Lens on the Biggest Fixes Needed in U.S. Housing Policy

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Michael Lens, chair of the Luskin Undergraduate Program at UCLA, joined a NOTUS Perspectives panel to discuss the biggest improvements the U.S. needs in its housing policy — particularly the lack of affordable housing nationwide. The conversation centered on one key issue: the nation’s severe shortage of affordable housing, driven by restrictive zoning and local barriers to new development.

Lens proposed that in order to remove barriers to housing production and establish state-level uniform standards, power needs to shift from local governments to state governments, which are more removed from political backlash surrounding decisions regarding housing.

“Local governments are not typically motivated to allow more homes to be built in their backyards. Perverse incentives create bad policies…that result in poor housing production numbers throughout the country,” said Lens, a professor of urban planning and public policy.

Lens emphasized that reducing barriers to housing construction would also help those experiencing homelessness: “Once we reduce the barriers to building more homes, we can also better help those in need who cannot afford housing at any price,” he said.

California Communities Impacted by Thousands of Oil and Gas Wells that Feed the Plastic Industry

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By Colleen Callahan and Dan Coffee

Plastic production and use have increased exponentially, as have the health and environmental impacts. To address this growing problem, California passed Senate Bill 54 to reduce the use of single-use plastics and foodware in the state. The bill also created a $5 billion fund, supported by the plastic industry, to mitigate plastic-related pollution and support disadvantaged, low-income, and rural communities hurt most by the impacts of plastic.

The UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation released a report to inform how this law could be implemented by mapping a clear link between fossil fuel infrastructure, plastic production, and vulnerable communities experiencing negative health impacts. It highlights that the state’s work to reduce plastics-related pollution should also consider oil and gas extraction and refining. The report, which builds upon the researchers’ Three-Part Framework for Identifying Plastic-Burdened Communities, finds that wells and refineries are concentrated in low-income communities of color that face other sources of pollution and socioeconomic hardships.

“We found that Californians living near polluting oil and gas sites are much more likely to be Latino or Black, face multiple sources of pollution, and suffer higher risks of cancer, respiratory illness, and reproductive health complications,” said Veronica Herrera, the report’s co-author and a Luskin Center for Innovation-affiliated scholar. “Often, these are low-income communities who may have fewer resources with which to address these compounding issues,” added Herrera, who is an associate professor of urban planning and political science.

The most significant clusters of wells and refineries in California occur in the Bakersfield and Los Angeles regions. Kern County, including Bakersfield, is home to over 70,000 active or idle oil and gas wells — a majority of the nearly 100,000 statewide. Los Angeles County is home to 11 of the state’s 21 operating refineries, with a particular concentration in the working-class community of Wilmington adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles. This research comes after the recent Chevron El Segundo refinery explosion.

“Plastics have been pushed on us by Big Oil, and frontline communities are paying the price,” said Dr. Zoe Cunliffe, Environmental Justice Program Manager at Black Women for Wellness, and a member of the Environmental Justice Communities Against Plastics coalition that advised on the UCLA study.

UCLA’s environmental justice-centered framework is intended to go beyond the broad guidelines written into SB 54, providing an in-depth look at where impacts from the entire plastic life cycle fall across the state.

By using data to see which communities bear the brunt of plastic impacts, we have given decision-makers the information they need to target investments where it will do the most good. —Daniel Coffee, Luskin Center for Innovation project manager and co-author of the study

Fossil fuels are part of this framework because they provide the raw materials necessary to manufacture plastic. Nearly all plastic (99%) is made from oil and gas, and the size of the plastic industry continues to grow. Under current trends, by 2050, 20% of the world’s oil production will go toward making plastic. Increases in plastic waste and pollution are likely to follow.

The report recommends the following policy actions:

  • California’s governance decisions around fossil fuels must take plastic-related environmental injustices into account.
  • Communities with high exposure risks from the plastic supply chain are good candidates for comprehensive investment programs.

Learn more about this research to inform plastic policy.

Keeping California Children Cool: Strategies for Safe Schools and Homes

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By Mara Elana Burstein

As heat waves become more frequent and intense, many California children face unsafe indoor temperatures where they spend most of their time — at home and at school. Access to cooling in homes and schools is now a public health necessity, not a luxury.

Building on years of research on heat resilience and school safety, the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation has released a report offering policymakers a menu of strategies to expand access to cooling in homes and schools. The recommendations focus on the installation and maintenance of air conditioning and other mechanical cooling systems, offering practical, evidence-based options for state leaders seeking to protect children where they live and learn.

Children shouldn’t have to choose between their health and their education. Our research shows that California can take immediate, concrete steps to make schools and homes safer from heat. — Lana Zimmerman, project manager and lead author of the report

The report outlines a set of policy and regulatory actions California leaders can adopt:

  • Set indoor temperature standards for schools and plan similar action during the 2031 Building Standards Code update, or sooner as an emergency health and safety measure.
  • Track cooling access in schools, as the state already does for homes.
  • Coordinate agencies through a state-level advisory committee.
  • Fund existing programs that support equitable access to indoor cooling by serving high-need schools, homes, and regions.
  • Centralize public information and simplify funding processes for local governments and communities.
  • Prioritize equity by investing in high-need regions and supporting workforce training for cooling system installation.

These strategies are informed by new data from the 2025 Luskin California Poll that reveal gaps in access to indoor cooling and public opinion on state action. In the survey, nearly half of parents said they’ve kept their kids home because of heat, and yet one in ten households with children lack working air conditioning (AC). Many more Californians avoid using their AC because of high energy bills.

“Expanding access to cooling is about more than comfort. It’s about health and equity,” said V. Kelly Turner, associate director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. “The solutions outlined in our report recognize that children in low-income households and communities of color are often the most exposed to heat and have the least resources to respond,” added Turner, who is also an associate professor of urban planning at UCLA Luskin.

As California implements new investments in school modernization, clean energy, and community resilience, this research offers a timely guide for aligning those efforts. The report, “Keeping Californians Safe with Cooling Systems in Homes and Schools,” underscores that keeping classrooms cool and homes safe is essential to a healthy, equitable future for the state’s children.

Protecting Democracy and the 2025 Redistricting Battles: A Conversation with Xavier Becerra Xavier Becerra and UCLA scholars warn that the fight for fair representation is far from over.

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As our country prepares for another election cycle, questions about representation and the integrity of American democracy continue to dominate public discourse. On October 28, the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs hosted “Protecting Democracy and the 2025 Redistricting Battles,” a Luskin Lecture co-sponsored by the UCLA Voting Rights Project. The event featured former California Attorney General and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, who delivered a keynote address on the challenges and opportunities in protecting democracy ahead of the next round of redistricting. 

Becerra was joined by Chad Dunn, director of litigation for the UCLA Voting Rights Project and a lead litigator in the ongoing Texas redistricting lawsuit, and Dr. Natalie Masuoka, professor of Political Science and Asian American Studies at UCLA and an expert on voting behavior and minority representation. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Matt Barreto, professor of Political Science and Chicana/o Studies and faculty director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project. 

Drawing from his decades of public service at the state and federal level, Becerra underscored the fragility of democratic systems when power is unchecked. “As we’ve seen over the last 10 months, the federal government has a ton of power, and wields it in ways that exceed what the Constitution intends,” he said. “There are limits to federal power, but if you have someone who decides to exceed the scope of that power, you can see how damaging it can be for the states.” 

Throughout the evening, panelists emphasized the critical importance of ensuring that voters retain control over the redistricting process. Becerra contrasted California’s citizen-led commission process with state-controlled redistricting systems in Texas and Florida. “In California, voters have a say. In Texas, the people living in those voting districts have no say in how the maps are drawn,” he said. 

The conversation explored the upcoming Proposition 50 vote in California, which would temporarily establish new district boundaries based on the latest population data. Becerra and his fellow panelists examined how the proposal could affect representation, particularly for communities of color. 

Dunn, who has spent years challenging partisan gerrymandering, framed the issue as a fundamental question of voter rights. “I believe the right to vote is individual, not aggregate,” he said. “If someone is being gerrymandered on the basis of their political views, that is a violation of their right to vote, full stop. And there ought to be a redress for it in court.” 

He went on to note that the composition of Congress does not currently reflect the nation’s diversity. “This action to silence voters on the basis of their race and political views will be successful to some degree,” Dunn said. “What California does to press back on it isn’t just fighting fire with fire—it’s ensuring that Congress is as representative as it can be of this nation as a whole.” 

Dr. Masuoka emphasized the dual nature of redistricting: while it can be used to suppress certain communities, it can also be a tool for empowerment. “Redistricting can discriminate and marginalize voices of color, but the reason we passed the 1965 Voting Rights Act is that redistricting can also increase minority voting power,” she said. “As we look forward to voting on Prop 50, we can protect democracy and ensure that we have protections for voters of color.” 

Becerra urged the students in the audience to remain vigilant and engaged. “The most powerful weapon we have is truth—and the willingness to use our voices and our cameras to protect it.” 

View photos from the event on Flickr.
Protecting Democracy and the 2025 Redistricting Battles

Tilly on the Government Shutdown and Specter of Recession

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UCLA Luskin’s Chris Tilly spoke to Al Jazeera News about the consequences of the U.S. government’s extended shutdown.

About 1.4 million federal employees are furloughed or working without pay, and many government services have been suspended nationwide. Tilly spoke about the multiplier effects that could shake consumer and business confidence in the economy. And he noted that the shutdown is one crisis point in a bigger fight about the role of government, including recent moves to keep taxes low on billionaires and cut back on the social safety net.

“We economists feel like there’s a lot of reasons to be concerned because the economy is already fragile,” said Tilly, a labor economist and professor of urban planning and sociology. “The Federal Reserve and economic forecasters are saying we’re scarily close to falling into a recession. So it may not take much to push us over the edge.”

Gilens on Economic Pain and Voter Motivation

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A New Republic article on political leaders’ lopsided focus on disaffected young male voters cited Martin Gilens, UCLA Luskin professor of public policy, social welfare and political science.

The article argued that Democrats’ obsession with reaching young men is increasingly irrelevant in an economy where a diverse array of demographic groups are struggling to secure a job and pay the rent.

“The economy played a huge role with young men as it did with young women and with voters in general,” Gilens said. “But in particular, young people are going to be less tied to a political party. They have less history of politics and electoral outcomes to draw on.”

In general, presidents may have modest impacts on the economy because of factors outside their control, he said. But the Trump administration may be an exception, given the heavy hand it has placed on economic policy.

“I think it actually makes sense to attribute a lot of the sort of economic conditions, good or bad, to what the president has done, and so yes, absolutely, if the economy is perceived as being bad, then Trump and Republicans are going to be blamed,” Gilens said.

MPP 2025 Alumni Fellowship Recipient Lydia Kelley, MPP '26

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Lydia Kelley is dedicated to advancing equitable and inclusive education systems through social change. Her area of interest explores how education and workforce systems can better support marginalized communities through research-driven policy solutions.

At UCLA Luskin, Kelley serves as Co-President of the Public Policy Leadership Association (PPLA), where she leads engagements centered on leadership development and professional networking for graduate students. She has also moderated several UCLA Luskin events, including the Luskin alumni and the First-Gen, Students of Color panels, creating spaces for meaningful dialogue on access, identity, and representation in policy. Beyond campus, she is a Research Associate at Daley Strategies, a private consulting firm representing clients across California’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Before UCLA, Kelley earned a Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from California State University, Fullerton. She received a Certificate of Special Recognition from Congresswoman Norma Torres and the UCLA Graduate Opportunity Fellowship. Her experience also includes internships with Congresswoman Katie Porter and Congresswoman Norma Torres in their district offices, as well as serving as Student Body President and two-term Sigma Kappa Chapter President at CSUF, where she represented the sorority’s National Council on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. As a woman of color, Kelley is passionate about empowering the next generation of changemakers by driving social progress through policy innovation, media influence, and community impact.

On Migrant Crackdowns and Empty Humanitarian Rhetoric

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UCLA Luskin’s Ananya Roy spoke to KPFA’s Against the Grain program about the recently published book “Beyond Sanctuary: The Humanism of a World in Motion.”

Co-edited by Roy and Veronika Zablotsky, the book’s essays examine how poor and vulnerable migrants are viewed and treated, and the empty humanitarian rhetoric of liberal democracies of the West.

Being forced out of a country that one considers to be home is a form of racial segregation and oppression, Roy said on KPFA.

“We wanted to take seriously the fact that hundreds of thousands of migrants are crossing deadly borders, risking death, risking separation from loved ones, risking never to be able to return home. And to understand what happens to migrants after they cross these borders, which is often the illegalization of their presence, of their migration, the denial of asylum status,” said Roy, a professor of urban planning, social welfare and geography and founding faculty director of the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy.

From Liberia to Luskin: A Public Policy Student’s Journey of Purpose and Impact Prince L. Jarbo, MPP ’26, is using his Air Force experience and UCLA education to drive change in his home country.

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by Peaches Chung

Prince Larmie Jarbo, MPP ’26, brings a global perspective to his studies at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Shaped by his upbringing in Liberia, his faith, and his service in the U.S. Air Force, he’s determined to use public policy to create lasting change in his home country. 

Jarbo first came to the United States at age 12 but returned to Liberia at 14. “When I came back to the U.S. again at 18, I joined the Air Force,” he recalls. Determined to pursue a debt-free education, he served while completing his bachelor’s degree online. His military experience — and his life across two continents — instilled in him resilience, adaptability, and a profound sense of duty. 

That same sense of service guides his work today as the founder of Project Change, a youth-led nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the next generation of changemakers in Liberia.  

“Project Change inspires young Liberians to take ownership of their future,” he explains. “Through personal and professional development, we’re helping them move from dependency to possibility — giving them the mindset and tools to lead. And we instill in them a responsibility not only for themselves but also for helping rebuild our country.” 

Liberia, a West African nation that endured two devastating civil wars between 1989 and 2003, continues to rebuild from years of conflict and economic instability. Growing up amid the aftermath shaped Jarbo’s belief that lasting change requires both effective policy and governance and empowered citizens. 

“Liberia has suffered a lot as a post-conflict nation,” Jarbo explains. “I feel a sense of responsibility to help bring about change. Everything I’ve learned outside my country, I’m bringing back to improve it.” 

Jarbo is already applying what he’s learning at UCLA as chairman of Project Change and as co-president of the Public Policy Leadership Association (PPLA), a student group that fosters an inclusive and equitable learning environment for his peers while advocating for their interests across campus. In the classroom, his coursework has broadened his understanding of stakeholder engagement, data-driven decision-making, and long-term economic strategy. 

“I feel a sense of responsibility to help bring about change. Everything I’ve learned outside my country, I’m bringing back to improve it.”

“The program doesn’t just teach theory,” he says. “It helps you design real solutions and put them into practice.” 

His time at Luskin has not only equipped him with the tools to lead change — it has reaffirmed something deeper — the “why” behind his work. For Jarbo, faith remains the foundation that ties it all together. “Faith gives me clarity about why I’m here and what I’m called to do,” he reflects. “It’s what connects my service, my studies, and my vision for Liberia’s future.”  

As he looks ahead to graduation in 2026, Jarbo is preparing to return to Liberia with renewed purpose. “My time at UCLA has given me more than an education,” he says. “It’s given me direction, a network, and the confidence to go back and make a difference.” 

For Jarbo, that difference begins with one simple idea: empowering others to believe that change is possible. 

Book by Kian Goh Honored by Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning

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UCLA Luskin’s Kian Goh has been awarded the 2025 Paul Davidoff Book Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP).

Goh’s book “Form and Flow: The Spatial Politics of Urban Resilience and Climate Justice,” published in 2021 by MIT Press, explores the politics of urban climate change responses in different cities — New York City; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Rotterdam, Netherlands — as well as the emergence of grassroots activism in resistance.

“The study brings both ethnographic depth and impressive critical theory to one of the most important issues of our moment,” the ACSP Award Committee said, praising Goh for skillfully drawing a throughline across disparate geographies in a way that does not feel contrived.

Goh is an associate professor of urban planning at UCLA Luskin and associate faculty director of the UCLA Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy. Her research focuses on urban ecological design, spatial politics, and social mobilization in the context of climate change and global urbanization.

The Paul Davidoff Book Award recognizes an outstanding book publication regarding participatory planning and positive social change, including opposing poverty and racism and addressing social and place-based inequalities. The award honors the memory of Paul Davidoff, who established the field of advocacy planning and worked toward social equity in the profession.