room houses the appliances of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">future\u003c/a> — an induction stove, a battery-powered HVAC system, a fridge with a thin black box resting on top. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though these devices may seem average, behind the scenes, the machines are sharing more than wires — including information about how much energy they’re using, whether or not the refrigerator door is open and increasingly, how to help balance the power grid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Utilities and technology companies say this kind of “smart home” could make the transition to an all-electric future cheaper, more reliable and more resilient during power outages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As part of the state’s ambitious climate agenda, California wants millions of residents to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">electrify\u003c/a> their homes and shift away from gas-powered vehicles. But every new electric appliance increases \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/9328?fid=9328\">demand\u003c/a> on a grid already under pressure from increased use, expanding data centers and more frequent extreme weather. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12093339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A wall of demonstration EV Chargers and smart electrical panels made by Tesla, GM and Span are on display at PG&E’s PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12093337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The interior of the PG&E PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Building enough infrastructure to meet that demand is expensive, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">costs often falling on consumers\u003c/a>. Instead of making costly grid upgrades, utilities are increasingly searching for ways to use the existing grid more efficiently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the PG&E Applied Technology Services Center, an all-electric home in San Ramon, the utility works with private companies to show how advanced energy management technologies can work together to make electrification easier and more affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“PG&E doesn’t make money off of energy; they make money off of stuff,” said Robert Stafford, a researcher at the World Resources Institute working on transportation electrification and grid resiliency. “Once all of those chargers and transformers and wires are out in the world, it is in everyone’s best interest to use them as efficiently as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the grid is built to meet the highest periods of electricity demand, most of the time, we actually only use 40% or 50% of its capacity, said Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesperson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The utility already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/time-of-use-rate-plans.html\">“time-of-use”\u003c/a> plans to encourage customers to run appliances overnight or during off-peak hours. Smart devices would automate, or run this process quietly in the background, according to Doherty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rather than physically turning off lights or turning down thermostats, customers would be able to set their energy preferences and the system would take care of the rest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If they’re running their air conditioning and their dishwasher, lights are on, TV’s on, dishwasher, the laundry is running — that EV charger may say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot going on within the home, we got to keep that down within capacity,” Doherty said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another example: the thin black box on top of the fridge in PG&E’s smart home. The device is a Pila battery, which can power most household appliances.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pila CEO Cole Ashman describes the tool as a way for both renters and homeowners to access “seamless” backup power during outages and to shift their power consumption to cheaper times of day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paul Doherty, Manager of Clean Energy & Innovation Communications at PG&E, opens the Span smart electrical panel that operates the PowerHouse at PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“All of these batteries kind of have a turbocharged brain inside of them,” Ashman said. “It’s going to work for you in the background, store energy when it’s cheap, charge up at night, and then, when power prices get expensive in the late afternoon, it seamlessly switches to start to run your refrigerator, your window AC, whatever is connected.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some customers may be put off, however, or concerned by the potential privacy or cybersecurity risks posed by these technologies. International researchers, in collaboration with NYU, \u003ca href=\"https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/new-research-reveals-alarming-privacy-and-security-threats-smart-homes\">found\u003c/a> that potential threats include the exposure of unique device names and even household geolocation data, all of which can be harvested by external companies without user awareness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093341\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>With his company’s own technology, Ashman emphasized that consumers own all their own data and that the batteries are “local first,” which means they can opt in to wifi connection or cloud data sharing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our phones are getting smarter, our computers are getting smarter, and the appliances in our home are also getting smarter,” Ashman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While that might sound scary to some folks … that can be really exciting if done well,” Ashman continued. “These things are going to be able to take care of you even when the data center goes down, or Google goes down or the power goes out.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the PG&E Applied Technology Services Center, an all-electric home in San Ramon, the utility works with private companies to show how advanced energy management technologies can work together to make electrification easier and more affordable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At the PG&E Applied Technology Services Center, an all-electric home in San Ramon, the utility works with private companies to show how advanced energy management technologies can work together to make electrification easier and more affordable. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“PG&E doesn’t make money off of energy; they make money off of stuff,” said Robert Stafford, a researcher at the World Resources Institute working on transportation electrification and grid resiliency. “Once all of those chargers and transformers and wires are out in the world, it is in everyone’s best interest to use them as efficiently as possible.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because the grid is built to meet the highest periods of electricity demand, most of the time, we actually only use 40% or 50% of its capacity, said Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesperson. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Because the grid is built to meet the highest periods of electricity demand, most of the time, we actually only use 40% or 50% of its capacity, said Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesperson. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The utility already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/time-of-use-rate-plans.html\">“time-of-use”\u003c/a> plans to encourage customers to run appliances overnight or during off-peak hours. Smart devices would automate, or run this process quietly in the background, according to Doherty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The utility already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/time-of-use-rate-plans.html\">“time-of-use”\u003c/a> plans to encourage customers to run appliances overnight or during off-peak hours. Smart devices would automate, or run this process quietly in the background, according to Doherty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rather than physically turning off lights or turning down thermostats, customers would be able to set their energy preferences and the system would take care of the rest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rather than physically turning off lights or turning down thermostats, customers would be able to set their energy preferences and the system would take care of the rest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If they’re running their air conditioning and their dishwasher, lights are on, TV’s on, dishwasher, the laundry is running — that EV charger may say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot going on within the home, we got to keep that down within capacity,” Doherty said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If they’re running their air conditioning and their dishwasher, lights are on, TV’s on, dishwasher, the laundry is running — that EV charger may say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot going on within the home, we got to keep that down within capacity,” Doherty said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another example: the thin black box on top of the fridge in PG&E’s smart home. The device is a Pila battery, which can power most household appliances.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another example: the thin black box on top of the fridge in PG&E’s smart home. The device is a Pila battery, which can power most household appliances.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Pila CEO Cole Ashman describes the tool as a way for both renters and homeowners to access “seamless” backup power during outages and to shift their power consumption to cheaper times of day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pila CEO Cole Ashman describes the tool as a way for both renters and homeowners to access “seamless” backup power during outages and to shift their power consumption to cheaper times of day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paul Doherty, Manager of Clean Energy & Innovation Communications at PG&E, opens the Span smart electrical panel that operates the PowerHouse at PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“All of these batteries kind of have a turbocharged brain inside of them,” Ashman said. “It’s going to work for you in the background, store energy when it’s cheap, charge up at night, and then, when power prices get expensive in the late afternoon, it seamlessly switches to start to run your refrigerator, your window AC, whatever is connected.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some customers may be put off, however, or concerned by the potential privacy or cybersecurity risks posed by these technologies. International researchers, in collaboration with NYU, \u003ca href=\"https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/new-research-reveals-alarming-privacy-and-security-threats-smart-homes\">found\u003c/a> that potential threats include the exposure of unique device names and even household geolocation data, all of which can be harvested by external companies without user awareness. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some customers may be put off, however, or concerned by the potential privacy or cybersecurity risks posed by these technologies. International researchers, in collaboration with NYU, \u003ca href=\"https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/new-research-reveals-alarming-privacy-and-security-threats-smart-homes\">found\u003c/a> that potential threats include the exposure of unique device names and even household geolocation data, all of which can be harvested by external companies without user awareness. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With his company’s own technology, Ashman emphasized that consumers own all their own data and that the batteries are “local first,” which means they can opt in to wifi connection or cloud data sharing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our phones are getting smarter, our computers are getting smarter, and the appliances in our home are also getting smarter,” Ashman said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“While that might sound scary to some folks … that can be really exciting if done well,” Ashman continued. “These things are going to be able to take care of you even when the data center goes down, or Google goes down or the power goes out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The state's largest utility is testing new technology to lower energy bills and improve reliability.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tucked away in the East Bay foothills, a sleek white room houses the appliances of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">future\u003c/a> — an induction stove, a battery-powered HVAC system, a fridge with a thin black box resting on top. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Though these devices may seem average, behind the scenes, the machines are sharing more than wires — including information about how much energy they’re using, whether or not the refrigerator door is open and increasingly, how to help balance the power grid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Utilities and technology companies say this kind of “smart home” could make the transition to an all-electric future cheaper, more reliable and more resilient during power outages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As part of the state’s ambitious climate agenda, California wants millions of residents to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">electrify\u003c/a> their homes and shift away from gas-powered vehicles. But every new electric appliance increases \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/filebrowser/download/9328?fid=9328\">demand\u003c/a> on a grid already under pressure from increased use, expanding data centers and more frequent extreme weather. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12093339\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A wall of demonstration EV Chargers and smart electrical panels made by Tesla, GM and Span are on display at PG&E’s PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"12093337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The interior of the PG&E PowerHouse in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Building enough infrastructure to meet that demand is expensive, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081882/san-francisco-has-been-trying-to-leave-pge-for-100-years-will-this-time-be-different\">costs often falling on consumers\u003c/a>. Instead of making costly grid upgrades, utilities are increasingly searching for ways to use the existing grid more efficiently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the PG&E Applied Technology Services Center, an all-electric home in San Ramon, the utility works with private companies to show how advanced energy management technologies can work together to make electrification easier and more affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“PG&E doesn’t make money off of energy; they make money off of stuff,” said Robert Stafford, a researcher at the World Resources Institute working on transportation electrification and grid resiliency. “Once all of those chargers and transformers and wires are out in the world, it is in everyone’s best interest to use them as efficiently as possible.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the grid is built to meet the highest periods of electricity demand, most of the time, we actually only use 40% or 50% of its capacity, said Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesperson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The utility already offers \u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en/account/rate-plans/time-of-use-rate-plans.html\">“time-of-use”\u003c/a> plans to encourage customers to run appliances overnight or during off-peak hours. Smart devices would automate, or run this process quietly in the background, according to Doherty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rather than physically turning off lights or turning down thermostats, customers would be able to set their energy preferences and the system would take care of the rest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If they’re running their air conditioning and their dishwasher, lights are on, TV’s on, dishwasher, the laundry is running — that EV charger may say, ‘Hey, there’s a lot going on within the home, we got to keep that down within capacity,” Doherty said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another example: the thin black box on top of the fridge in PG&E’s smart home. The device is a Pila battery, which can power most household appliances.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Pila CEO Cole Ashman describes the tool as a way for both renters and homeowners to access “seamless” backup power during outages and to shift their power consumption to cheaper times of day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paul Doherty, Manager of Clean Energy & Innovation Communications at PG&E, opens the Span smart electrical panel that operates the PowerHouse at PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“All of these batteries kind of have a turbocharged brain inside of them,” Ashman said. “It’s going to work for you in the background, store energy when it’s cheap, charge up at night, and then, when power prices get expensive in the late afternoon, it seamlessly switches to start to run your refrigerator, your window AC, whatever is connected.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some customers may be put off, however, or concerned by the potential privacy or cybersecurity risks posed by these technologies. International researchers, in collaboration with NYU, \u003ca href=\"https://engineering.nyu.edu/news/new-research-reveals-alarming-privacy-and-security-threats-smart-homes\">found\u003c/a> that potential threats include the exposure of unique device names and even household geolocation data, all of which can be harvested by external companies without user awareness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093341\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260729-POWER-HOUSE-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">PG&E’s Applied Technology Services Center in San Ramon on July 30, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>With his company’s own technology, Ashman emphasized that consumers own all their own data and that the batteries are “local first,” which means they can opt in to wifi connection or cloud data sharing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our phones are getting smarter, our computers are getting smarter, and the appliances in our home are also getting smarter,” Ashman said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While that might sound scary to some folks … that can be really exciting if done well,” Ashman continued. “These things are going to be able to take care of you even when the data center goes down, or Google goes down or the power goes out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-francisco-opens-affordable-housing-at-site-of-former-haight-street-mcdonalds",
"title": "San Francisco Opens Affordable Housing at Site of Former Haight Street McDonald’s",
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"headTitle": "San Francisco Opens Affordable Housing at Site of Former Haight Street McDonald’s | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>For Mona Hamilton, the opening of the affordable housing development at the edge of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood was a full-circle moment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She used to sleep there, back when it was a McDonald’s. Now, it’s her new home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>‘It took a long time for me to get to a place like this,” she said Tuesday, speaking outside of the building. “Thirty years ago, I was out on the streets using, abusing myself, bouncing in and out of different hotels, trying to survive.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hamilton said she was surprised when she learned she won the lottery to live there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve been struggling all my life to find me a permanent home. I have one now, and I’m truly, truly blessed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093037\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mona Hamilton, a resident at 730 Stanyan, speaks at a press conference announcing the opening of the new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 28, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This week, 730 Stanyan St. celebrated its official grand opening, nine years — and four mayors — after the project began. All 160 units at the mixed-use complex are affordable — some studios in the building are priced at around $600 a month, and some three bedrooms for around $2,300. Of those units, 5% are reserved for families and transitional-aged youth who have experienced homelessness. The development was an accomplishment in a city where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11922784/california-churches-want-to-build-affordable-housing-on-their-land-so-why-is-it-so-hard\">affordable housing is notoriously challenging to build\u003c/a>, officials said, and where families often face \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049612/sf-families-win-shelter-extension-rights-still-face-long-waits-for-housing\">long wait times for access\u003c/a> to stable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Outreach, shelter, treatment, and services are essential, but those interventions must ultimately lead somewhere,” said Mike Levine, San Francisco’s executive director of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “Projects like 730 Stanyon provide that destination, a safe, stable, and affordable home where a young person can build an independent future and where a family can put down roots and where residents can remain connected to their community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ribbon-cutting featured refreshments, snacks and speeches from Mayor Daniel Lurie and former Mayor London Breed. The building was a joint effort between two San Francisco-based affordable housing advocacy groups, the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and the Chinatown Community Development Center.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Breed, she suggested the project to late-Mayor Ed Lee that the city purchase the McDonald’s, which opened in the 1960s, and turn it into affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lee died the same day that the city officially reached a deal to purchase the building for $15.5 million. In a statement to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-reaches-15-5m-deal-to-buy-mcdonald-s-on-haight-build-affordable-housing/article_728d1a8e-c792-58ed-8b02-93d771727c9d.html\">\u003cem>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Breed said it was “the last piece of legislation” the two discussed. The McDonald’s was demolished by 2020, and groundbreaking on the housing development began in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city’s development team relied on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11612802/legislation-to-fast-track-more-housing-finds-opposition-in-marin\">California laws to fast-track housing\u003c/a> paired with state “density bonus law incentives,” according to a city press release. This allowed the project to exceed the site’s 50‑foot height limit and deliver an eight‑story, 83‑foot building.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Bureaucracy has stood in the way for far too long,” Lurie said, adding that his recently passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065204/everything-you-need-to-know-about-san-franciscos-family-zoning-plan\">Family Zoning Plan\u003c/a> will also add housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/san-francisco-housing-dashboard\">housing dashboard\u003c/a>, there are currently 18,206 pending affordable housing developments. Over the past decade, 11,897 affordable housing developments have been created. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093039\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gulnaz Garapova (left) and her son Alihan Garapova, 8, pose for a photo in their apartment at 730 Stanyan, a new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, on July 28, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents of the complex were selected via a lottery system. The Garapovas, a Kyrgyz family with three generations living under one roof, were one of the lottery’s winners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gulnaz Garapova said she entered the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://housing.sfgov.org/\">affordable housing lottery\u003c/a> in 2017. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a very beautiful place. Clean. Nice views. A lot of sunshine,” Garapova said as her mother prepared borsook, a traditional pastry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family’s new three-bedroom apartment has large windows showcasing views of Twin Peaks, Golden Gate Park and Zion Skate Plaza. Garapova said it’s the nicest place she’s ever lived in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093042\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The courtyard at 730 Stanyan, a new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, on July 28, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the same day of the apartment building’s opening, ground broke on another affordable housing project on Market Street that will provide 94 homes for artists.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While housing advocates speaking at the event said the project was a win, Lurie said he believes that there is more to be done to bring more housing to San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We still have work to do. I’m not where we want to be. We need to move faster,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve been struggling all my life to find me a permanent home. I have one now, and I’m truly, truly blessed.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093037\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mona Hamilton, a resident at 730 Stanyan, speaks at a press conference announcing the opening of the new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This week, 730 Stanyan St. celebrated its official grand opening, nine years — and four mayors — after the project began. All 160 units at the mixed-use complex are affordable — some studios in the building are priced at around $600 a month, and some three bedrooms for around $2,300. Of those units, 5% are reserved for families and transitional-aged youth who have experienced homelessness. The development was an accomplishment in a city where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11922784/california-churches-want-to-build-affordable-housing-on-their-land-so-why-is-it-so-hard\">affordable housing is notoriously challenging to build\u003c/a>, officials said, and where families often face \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049612/sf-families-win-shelter-extension-rights-still-face-long-waits-for-housing\">long wait times for access\u003c/a> to stable housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Outreach, shelter, treatment, and services are essential, but those interventions must ultimately lead somewhere,” said Mike Levine, San Francisco’s executive director of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “Projects like 730 Stanyon provide that destination, a safe, stable, and affordable home where a young person can build an independent future and where a family can put down roots and where residents can remain connected to their community.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ribbon-cutting featured refreshments, snacks and speeches from Mayor Daniel Lurie and former Mayor London Breed. The building was a joint effort between two San Francisco-based affordable housing advocacy groups, the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and the Chinatown Community Development Center.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Breed, she suggested the project to late-Mayor Ed Lee that the city purchase the McDonald’s, which opened in the 1960s, and turn it into affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to Breed, she suggested the project to late-Mayor Ed Lee that the city purchase the McDonald’s, which opened in the 1960s, and turn it into affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lee died the same day that the city officially reached a deal to purchase the building for $15.5 million. In a statement to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-reaches-15-5m-deal-to-buy-mcdonald-s-on-haight-build-affordable-housing/article_728d1a8e-c792-58ed-8b02-93d771727c9d.html\">\u003cem>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Breed said it was “the last piece of legislation” the two discussed. The McDonald’s was demolished by 2020, and groundbreaking on the housing development began in 2023.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Lee died the same day that the city officially reached a deal to purchase the building for $15.5 million. In a statement to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-reaches-15-5m-deal-to-buy-mcdonald-s-on-haight-build-affordable-housing/article_728d1a8e-c792-58ed-8b02-93d771727c9d.html\">\u003cem>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Breed said it was “the last piece of legislation” the two discussed. The McDonald’s was demolished by 2020, and groundbreaking on the housing development began in 2023.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city’s development team relied on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11612802/legislation-to-fast-track-more-housing-finds-opposition-in-marin\">California laws to fast-track housing\u003c/a> paired with state “density bonus law incentives,” according to a city press release. This allowed the project to exceed the site’s 50‑foot height limit and deliver an eight‑story, 83‑foot building.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city’s development team relied on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11612802/legislation-to-fast-track-more-housing-finds-opposition-in-marin\">California laws to fast-track housing\u003c/a> paired with state “density bonus law incentives,” according to a city press release. This allowed the project to exceed the site’s 50‑foot height limit and deliver an eight‑story, 83‑foot building.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Bureaucracy has stood in the way for far too long,” Lurie said, adding that his recently passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065204/everything-you-need-to-know-about-san-franciscos-family-zoning-plan\">Family Zoning Plan\u003c/a> will also add housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Bureaucracy has stood in the way for far too long,” Lurie said, adding that his recently passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065204/everything-you-need-to-know-about-san-franciscos-family-zoning-plan\">Family Zoning Plan\u003c/a> will also add housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/san-francisco-housing-dashboard\">housing dashboard\u003c/a>, there are currently 18,206 pending affordable housing developments. Over the past decade, 11,897 affordable housing developments have been created. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/san-francisco-housing-dashboard\">housing dashboard\u003c/a>, there are currently 18,206 pending affordable housing developments. Over the past decade, 11,897 affordable housing developments have been created. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093039\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gulnaz Garapova (left) and her son Alihan Garapova, 8, pose for a photo in their apartment at 730 Stanyan, a new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093039\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gulnaz Garapova (left) and her son Alihan Garapova, 8, pose for a photo in their apartment at 730 Stanyan, a new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Residents of the complex were selected via a lottery system. The Garapovas, a Kyrgyz family with three generations living under one roof, were one of the lottery’s winners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gulnaz Garapova said she entered the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://housing.sfgov.org/\">affordable housing lottery\u003c/a> in 2017. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a very beautiful place. Clean. Nice views. A lot of sunshine,” Garapova said as her mother prepared borsook, a traditional pastry. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The family’s new three-bedroom apartment has large windows showcasing views of Twin Peaks, Golden Gate Park and Zion Skate Plaza. Garapova said it’s the nicest place she’s ever lived in.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093042\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The courtyard at 730 Stanyan, a new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, on July 28, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the same day of the apartment building’s opening, ground broke on another affordable housing project on Market Street that will provide 94 homes for artists.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While housing advocates speaking at the event said the project was a win, Lurie said he believes that there is more to be done to bring more housing to San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Residents and officials celebrated the grand opening of 730 Stanyan St., nine years and four mayors after the project began.",
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"title": "San Francisco Opens Affordable Housing at Site of Former Haight Street McDonald’s | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For Mona Hamilton, the opening of the affordable housing development at the edge of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood was a full-circle moment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She used to sleep there, back when it was a McDonald’s. Now, it’s her new home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>‘It took a long time for me to get to a place like this,” she said Tuesday, speaking outside of the building. “Thirty years ago, I was out on the streets using, abusing myself, bouncing in and out of different hotels, trying to survive.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hamilton said she was surprised when she learned she won the lottery to live there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve been struggling all my life to find me a permanent home. I have one now, and I’m truly, truly blessed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093037\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-71-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mona Hamilton, a resident at 730 Stanyan, speaks at a press conference announcing the opening of the new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco on July 28, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This week, 730 Stanyan St. celebrated its official grand opening, nine years — and four mayors — after the project began. All 160 units at the mixed-use complex are affordable — some studios in the building are priced at around $600 a month, and some three bedrooms for around $2,300. Of those units, 5% are reserved for families and transitional-aged youth who have experienced homelessness. The development was an accomplishment in a city where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11922784/california-churches-want-to-build-affordable-housing-on-their-land-so-why-is-it-so-hard\">affordable housing is notoriously challenging to build\u003c/a>, officials said, and where families often face \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049612/sf-families-win-shelter-extension-rights-still-face-long-waits-for-housing\">long wait times for access\u003c/a> to stable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Outreach, shelter, treatment, and services are essential, but those interventions must ultimately lead somewhere,” said Mike Levine, San Francisco’s executive director of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “Projects like 730 Stanyon provide that destination, a safe, stable, and affordable home where a young person can build an independent future and where a family can put down roots and where residents can remain connected to their community.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ribbon-cutting featured refreshments, snacks and speeches from Mayor Daniel Lurie and former Mayor London Breed. The building was a joint effort between two San Francisco-based affordable housing advocacy groups, the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and the Chinatown Community Development Center.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to Breed, she suggested the project to late-Mayor Ed Lee that the city purchase the McDonald’s, which opened in the 1960s, and turn it into affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lee died the same day that the city officially reached a deal to purchase the building for $15.5 million. In a statement to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-reaches-15-5m-deal-to-buy-mcdonald-s-on-haight-build-affordable-housing/article_728d1a8e-c792-58ed-8b02-93d771727c9d.html\">\u003cem>San Francisco Examiner\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, Breed said it was “the last piece of legislation” the two discussed. The McDonald’s was demolished by 2020, and groundbreaking on the housing development began in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city’s development team relied on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11612802/legislation-to-fast-track-more-housing-finds-opposition-in-marin\">California laws to fast-track housing\u003c/a> paired with state “density bonus law incentives,” according to a city press release. This allowed the project to exceed the site’s 50‑foot height limit and deliver an eight‑story, 83‑foot building.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Bureaucracy has stood in the way for far too long,” Lurie said, adding that his recently passed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065204/everything-you-need-to-know-about-san-franciscos-family-zoning-plan\">Family Zoning Plan\u003c/a> will also add housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to San Francisco’s \u003ca href=\"https://sfplanning.org/san-francisco-housing-dashboard\">housing dashboard\u003c/a>, there are currently 18,206 pending affordable housing developments. Over the past decade, 11,897 affordable housing developments have been created. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093039\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-99-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gulnaz Garapova (left) and her son Alihan Garapova, 8, pose for a photo in their apartment at 730 Stanyan, a new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, on July 28, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents of the complex were selected via a lottery system. The Garapovas, a Kyrgyz family with three generations living under one roof, were one of the lottery’s winners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gulnaz Garapova said she entered the city’s \u003ca href=\"https://housing.sfgov.org/\">affordable housing lottery\u003c/a> in 2017. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a very beautiful place. Clean. Nice views. A lot of sunshine,” Garapova said as her mother prepared borsook, a traditional pastry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family’s new three-bedroom apartment has large windows showcasing views of Twin Peaks, Golden Gate Park and Zion Skate Plaza. Garapova said it’s the nicest place she’s ever lived in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093042\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260728-STANYANHOUSING-NG-119-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The courtyard at 730 Stanyan, a new affordable housing development in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, on July 28, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the same day of the apartment building’s opening, ground broke on another affordable housing project on Market Street that will provide 94 homes for artists.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While housing advocates speaking at the event said the project was a win, Lurie said he believes that there is more to be done to bring more housing to San Francisco. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We still have work to do. I’m not where we want to be. We need to move faster,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "can-wealthy-san-francisco-residents-stop-a-massive-housing-redevelopment-project",
"title": "Can Marina Residents Stop a Massive San Francisco Housing Redevelopment Project?",
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"headTitle": "Can Marina Residents Stop a Massive San Francisco Housing Redevelopment Project? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Last week, more than 300 people packed into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco’s Fort Mason\u003c/a> to discuss the future of the grocery store across the street. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A developer wants to replace the Marina District Safeway with two residential towers rising more than 250 feet. The project has become a lightning rod in a city struggling to keep up with affordability, demand and the state’s housing mandate and where residents often challenge development in hopes of preserving neighborhood character. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People come here because it’s beautiful and it’s open and has a feeling of expansiveness,” said Erin Roach, president of the Marina Community Association, who helped organize the meeting. “Having a giant building is going to take that feeling of expansiveness away — let alone shade the two parks that are on two sides of it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The town hall was the neighbors’ latest move in a \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/8fb843c5-3358-4c45-8789-b429588b0c57.pdf?rdr=true\">monthslong campaign\u003c/a> to stop, or at least slow, a project they say is too big and which they don’t believe qualifies for development under state laws created to fast-track housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1186\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED-1536x911.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Safeway at 15 Marina Blvd. in San Francisco, where developer Align Real Estate has proposed 848 apartments. \u003cbr> (Photo courtesy of Arquitectonica)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Align Real Estate — the project sponsor filing on behalf of the building’s owner, Albertsons Companies — applied in December to demolish the Safeway at 11 and 15 Marina Blvd. and build two sleek glass towers with a capacity of 848 units above a different grocery store. Align and Albertsons have a development partnership with plans to redevelop multiple stores into massive developments across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On July 14, the developer’s attorneys submitted revised plans they described in a letter as “modest adjustments that result in a more efficient Project.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes lowered the heights of both towers — while increasing the number of units. The application also includes 86 affordable units. The project has no construction timeline or cost estimate yet, and Align said the Safeway would close during construction with a new store to open in its place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project uses the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11955088/why-californias-affordable-housing-crisis-threatens-its-powerful-coastal-commission\">state’s “density bonus” law\u003c/a>, which overrides local zoning to allow for taller buildings when developers commit to affordable units. Roach said, even with the latest changes, the building “remains roughly six times taller than anything around it,” leading some residents to oppose the project’s impact on the neighborhood’s scenic views.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, Roach and a coalition of neighborhood groups are fighting the project’s qualification under AB 2011, a state law that lets housing on commercially zoned land win approval through a ministerial process — meaning no Planning Commission vote, no Board of Supervisors vote and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, as long as the projects meet specified affordability, labor, and environmental criteria. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are not opposed to housing here. We would really like to see housing here,” Roach said. “But the project that’s being proposed is really difficult for this area of the Marina to handle — on health and safety reasons.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roach said the eastern Marina is built on fill over old wetlands and groundwater, in a liquefaction zone, atop the footprint of a former manufactured gas plant. Drilling to bedrock, she warned, could disturb buried contamination and push polluted groundwater toward neighbors’ homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Marina Community Association hired an environmental attorney, then an independent soils expert who, according to Roach, found the area polluted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“With a project this divisive, the City needs to be extraordinarily clear as to how and why approvals are granted,” Marina District Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who has opposed the project along with some of his constituents, said in a statement. He added that Thursday’s town hall “is another step toward giving the community this transparency.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the city argues the project is a strong contender for development under the law. In a July 20 letter to Sherrill, Planning Director Sarah Dennis Phillips wrote that the property is not “on the Cortese List,” a publicly available and regularly updated list of hazardous waste sites in the state. She wrote that the site is not in an earthquake fault zone or a federally designated flood hazard area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092376\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Safeway location in San Francisco’s Marina District on July 23, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A required assessment identified what the city called a “recognized environmental condition,” and Dennis Phillips wrote that a further endangerment assessment must follow. But that review, she said, happens later, during permitting and construction — overseen by the health department and the water board — and is “not part of the planning approval process under AB 2011.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/a355ef17-5841-45d8-af35-b2915d7baec8.pdf?rdr=true\">June\u003c/a>, Sherrill and a coalition of neighborhood groups asked the city to find the site ineligible for development under AB 2011, arguing the law applies only where at least 75% of a site’s perimeter adjoins parcels developed with “urban uses.” About half the Safeway site instead adjoins Fort Mason and a city-owned parcel holding the Marina Yacht Harbor, Marina Green and parking — land they describe as restricted to maritime and recreational use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture made the same argument \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/c46a3e61-6b94-4a71-b8e1-1a6e4306ea32.pdf?rdr=true\">in their own letter\u003c/a>, while stressing the site “is suitable for residential development.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the city’s planning department considers the site surrounded by urban uses and stands by its finding, Dennis Phillips wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Align has described the Yacht Harbor parcel as a fully developed, manmade landscape — filled for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and which now holds parking lots, yacht clubs, a fuel dock and a coffee shop. Reversing course, the developer warned, “would expose the City to significant liability” under the Housing Accountability Act, and the project would still qualify through other state pathways even without AB 2011. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The office of Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who wrote AB 2011, said the law’s perimeter rule exists to keep it aimed at infill rather than open land. Asked whether this site belongs, the office said the real question is whether the project is going up “in an urban location along a commercial corridor,” and the answer is “unfailingly yes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other local officials are split on the project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Sen. Scott Wiener, who co-authored AB 2011, told KQED he still supports the project. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who backed the project last year, said his position also stands, but added that he expects developers to “follow through on their commitments to the communities they serve, including maintaining access to essential neighborhood amenities like grocery stores.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Daniel Lurie, who is also a District 2 resident, opposed the original proposal and his position “hasn’t changed,” a spokesperson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s Planning Department told KQED it received the revised plans July 14 and must decide by Aug. 13 whether they meet its objective standards; if the project is deemed consistent, the city would have until roughly Oct. 12 to approve it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also said it had not yet finished reviewing the project’s affordable housing plans, including whether 86 units still satisfy state requirements.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, more than 300 people packed into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco’s Fort Mason\u003c/a> to discuss the future of the grocery store across the street. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A developer wants to replace the Marina District Safeway with two residential towers rising more than 250 feet. The project has become a lightning rod in a city struggling to keep up with affordability, demand and the state’s housing mandate and where residents often challenge development in hopes of preserving neighborhood character. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A developer wants to replace the Marina District Safeway with two residential towers rising more than 250 feet. The project has become a lightning rod in a city struggling to keep up with affordability, demand and the state’s housing mandate and where residents often challenge development in hopes of preserving neighborhood character. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People come here because it’s beautiful and it’s open and has a feeling of expansiveness,” said Erin Roach, president of the Marina Community Association, who helped organize the meeting. “Having a giant building is going to take that feeling of expansiveness away — let alone shade the two parks that are on two sides of it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“People come here because it’s beautiful and it’s open and has a feeling of expansiveness,” said Erin Roach, president of the Marina Community Association, who helped organize the meeting. “Having a giant building is going to take that feeling of expansiveness away — let alone shade the two parks that are on two sides of it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The town hall was the neighbors’ latest move in a \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/8fb843c5-3358-4c45-8789-b429588b0c57.pdf?rdr=true\">monthslong campaign\u003c/a> to stop, or at least slow, a project they say is too big and which they don’t believe qualifies for development under state laws created to fast-track housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The town hall was the neighbors’ latest move in a \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/8fb843c5-3358-4c45-8789-b429588b0c57.pdf?rdr=true\">monthslong campaign\u003c/a> to stop, or at least slow, a project they say is too big and which they don’t believe qualifies for development under state laws created to fast-track housing. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED-1536x911.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED-1536x911.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Safeway at 15 Marina Blvd. in San Francisco, where developer Align Real Estate has proposed 848 apartments. \u003cbr>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092738\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Safeway at 15 Marina Blvd. in San Francisco, where developer Align Real Estate has proposed 848 apartments. \u003cbr>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Align Real Estate — the project sponsor filing on behalf of the building’s owner, Albertsons Companies — applied in December to demolish the Safeway at 11 and 15 Marina Blvd. and build two sleek glass towers with a capacity of 848 units above a different grocery store. Align and Albertsons have a development partnership with plans to redevelop multiple stores into massive developments across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Align Real Estate — the project sponsor filing on behalf of the building’s owner, Albertsons Companies — applied in December to demolish the Safeway at 11 and 15 Marina Blvd. and build two sleek glass towers with a capacity of 848 units above a different grocery store. Align and Albertsons have a development partnership with plans to redevelop multiple stores into massive developments across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On July 14, the developer’s attorneys submitted revised plans they described in a letter as “modest adjustments that result in a more efficient Project.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On July 14, the developer’s attorneys submitted revised plans they described in a letter as “modest adjustments that result in a more efficient Project.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes lowered the heights of both towers — while increasing the number of units. The application also includes 86 affordable units. The project has no construction timeline or cost estimate yet, and Align said the Safeway would close during construction with a new store to open in its place. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The changes lowered the heights of both towers — while increasing the number of units. The application also includes 86 affordable units. The project has no construction timeline or cost estimate yet, and Align said the Safeway would close during construction with a new store to open in its place. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The project uses the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11955088/why-californias-affordable-housing-crisis-threatens-its-powerful-coastal-commission\">state’s “density bonus” law\u003c/a>, which overrides local zoning to allow for taller buildings when developers commit to affordable units. Roach said, even with the latest changes, the building “remains roughly six times taller than anything around it,” leading some residents to oppose the project’s impact on the neighborhood’s scenic views.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The project uses the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11955088/why-californias-affordable-housing-crisis-threatens-its-powerful-coastal-commission\">state’s “density bonus” law\u003c/a>, which overrides local zoning to allow for taller buildings when developers commit to affordable units. Roach said, even with the latest changes, the building “remains roughly six times taller than anything around it,” leading some residents to oppose the project’s impact on the neighborhood’s scenic views.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, Roach and a coalition of neighborhood groups are fighting the project’s qualification under AB 2011, a state law that lets housing on commercially zoned land win approval through a ministerial process — meaning no Planning Commission vote, no Board of Supervisors vote and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, as long as the projects meet specified affordability, labor, and environmental criteria. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Now, Roach and a coalition of neighborhood groups are fighting the project’s qualification under AB 2011, a state law that lets housing on commercially zoned land win approval through a ministerial process — meaning no Planning Commission vote, no Board of Supervisors vote and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, as long as the projects meet specified affordability, labor, and environmental criteria. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are not opposed to housing here. We would really like to see housing here,” Roach said. “But the project that’s being proposed is really difficult for this area of the Marina to handle — on health and safety reasons.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are not opposed to housing here. We would really like to see housing here,” Roach said. “But the project that’s being proposed is really difficult for this area of the Marina to handle — on health and safety reasons.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roach said the eastern Marina is built on fill over old wetlands and groundwater, in a liquefaction zone, atop the footprint of a former manufactured gas plant. Drilling to bedrock, she warned, could disturb buried contamination and push polluted groundwater toward neighbors’ homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Roach said the eastern Marina is built on fill over old wetlands and groundwater, in a liquefaction zone, atop the footprint of a former manufactured gas plant. Drilling to bedrock, she warned, could disturb buried contamination and push polluted groundwater toward neighbors’ homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Marina Community Association hired an environmental attorney, then an independent soils expert who, according to Roach, found the area polluted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Marina Community Association hired an environmental attorney, then an independent soils expert who, according to Roach, found the area polluted. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“With a project this divisive, the City needs to be extraordinarily clear as to how and why approvals are granted,” Marina District Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who has opposed the project along with some of his constituents, said in a statement. He added that Thursday’s town hall “is another step toward giving the community this transparency.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“With a project this divisive, the City needs to be extraordinarily clear as to how and why approvals are granted,” Marina District Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who has opposed the project along with some of his constituents, said in a statement. He added that Thursday’s town hall “is another step toward giving the community this transparency.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, the city argues the project is a strong contender for development under the law. In a July 20 letter to Sherrill, Planning Director Sarah Dennis Phillips wrote that the property is not “on the Cortese List,” a publicly available and regularly updated list of hazardous waste sites in the state. She wrote that the site is not in an earthquake fault zone or a federally designated flood hazard area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, the city argues the project is a strong contender for development under the law. In a July 20 letter to Sherrill, Planning Director Sarah Dennis Phillips wrote that the property is not “on the Cortese List,” a publicly available and regularly updated list of hazardous waste sites in the state. She wrote that the site is not in an earthquake fault zone or a federally designated flood hazard area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092376\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Safeway location in San Francisco’s Marina District on July 23, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092376\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Safeway location in San Francisco’s Marina District on July 23, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A required assessment identified what the city called a “recognized environmental condition,” and Dennis Phillips wrote that a further endangerment assessment must follow. But that review, she said, happens later, during permitting and construction — overseen by the health department and the water board — and is “not part of the planning approval process under AB 2011.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A required assessment identified what the city called a “recognized environmental condition,” and Dennis Phillips wrote that a further endangerment assessment must follow. But that review, she said, happens later, during permitting and construction — overseen by the health department and the water board — and is “not part of the planning approval process under AB 2011.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/a355ef17-5841-45d8-af35-b2915d7baec8.pdf?rdr=true\">June\u003c/a>, Sherrill and a coalition of neighborhood groups asked the city to find the site ineligible for development under AB 2011, arguing the law applies only where at least 75% of a site’s perimeter adjoins parcels developed with “urban uses.” About half the Safeway site instead adjoins Fort Mason and a city-owned parcel holding the Marina Yacht Harbor, Marina Green and parking — land they describe as restricted to maritime and recreational use. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/a355ef17-5841-45d8-af35-b2915d7baec8.pdf?rdr=true\">June\u003c/a>, Sherrill and a coalition of neighborhood groups asked the city to find the site ineligible for development under AB 2011, arguing the law applies only where at least 75% of a site’s perimeter adjoins parcels developed with “urban uses.” About half the Safeway site instead adjoins Fort Mason and a city-owned parcel holding the Marina Yacht Harbor, Marina Green and parking — land they describe as restricted to maritime and recreational use. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture made the same argument \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/c46a3e61-6b94-4a71-b8e1-1a6e4306ea32.pdf?rdr=true\">in their own letter\u003c/a>, while stressing the site “is suitable for residential development.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture made the same argument \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/c46a3e61-6b94-4a71-b8e1-1a6e4306ea32.pdf?rdr=true\">in their own letter\u003c/a>, while stressing the site “is suitable for residential development.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, the city’s planning department considers the site surrounded by urban uses and stands by its finding, Dennis Phillips wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Align has described the Yacht Harbor parcel as a fully developed, manmade landscape — filled for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and which now holds parking lots, yacht clubs, a fuel dock and a coffee shop. Reversing course, the developer warned, “would expose the City to significant liability” under the Housing Accountability Act, and the project would still qualify through other state pathways even without AB 2011. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "More than 300 residents turned out last week to oppose a plan to replace the Marina District Safeway with two residential towers — the latest effort to stop or redirect a project the city says qualifies for fast-track approval under state law.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Last week, more than 300 people packed into \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco’s Fort Mason\u003c/a> to discuss the future of the grocery store across the street. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A developer wants to replace the Marina District Safeway with two residential towers rising more than 250 feet. The project has become a lightning rod in a city struggling to keep up with affordability, demand and the state’s housing mandate and where residents often challenge development in hopes of preserving neighborhood character. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People come here because it’s beautiful and it’s open and has a feeling of expansiveness,” said Erin Roach, president of the Marina Community Association, who helped organize the meeting. “Having a giant building is going to take that feeling of expansiveness away — let alone shade the two parks that are on two sides of it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The town hall was the neighbors’ latest move in a \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/8fb843c5-3358-4c45-8789-b429588b0c57.pdf?rdr=true\">monthslong campaign\u003c/a> to stop, or at least slow, a project they say is too big and which they don’t believe qualifies for development under state laws created to fast-track housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1186\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092738\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260727-MARINA-SAFEWAY-05-KQED-1536x911.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Safeway at 15 Marina Blvd. in San Francisco, where developer Align Real Estate has proposed 848 apartments. \u003cbr> (Photo courtesy of Arquitectonica)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Align Real Estate — the project sponsor filing on behalf of the building’s owner, Albertsons Companies — applied in December to demolish the Safeway at 11 and 15 Marina Blvd. and build two sleek glass towers with a capacity of 848 units above a different grocery store. Align and Albertsons have a development partnership with plans to redevelop multiple stores into massive developments across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On July 14, the developer’s attorneys submitted revised plans they described in a letter as “modest adjustments that result in a more efficient Project.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes lowered the heights of both towers — while increasing the number of units. The application also includes 86 affordable units. The project has no construction timeline or cost estimate yet, and Align said the Safeway would close during construction with a new store to open in its place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project uses the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11955088/why-californias-affordable-housing-crisis-threatens-its-powerful-coastal-commission\">state’s “density bonus” law\u003c/a>, which overrides local zoning to allow for taller buildings when developers commit to affordable units. Roach said, even with the latest changes, the building “remains roughly six times taller than anything around it,” leading some residents to oppose the project’s impact on the neighborhood’s scenic views.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Now, Roach and a coalition of neighborhood groups are fighting the project’s qualification under AB 2011, a state law that lets housing on commercially zoned land win approval through a ministerial process — meaning no Planning Commission vote, no Board of Supervisors vote and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, as long as the projects meet specified affordability, labor, and environmental criteria. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are not opposed to housing here. We would really like to see housing here,” Roach said. “But the project that’s being proposed is really difficult for this area of the Marina to handle — on health and safety reasons.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roach said the eastern Marina is built on fill over old wetlands and groundwater, in a liquefaction zone, atop the footprint of a former manufactured gas plant. Drilling to bedrock, she warned, could disturb buried contamination and push polluted groundwater toward neighbors’ homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Marina Community Association hired an environmental attorney, then an independent soils expert who, according to Roach, found the area polluted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“With a project this divisive, the City needs to be extraordinarily clear as to how and why approvals are granted,” Marina District Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, who has opposed the project along with some of his constituents, said in a statement. He added that Thursday’s town hall “is another step toward giving the community this transparency.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the city argues the project is a strong contender for development under the law. In a July 20 letter to Sherrill, Planning Director Sarah Dennis Phillips wrote that the property is not “on the Cortese List,” a publicly available and regularly updated list of hazardous waste sites in the state. She wrote that the site is not in an earthquake fault zone or a federally designated flood hazard area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12092376\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260723-marinasafeway-ng-25-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Safeway location in San Francisco’s Marina District on July 23, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A required assessment identified what the city called a “recognized environmental condition,” and Dennis Phillips wrote that a further endangerment assessment must follow. But that review, she said, happens later, during permitting and construction — overseen by the health department and the water board — and is “not part of the planning approval process under AB 2011.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/a355ef17-5841-45d8-af35-b2915d7baec8.pdf?rdr=true\">June\u003c/a>, Sherrill and a coalition of neighborhood groups asked the city to find the site ineligible for development under AB 2011, arguing the law applies only where at least 75% of a site’s perimeter adjoins parcels developed with “urban uses.” About half the Safeway site instead adjoins Fort Mason and a city-owned parcel holding the Marina Yacht Harbor, Marina Green and parking — land they describe as restricted to maritime and recreational use. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture made the same argument \u003ca href=\"https://files.constantcontact.com/013299da001/c46a3e61-6b94-4a71-b8e1-1a6e4306ea32.pdf?rdr=true\">in their own letter\u003c/a>, while stressing the site “is suitable for residential development.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the city’s planning department considers the site surrounded by urban uses and stands by its finding, Dennis Phillips wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Align has described the Yacht Harbor parcel as a fully developed, manmade landscape — filled for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and which now holds parking lots, yacht clubs, a fuel dock and a coffee shop. Reversing course, the developer warned, “would expose the City to significant liability” under the Housing Accountability Act, and the project would still qualify through other state pathways even without AB 2011. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The office of Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who wrote AB 2011, said the law’s perimeter rule exists to keep it aimed at infill rather than open land. Asked whether this site belongs, the office said the real question is whether the project is going up “in an urban location along a commercial corridor,” and the answer is “unfailingly yes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other local officials are split on the project.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Sen. Scott Wiener, who co-authored AB 2011, told KQED he still supports the project. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who backed the project last year, said his position also stands, but added that he expects developers to “follow through on their commitments to the communities they serve, including maintaining access to essential neighborhood amenities like grocery stores.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Daniel Lurie, who is also a District 2 resident, opposed the original proposal and his position “hasn’t changed,” a spokesperson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s Planning Department told KQED it received the revised plans July 14 and must decide by Aug. 13 whether they meet its objective standards; if the project is deemed consistent, the city would have until roughly Oct. 12 to approve it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"closealltabs": {
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"order": 1
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"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 />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
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"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.",
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"order": 9
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
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"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. ",
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"order": 15
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"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. ",
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"order": 18
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},
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"title": "Latino USA",
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"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
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"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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},
"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/",
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"source": "American Public Media"
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"masters-of-scale": {
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"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)",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
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},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
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"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>",
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"meta": {
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"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
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"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.",
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"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",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"on-the-media": {
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"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",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
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},
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
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},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
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"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
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"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
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"planet-money": {
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"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",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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