Yaroslavsky on LAHSA Funding Fight
Former longtime L.A. leader Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at UCLA Luskin, commented in a CBS News/KCAL broadcast about plans by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to create a new homelessness department, stripping funds from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). “LAHSA was created as a result of a lawsuit between the city and county some 30 years ago or more,” said Yaroslavsky, who was on the city council at that time. “The county is the human service provider, mental health, health, drug rehabilitation, things of that sort,” he said. “The city has to provide the housing or shelter for these individuals to get them off the street and to get them back to where they can function in society. One without the other is a prescription for failure, with a capital F.” On April 1, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a new county homelessness department.
Pierce on Restoring California’s Salton Sea
Greg Pierce, director of UCLA’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at UCLA Luskin, commented in a USA Today story about efforts to revive California’s Salton Sea. Once a popular aquatic recreational destination 50 miles southeast of Palm Springs, the 343-square-mile former desert basin has, over the years, become regarded as an environmental disaster. While earlier efforts to restore the state’s largest lake have lacked adequate funding, the existence of lithium deposits beneath the lake and a state bill creating a conservancy focused on rehabilitating the area, along with state and federal funding, have increased the possibility of stabilization and restoration. “I think the lithium money there does actually increase the odds of salvageability just because there are so many resources potentially to invest,” said Pierce, an adjunct associate professor of urban planning and co-executive of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
Peterson on California Response to Proposed Congressional Cuts
Mark A. Peterson, professor of public policy at UCLA Luskin, commented in a LAist story on a proposed budget resolution in the U.S. Congress designed to reduce billions in federal spending on programs including Medicaid which could affect Medi-Cal, California’s insurance program for low-income people. The story focused on California Democrats and advocates opposed to the budget resolution passed in February along party lines. Opponents say that the stakes are high for the state where Medicaid provides healthcare for millions of Californians and more than 40 percent of children statewide. Democratic leaders, union representatives and healthcare advocates have been rallying to stress how budget cuts could affect Californians, especially children. “ Health care involving children is one of those things where most people don’t want to see those cuts,” said Peterson, an expert on healthcare policy who also holds appointments in political science, health policy, management and law at UCLA.
Pierce on Building Resilient Water Systems
Greg Pierce, director of UCLA’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab at UCLA Luskin, commented in an Associated Press story about creating resilient water and waste systems for historically neglected communities most vulnerable to climate change. A report, published by the Pacific Institute, with DigDeep and the Center for Water Security and Cooperation, highlights ways that communities where climate change has disrupted access to water can use nature-based solutions paired with technology while also pointing out barriers to implementation. It notes that funding for critical infrastructure projects has been cut or paused under the Trump administration. The report “comes at a very depressing moment where we’re not going to see federal action in this space, it doesn’t seem, for the next four years,” said Pierce, an adjunct associate professor of urban planning and co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
Wray-Lake on Teens Evolving Views of Racism and Equality
An article published by The Conversation, authored by UCLA Luskin Professor of Social Welfare Laura Wray-Lake, highlights research on the polarization of young people’s beliefs and actions over time due to political divisions evident among adults since 2016. Wray-Lake and her colleagues focused on 1,400 ninth through 12th grade students — hypothesizing that the adolescents would become more divided — and noted that they, “did identify diverging worldviews about racism and inequalities among teenagers and increased discrimination.” The team pointed to research showing that adolescents are influenced in the long term by societal events and political shifts from the Great Depression to changing presidential administrations. “Likewise, the short-term impacts of Trump’s presidency identified by research may portend long-lasting effects for this generation of young people,” Wray-Lake wrote,” adding, “My colleagues and I were tracking adolescents’ beliefs and behaviors over time, which gave us a unique opportunity to document changes after Trump was elected.”
Pandemic Set Kindergartners Back Developmentally
The COVID-19 pandemic set kindergartners’ development back in several ways, according to new research led by Judith Perrigo, assistant professor of social welfare at UCLA Luskin. HealthDay News and several media outlets around the country shared the findings of the study, which found that post-pandemic kindergarten students on average scored significantly lower in language and thinking skills, social competence, and communication and general knowledge, when compared to pre-pandemic kids. But the research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, also revealed that kindergartners’ emotional maturity and resilience grew during lockdown, possibly due to increased exposure to adult stressors. While the researchers had hypothesized that scores would decrease across the board, “our results suggested a more complex picture,” they wrote.
Lens on Racial and Economic Challenges in Dallas
UCLA Luskin Urban Planning and Public Policy Professor Michael Lens weighed in on the challenges of establishing a so-called “Black Mecca” in Dallas in an interview with The Dallas Observer. While some cities have historically served as economic and cultural hubs for Black communities, Lens noted that Dallas lacks the key factors that have fostered such environments elsewhere. “The history of segregation and limited economic mobility for Black residents in Dallas makes it difficult to establish a thriving, self-sustaining Black economic center,” he explained. His comments highlight broader systemic barriers to Black homeownership, wealth-building, and neighborhood stability in the region.
Veronica Terriquez Part of Human Atlas of LA
Veronica Terriquez, UCLA Luskin professor of urban planning and director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, appeared on a Spectrum News 1 broadcast about a multi-media social impact art project in Los Angeles known as “Alta.” The project, a collaboration of photographer and artist Marcus Lyon, the Getty Conservation Institute and the Los Angeles Public Library, represents how the lives of Angelenos intersect with the city and is intended to create a legacy document about Los Angeles, its people and communities. “This exhibit is particularly important at a time when so many communities are struggling. I foresee us coming out of this difficult time and rebuilding and re-imagining a United States that is stronger,” said Terriquez. She also is among the 100 participants featured through photographs, DNA maps and interviews showcased in an exhibition at LA Central Public Library (running through April 27), public activations across regional libraries, outdoor spaces, a podcast and an interactive book.
Wildfires Reshape Los Angeles’ Housing Market
UCLA Luskin Urban Planning Assistant Professor José Loya shared insights in a Washington Post article on how wildfires are reshaping the Los Angeles housing market. As the region faces increased fire risk, property values and sales trends have been shifting. “Wildfires have become a key factor influencing where people choose to buy and invest,” Loya explained, noting that areas previously considered desirable are now seeing fluctuating demand. His analysis underscores the growing intersection of climate change and housing policy, raising questions about long-term affordability and resilience in fire-prone communities.
Peterson on Threats to Medicaid Funding
Mark A. Peterson, professor of public policy at UCLA Luskin, commented in a Los Angeles Times story on a Republican-backed congressional budget resolution that could result in cuts to Medicaid as well as Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The story focuses on California Republican Congressman David Valadao, representing the 22nd Congressional District, who supported his party on the cost-cutting resolution but said he would not support a final reconciliation bill that risks leaving his constituents behind. Republicans say the resolution will eventually provide $2 trillion in savings, while the Congressional Budget Office reported that it would be impossible to find enough savings not to impact those health programs. “Medicaid is the only place — it’s like the bank, it’s where the money is,” said Peterson, who also holds appointments in political science, health policy, management and law at UCLA. “He’s going to have a problem,” Peterson said of Valadao.
America Is Becoming a Nation of Homebodies
UCLA Luskin and Clemson University scholars authored an article in The Conversation about their recent research showing that Americans are spending more and more time at home — a trend seen not just since the COVID-19 era but for most of this century. On the whole, Americans are spending nearly 1.5 hours less outside their homes in 2023 than they did in 2003, write UCLA Luskin Urban Planning Professor Brian D. Taylor, PhD student Sam Speroni of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies and Clemson University Professor Eric A. Morris, who earned his master’s and doctorate of urban planning at UCLA Luskin. This has major implications for traffic, public transit, real estate, the workplace, socializing and mental health. “Because hunkering down appears to be the new norm, we think it’s all the more important for policymakers and everyday people to find ways to cultivate connections and community in the shrinking time they do spend outside of the home,” they write. The research has been highlighted in several media outlets, including Perspective Living magazine.
Tilly on California Governor’s Remote Work Rollback
UCLA Luskin Urban Planning Professor Chris Tilly spoke to the Associated Press about the push by California and other states to bring employees back into the office, rolling back remote work for hundreds of thousands of public-sector workers who kept public organizations operating during COVID-19. The story follows California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent surprise announcement ordering state workers to be in the office at least four days a week starting July 1, 2025. The executive return-to-office order is similar to those in other states including Texas, as well as on the national level and among the largest corporations in the U.S. Experts don’t expect widespread quitting by employees but predict top performers may leave while recruitment and retention take a hit. “States are going to have to increase salaries or fatten up the benefits package in other ways if they’re asking people to forgo this flexibility,” said Tilly, who studies labor markets.
Pierce on California’s Drought Dilemma
Greg Pierce, director of UCLA’s Human Right to Water Solutions Lab, commented in a Guardian article on California’s drought, which is predicted to worsen in the coming months despite recent heavy rains. Southern California’s driest start to its rainy season in recorded history is accompanied by a lower-than-average snow pack in the Sierra mountain range, while the Southwest is experiencing a La Niña weather pattern characterized by a dry winter season. Mountain snows, which are crucial to the flow of the Colorado River during spring and summer, also did not materialize. The Colorado River supplies millions of people with water across the Southwest. “We are near a tipping point on the Colorado,” said Pierce, an adjunct associate professor of urban planning and co-executive director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, noting that climate change is going to reduce the river’s predictable flow.
Lens on Zoning Changes in Minneapolis
Michael Lens, UCLA Luskin professor of urban planning and public policy, commented in a Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder article on Minneapolis’ progress over the past 14 years to end a longtime policy of exclusionary single-family zoning, which “perpetuates segregation by race and class,” Lens said. He explained, “Multi-family housing, particularly in higher-income neighborhoods in cities with high housing demand, is often more affordable for people than single-family homes.” Over more than a decade, the city has dedicated half of its construction projects, more than $1 billion in construction value, to affordable housing, according to the story. Relaxed zoning laws, part of the city’s 2040 plan, allows duplexes and triplexes to be built in residential areas as well as promote denser development near transit. The changes are intended to increase affordable housing in areas historically subject to exclusionary zoning practices, including business corridors, to provide better access to housing near jobs and services.
On the Scale of Loss in Altadena and Pacific Palisades
In the wake of the Los Angeles fires, UCLA Luskin’s Paul Ong provided historical perspective to underscore the scale of loss in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. The director of the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge spoke to CBS Evening News about the thriving Black community that had found a haven in Altadena since the mid-20th century. After the Eaton Fire’s devastation, “Altadena is a litmus test about how committed we are to racial justice,” Ong said. “And I have high hopes that we will respond. But I also have late-night nightmares that things won’t happen the way we want it to happen.” Ong also spoke to the Los Angeles Times for a piece about one of the first Black homeowners in the Pacific Palisades, a single woman who purchased her house in 1967. In 1970, according to Ong’s data analysis, about 20,000 Black women owned homes in Los Angeles County, fewer than 2% of all homeowners in the county, and most would have, at some point, had a man’s name on the mortgage. “Single Black female homeowners were very rare,” he said.
Abrams on the Decline of Juvenile Incarceration in the United States
Laura Abrams, professor of social welfare at UCLA Luskin, was a guest on a KQED Forum broadcast on the significant decline in juvenile incarceration from 2000-2020 in the United States. Abrams was part of an expert panel discussing shifts in the juvenile justice system and what has been learned about youth crime and incarceration during that time period. There is no one solution, magic or panacea, she pointed out. “Does treatment always work? No. Does punishment work? Not usually on its own,” said the author of two books on the subject: Everyday Desistance: The Transition to Adulthood Among Formerly Incarcerated Youth (2017) and Compassionate Confinement: A Year in the Life of Unit C (2013). “The goal here is to reduce the harmful effects and still promote accountability and have a system rooted in care and compassion for the young people in the system to help mitigate some of the detrimental effects,” she said.
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