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"In the last year record inflation drove food prices up 4.5%"

Food prices have increased after the Covid pandemic and the hunger problem in California continued to grow because of it.
How can we increase aid and support to Californians who experience food insecurity during a time of mass inflation?
-Miranda

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When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, recipients of CalFresh, California's version of food stamps, were given the maximum benefits available for their household size. Advocates theorize that may have contributed to a steady growth in enrollment; total payments to California families rose from $505 million in March 2020 to $1.4 billion in March 2023.

Those emergency allotments ended in March, reducing benefits to 5.3 million Californians by a total of nearly $500 million a month. For some single-person households, CalFresh benefits dropped from $281 to as little as $23 a month.

In May 2019, before the pandemic, the average Californian receiving food stamps got $132 a month;

In May 2021, when benefits were boosted during the pandemic, the average Californian receiving food stamps got $214 a month;

In May 2023, after the boost in aid ended, the average Californian receiving food stamps got $179 a month.

The extra benefits maintained the number of food insecure Californians at 20% during the pandemic. However, that number is expected to rapidly rise this year.

Since March, Californians have turned to their local food banks in record numbers. Instead of functioning as sources of emergency aid, food banks say they are becoming long-term supermarkets for Californians facing food insecurity.

March and April were among the busiest months ever for the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Before the pandemic, the food bank served around 150,000 people per month. Since March, it has averaged more than 270,000 people each month.

Now the statewide food banks association is warning of a " catastrophic hunger crisis" this year, and the warnings appear to be coming true.

State government's primary way to help low-income families afford food is CalFresh. Qualifying recipients get money each month on an Electronic Benefits Transfer card, which is similar to a debit card, and can spend it on food items at grocery stores and some farmers markets.

How much each family gets depends on their household size and their income. Benefit amounts are set each year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are based on nationwide cost-of-living measures. That can result in benefits that don't always account for the way food prices rise locally.

The federal government has boosted benefits during emergencies, such as the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2021, it also overhauled its formula for calculating benefits, resulting in a significant hike during record inflation.

Statewide, 20% of Californians are food insecure, putting them at higher risk of hunger. But the situation varies widely depending where you live - from as low as 17% to as high as 44% across the 58 counties - and not always where you might expect.

Take your best guess with this interactive.

A little more than 70% of those who qualify for food benefits are actually receiving them. That participation rate has frustrated advocates because it leaves valuable federal funds on the table that could feed more Californians and boost the state's economy.

The reasons are complex and varied: Geographic and ethnic diversity makes some poor Californians difficult to reach. Many immigrants fear signing up could hurt their citizenship chances. It can be hard to apply for seniors or those who don't speak English. And college students face a byzantine set of special eligibility rules.

Another major challenge is that California's 58 counties administer food benefits, rather than the state government, creating a variety of application processes statewide. California is one of only 10 states that use a county-based system to distribute the aid.

That means some counties enroll far more eligible families than others.

In 2020, the latest year for which the state has data, Los Angeles County had nearly 80% of its eligible population receiving the benefits. That includes Supplemental Security Income recipients who became eligible the year before.

Contra Costa County, meanwhile, had enrolled about 64%. That year five other counties, including relatively affluent San Mateo and San Luis Obispo, had fewer than half their eligible residents receiving benefits.

Many college students, immigrants and older Californians have particular trouble accessing food assistance. There are additional eligibility rules that can affect those groups, which complicate an already lengthy application.

Food assistance advocates say counties should be doing more to help qualified residents get on CalFresh, but beleaguered counties say they're underfunded and understaffed. The state - following federal regulations - only pays county social services agencies based on how many people receive aid, not on how many apply. Critics say this means counties are not incentivized to help vulnerable groups go through the application process.

Take, for example, mostly rural Yolo County just west of Sacramento. It has the state's highest poverty rate in part because it is home to tens of thousands of college students at UC Davis.

After conducting extensive outreach to students and campus groups, the county's Health and Human Services agency received double the applications each month for CalFresh from 2016 to 2021, said Nolan Sullivan, its director.

Despite that, CalFresh households rose only 21% and the county's funding went up only 6% in that time. That's because college students have high rejection rates for food stamps, because the rules for them are so complex.

But getting more people on food aid includes walking them through the application, which is a time- and labor-intensive process.

And when students ultimately are denied at the end of the process, Sullivan's department doesn't get any extra funding for the work it took to help them apply.

"It penalizes us for doing outreach to try to get students on," he said. "I want every student to apply that thinks they might be eligible. But we get overwhelmed."

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has largely receded, the spike in need that began with the health emergency hasn't. Enrollment in food stamps has steadily grown. CalFresh participation climbed to more than 3 million households - more than 5.3 million people - earlier this year before dipping slightly.

The growth in food stamps recipients may be due in part to the boosted benefits that ended this year and several more flexible, but temporary state and federal rules that made it easier to apply or qualify for CalFresh.

Interview requirements: Federal regulations require applicants and CalFresh recipients who are renewing their benefits to interview with a county welfare office to verify their application. California counties vary on whether they offer a phone option or require in-person interviews, and advocates say failing to clear this hurdle is one reason eligible recipients often lose access to aid and reapply, a phenomenon experts call "churn." During the pandemic, applicants have not been required to interview if counties can verify their identity other ways. This relaxed rule is in place until April 2024.

Signature requirements: All CalFresh applications must be signed, either physically or through a telephonic recording. Another relaxed requirement in place until April 2024 allows an applicant to simply verbally attest to a county welfare worker that their application is correct.

College student access: College students are typically barred from food stamps unless they meet one of a dozen complex exceptions. During the pandemic, a much more flexible eligibility rule allowed many more students to qualify for aid. But that rule ended in June, and those who signed up under it will get a year of food stamps before they are either cut off or must find another way to qualify.

California will begin atest next year in select counties that increases the minimum monthly CalFresh benefit from $23 to $50 per household and that supporters hope will go statewide with a higher amount.

In addition to a longstanding nutrition program for expecting mothers or moms with young children and a universal school meals program, lawmakers are continuing to expand California's nutrition safety net. The California Nutrition Incentive Program runs a variety of programs to help CalFresh recipients buy healthy food. At 270 farmers' markets across the state, food aid recipients get as much as $10 in matching money - meaning they have at least $20 to spend every week on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Policymakers recognize that CalFresh recipients predominantly shop at big-box stores and supermarkets. So the state recently funded a pilot, based on a model pioneered by Massachusetts, that allows recipients to get money rebated directly back on their EBT cards after buying fruits and vegetables at authorized grocery stores. Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed into law a bill for the state to seek federal waivers so that recipients can buy hot and prepared foods.

Challenges of scale, funding and inclusiveness still remain for California's food aid programs. Continuing budget deficits could mean a shrinking of resources available to documented and undocumented food insecure Californians. With future budget surpluses, however, policymakers will be able to expand existing programs and consider new, research-based programs to end hunger in the state.

Increase public funding to food banks, to buy more from small farmers and distribute the produce to all.

2. Expand access to undocumented: Beginning in 2025, California will be the first state to issue food stamps to undocumented immigrants who are 55 and older. Advocates are calling for this policy to be expanded to all of California's 2.3 million undocumented people and beyond to drastically reduce hunger in the state.

3. Provide produce prescriptions: Imagine going to the doctor, who gives you a prescription to buy fresh fruits and veggies, and then getting reimbursed by your insurance provider. "Produce prescriptions" are already being tried in Stockton and Los Angeles, and advocates are calling for its large-scale expansion.

Rya Jetha was an intern on the Politics and California Divide teams during the summer of 2023. She joined CalMatters through the Dow Jones News Fund digital media program. She previously worked at Bay... More by Rya Jetha

Jeanne returned home to California to cover the state's economic divide for CalMatters. She previously covered Missouri government and politics for The Kansas City Star, local and state government for... More by Jeanne Kuang

Jeremia is a data journalist who uses code and data to make policy and politicians easier to understand. He was previously a graphics editor at the COVID Tracking Project and a data journalist at NBC News... More by Jeremia Kimelman

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How hungry is California? Millions struggle to eat well in an abundant state

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How bad is hunger in California? A lot depends on your access to food aid, which expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic but now is being reduced.

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Mitsubishi Motors Cement Corp Proposal Halted Due to Community Outcry

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Mitsubishi Motors Cement Corp Proposal Halted Due to Community Outcry

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Ryan Berberet

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(John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Felix is a pre-med and psychology major with a Human Developmental Sciences minor at UC San Diego and lives in Chula Vista.
Barrio Logan is a representation of our people. It is our culture. When one mentions Barrio Logan, the first thing I think about are colorful murals and Chicano history.

As a San Diego native, I have seen how Barrio Logan has been a tourist attraction for cultural immersion. My mother grew up in the area and said she felt at home, constantly reminded of her roots. Over the years, we have unfortunately seen how Barrio Logan has become gentrified, expensive and polluted. Recently, however, the Port of San Diego rejected a proposal to build a Mitsubishi Cement plant in Barrio Logan. I would like to share what detrimental effects would have come if it had been approved.

Mitsubishi Cement Corp. wanted to build a cement warehouse in the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal in Barrio Logan, which is home to tens of thousands of people, with the majority being Hispanic and White people, followed by Black or African American people. With this cement warehouse, there could have been an increase of 4,000 to 10,500 more diesel-polluting truck trips a month, polluting the air and putting us at risk, especially those who live near ports, warehouses and busy roads.

These areas are known as "diesel death zones" because residents are exposed to such high rates of heavy-duty vehicle pollution and higher rates of asthma and cancer. Pollution from the burning of gas and diesel is responsible for 1 out of 5 deaths worldwide. Some may argue that this plant is good because it would provide a vast amount of jobs, but at what cost? When did money and employment become more important than physical and mental health? Where do we draw the line?

Surveys show that Hispanic people are twice as likely to visit the emergency department for asthma compared to non-Hispanic White people. Additionally, in the United States, Hispanic children are 40 percent more likely to have detrimental asthma-related complications, as compared to non-Hispanic whites. As a pre-medicine intern for San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air, I have seen how the physicians that I work with are saturated with pediatric asthma cases. With cases on the rise, physicians have shifted from solely focusing on treatment and moving towards attacking the source of asthma.

Environmental pollution is one of the root causes of poor health among humans. The Mitsubishi plant would have further increased air pollution and distributed cement waste in surrounding areas. Heavy-duty trucks are the largest source of smog-forming pollution in California and emit 70 percent of the state's diesel soot. Soot pollution is harmful because it lodges into the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. Researchers have found greater risk of cancer development for African Americans from hazardous air pollutants, including those coming from public transportation. Because of where they live, people of color breathe disproportionate levels of this toxic air pollution, which contributes to higher rates of asthma, cancer and other illnesses than their White counterparts. Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause cognitive decline in adults and affect children's cognitive abilities. This means that memory loss can happen more frequently and IQ levels can decrease. Additionally, higher rates of depression are found in those exposed to air pollution.

On Dec. 13, we took to the streets and held a rally against this plant. A notable moment was when a Hispanic parent expressed her frustration after her child was diagnosed with cancer. She brought forth how the pollution can affect her child at a higher rate, especially because her child is on chemotherapy. City Council members and citizens from all over San Diego joined together to share our concerns. It is a matter of great pride that our efforts were successful.

Rafael Castellanos, chair of the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, announced a halt to the Mitsubishi Cement Corp. plant negotiations in 2023, saying that the Port is open to future negotiations with Mitsubishi Cement Corp. as long as it abides by the Port's Maritime Clean Air Strategy to move toward a zero-emission future.

For now, the people of Barrio Logan are hopeful that both the Port of San Diego and Mitsubishi Cement Corp. acknowledge our voices and understand that our health comes first and we will not stand for anything less.

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Opinion: Places like Barrio Logan can become 'diesel death zones' due to vehicle pollution

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Environmental pollution is one of the root causes of poor health among humans.

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San Diego among large US cities with lowest crime rates, data shows

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America’s Finest City is also one of the safest in country, according to annual crime statistics.

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Track the virus in your area, and get the latest state and county data on hospitalizations, cases, deaths, tests and vaccinations.

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Poverty, Income & Earnings in the City of San Diego, 2019 & 2021 - Center on Policy Initiatives

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Poverty, Income, and Earnings in the City of San Diego, 2019 and 2021 The latest US Census figures (2021 ACS data) show employers continue to pay low wages even as the cost of housing, food, transportation and other basic necessities rise. Black and Latinx workers are more likely than White and Asian workers to have...

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NBC 7 Investigates Finds 1 in 3 San Diegans Spend Half Their Income on Rent

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NBC 7 Investigates Finds 1 in 3 San Diegans Spend Half Their Income on Rent

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For years, financial experts have advised Americans not to spend more than 30% of their gross income on housing. Anything more than that will impact your ability to save money, prepare for unexpected financial hardships or even afford the things that make life more enjoyable.

New data from the federal government paints a troubling picture of the housing market in San Diego County for both renters and homeowners.

Last year, more than half of all renters in San Diego County, more than 260,000 people, said goodbye to one-third of their salaries just to cover rent alone. And nearly one in three renters spent more than half on rent. The information comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2021 5-Year Estimates.

NBC 7 Investigates spoke with two lifelong renters who know how difficult the situation can be. Both Alonzo Mooreman and Angel Garibay say they've always needed roommates to afford living here.

"It's a lot more precarity," Mooreman told us. "You're one paycheck away from being on the street. If I want to live by myself it would probably run me about half my monthly income. And I have a job that people would generally consider to be well-paid."

"I'm a 100% disabled veteran, wounded from Afghanistan," Garibay said. "You'd think I could live wherever I want but I can't. It limits not only me, a person who is mobile, but people worse off than me."

Mooreman's roommates in La Mesa are moving out, and you could hear the stress in his voice when he talked about what that means for him.

"I don't know where I'm going to end up now," Mooreman said. "Because rents are just so high."

Garibay just moved into his new place in Barrio Logan after his long-term landlord in North Park displaced tenants to make renovations and re-list units at a higher price. Garibay's new rent is higher than half of his paycheck.

"The moment I got handed the paper, it just felt like the air left my body," Garibay said. "All the plans I had, starting work, starting graduate school, went into a spin dive. I'm just now starting to balance out my life because it's been so stressful and I'm just so tired."

Chris Anderson is the 2022 President of the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors. She told us the current housing climate has been moving in this direction for the last decade and has been squeezing homeowners, too.

"When you don't have housing for people, that's the supply and demand effect," Anderson said. "So when there is no supply, the prices go up. And that happens for rent and that happens for home ownership."

According to the same census survey, more than 30% of all homeowners in San Diego County spend more than 30% of their money on their mortgage every month. More than 13% of homeowners spend more than half of theirs to stay in their homes.

"Honestly, what I've found is that a lot of people have to have two incomes," Anderson told us. "They have to have two incomes nowadays. To own or to rent."

She says prices in the rental market will only continue to go up if construction doesn't create more options.

"One percent of all the houses that are rentals are vacant," Anderson told us. "That means there is hardly any inventory for people to find to rent. And that causes the prices to inflate as well."

San Diego isn't the only place where people are feeling the squeeze of soaring housing costs. The data also shows people are paying high percentages of their income on housing in Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

NBC 7

NBC 7

Mooreman and Garibay are banding together with fellow renters to try to fight for affordable housing. They've teamed up with Ashley Kuhnert and the Tenant Councils of San Diego, who's been providing advice on how to organize for a better bargaining position with landlords.

"It's not tenable," Kuhnert said. "There's going to be a breaking point. These landlords are destroying our communities by treating our homes like banks they can extract rent from, and I can't stand by that. It makes me infuriated. It hurts my friends. It hurts my community. And I'll do everything I can to stop that from happening."

Like so many renters, Garibay says he is on the precipice of getting priced out. But he's holding on to stay in the city he loves, fought for overseas, and serves through his work in city hall but can't afford to live in.

"I've become a part of this city," Garibay said. "I've become part of the community. I've become a San Diegan! I've let go of my Pennsylvania part and I've become a San Diegan and that's what I want to be."

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NBC 7 Investigates Finds 1 in 3 San Diegans Spend Half Their Income on Rent

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Last year, more than half of all renters in San Diego County, more than 260,000 people, said goodbye to one-third of their salaries just to cover rent alone. And nearly one in three renters spent more than half on rent.

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Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP) (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images

A new poll found that while most Americans expect there will be a time when entire news articles will be written by artificial intelligence (AI), a majority said that would be a bad thing.

The survey - conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute - showed that 72 percent of Americans believe that AI will be used to write entire news articles. The poll also found that 78 percent said using AI software to write articles would be a bad thing, and 65 percent said students could potentially use programs such as ChatGPT to cheat on school assignments.

More than 90 percent of Americans said that they are aware of AI, and of that number, 35 percent reported hearing about recent developments in AI technology, according to the poll. Around 60 percent also said they have heard of ChatGPT - an online AI program that can write responses to typed-in prompts.

"AI has started to permeate every facet of life. Most Americans are skeptical that this is a good thing, even though many of them use some form of artificial intelligence on a regular basis already," Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement.

Only 9 percent of Americans believed that AI would do more good than harm to society, as 41 percent said it would do more harm and 46 percent said it would do equal levels of good and harm. More than 70 percent of Americans reported that machines with the ability to think for themselves would hurt the economy, and 56 percent said it would hurt people's quality of life, the poll found.

The research also found that more Americans - around 55 percent - are now worried about AI one day threatening human existence than in 2015, when only 44 percent were worried.

Most Americans reported that some AI applications, such as performing risky jobs and facial recognition technology, were good ideas. Most Americans said using the technology for other applications, including nuclear plant operations, self-driving delivery trucks, military drones and robotic nurses, was a bad idea.

Some lawmakers, including Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), have called on the government to regulate artificial intelligence. Lieu proposed in a New York Times op-ed last month that to regulate AI, there needs to be a separate federal agency to monitor it - and the poll found that 55 percent of Americans support a proposal like that.

The poll surveyed 805 American adults from Jan. 26 to Jan. 30. The results have a margin of error of 5.7 percentage points.

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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78 percent say AI-written news articles would be a bad thing: survey

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A new poll found that while most Americans expect there will be a time when entire news articles will be written by artificial intelligence (AI), a majority said that would be a bad thing. The survey - conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute - showed that 72 percent of Americans believe that AI will...

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IUCN Red List Number of Threatened Species In Each Major Taxonomic Group by Country In North America - Nico

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IUCN Red List Number of Threatened Species In Each Major Taxonomic Group by Country In North America - Nico

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Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

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GALA (cryptocurrency) drops value by 72%. 

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GALA (cryptocurrency) drops value by 72%. 

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Luka Kovacevic

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GALA, the native token of Gala Games, is under immense selling pressure as of early September 2023. Trackers show that the token is down 72% from 2023 peaks when it soared to $0.062 in late January 2023. From there, the token has been edging lower, sinking to $0.017 at spot rates, unwinding over 95% of gains posted in early 2023. To illustrate, GALA is cents away from retesting all-time lows registered in late 2022 at around $0.016.

GALA Plunging

The drawdown could be pinned to the unfavorable market-wide bear market conditions that have seen top coins, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, surge before dumping, dragging altcoins even lower. The slowdown across Bitcoin has been mirrored in GALA as the token edges lower, reversing gains posted on August 29.

On this day, Bitcoin rose after a US Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Grayscale, the issuer of GBTC. Even though the court didn't direct the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to convert GBTC trust to an exchange-traded fund (ETF), the judge didn't provide clear reasons why they denied Grayscale's request. BTC prices rallied as odds of the US approving a spot Bitcoin ETF rose, lifting altcoins, including GALA. However, bears have successfully peeled back losses, as the daily chart shows.

CEO Versus Co-Founder

Beyond market factors, GALA may plunge to all-time lows primarily because of internal wrangles that could heap more pressure on the token that's already struggling against unrelenting bears. Court documents show that CEO Eric Schiermeyer and co-founder Wright Thurston filed lawsuits against each other.

Filings that Schiermeyer blames the co-founder for illegally obtaining and selling $130 million of GALA. The CEO also claims the co-founder stole node licenses for operating nodes within the Gala game ecosystem. He also cites Thurston's history of founding companies that often in bankruptcy. The CEO wants the co-founder replaced as director.

The co-founder and his investment vehicle, True North Investments, the CEO of wasting millions of dollars in company assets and engaging in fraudulent practices that harmed the company. The co-founder claims the CEO misused millions, including $600 million of assets, and lending millions of dollars from Gala Games to himself. They also alleged that the CEO created entities in Switzerland and Dubai that, in reality, should belong to Gala Games. The co-founder wants to kick out the CEO, who has held the office since 2021.
Featured image from Canva, chart from TradingView

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GALA Sinks 72% In 2023 Alone - Blame Internal Wrangles And Lawsuits?

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GALA prices are under pressure, dropping 72% from 2023 peaks. This is amid the CEO and co-founder filing lawsuits each other.

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Homelessness in the region increased by at least 14% this year, according to the results from the 2023 WeAllCount Point-in-Time Count released Thursday.

The Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) conducted the federally-required count in January throughout the county with the help of more than 1,600 volunteers. The count is a one-night snapshot of the minimum number of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.

Overall, the count found no less than 10,264 individuals experiencing homelessness across our region. This number includes 5,171 unsheltered San Diegans with 5,093 individuals in shelters and transitional housing.

"These results show what's been clear from our monthly reporting and from what we see on the streets - the region's homeless system and providers simply cannot keep pace with the ever-increasing flow of people across the county falling into homelessness for a variety of reasons," said Tamera Kohler, RTFH CEO. "While there are some bright spots, more clearly needs to be done if we want to see different results."

A statement from the task force reminds readers of the report that the challenge of finding every unsheltered person in a car, encampment or under a bridge, is impossible.

However, under an agreement with the California Department of Transportation, volunteers were able to reach people experiencing homelessness in encampments on Caltrans property for the first time. The ability to conduct a robust count on these sites for the first time led to an additional 661 people being counted this year.

With these new areas added to the Point-in-Time Count, the region saw a total increase of 22% in the number of people experiencing homelessness this year compared to 2022.

Without those additional CalTrans sites added to the count, the region saw a 14% increase compared to the same areas covered last year. Of those surveyed, 80% said they began experiencing homelessness in San Diego County.

"What you're seeing is a system that is stressed and overloaded," said Ray Ellis, RTFH Board Chair. "Our monthly data reporting shows that from March 2022 through February 2023, more than 11,000 people experiencing homelessness exited the system and moved into a home or apartment, an amazing achievement.

"However, we're still seeing a worrying jump in people experiencing homelessness over that same time period. This should be a clarion call to invest in what we know works. We need a lot more housing, a lot more shelter beds, and additional funding for outreach and services."

RTFH's monthly reports found that for every 10 San Diegans who are housed, 13 San Diegans experience homelessness for the first time. Those reports also show the region has not seen a month since March 2022 where more San Diegans have been housed compared to those experiencing homelessness the first time.

"We are disheartened to learn that the homeless population continues to grow in San Diego at an alarming rate, and that so many families and individuals are living on the streets," said Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe's Villages, one of the region's largest homelessness services providers. "This reality underscores the urgent need for action. These numbers serve as a stark reminder that we must implement more strategic solutions to eradicate homelessness from our community."

"Even with an increase in services at Father Joe's Villages - serving 3,000 each night, expanding shelter beds during the height of the pandemic, providing medical care to more people in our health center, and opening new affordable housing communities - there are systemic challenges we must address as a community before we can put an end to homelessness for good," he said.

The region's homeless response system interacted with more than 41,000 people in San Diego County from October 2021 to September 2022, compared to 38,000 the previous year.

"Until we have enough shelter beds, many will remain living on the streets," Vargas said. "Until we have enough affordable housing, the ultimate solution to homelessness, the number of unhoused will remain an issue. Together, we must rise to the occasion and rally behind those in need, working tirelessly to provide solutions and support that result in a healthy community."

Among the sobering data, RTFH leadership found some glimmers of hope. Families experiencing unsheltered homelessness decreased by 25% in the past year. Additionally, there was a larger increase in the sheltered population of transitional-aged youth than the unsheltered population.

"Also important is that the percentages of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness remain roughly the same as in 2022, meaning that added shelter capacity - especially in the city of San Diego - is helping to provide more people with a safe place," a statement from the RTFH reads.

Additional data points include 29% of people living on the streets are women and people 55 or older now make up 29% of the region's unsheltered population, with 46% of them experiencing homelessness for the first time.

"Similar to last year, the shocking growth in homelessness among San Diego County residents over age 55 is a significant component of the region's homeless population," said nonprofit Serving Seniors chief operating officer Melinda Forstey. "While this is not unexpected, it is daunting and disappointing.

"This reality underscores the urgent need for action. These numbers serve as a stark reminder that we must implement more strategic solutions to eradicate homelessness from our community."

Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe's Villages

"The causes of older adult homelessness are in many ways different from the general unhoused population. The solutions required must address these differences," she said.

Serving Seniors recommends a "shallow rental subsidy" approach to prevent homelessness caused by economic situations and age-friendly shelters or dedicated areas for older adults within congregate shelters and safe camping areas.

The San Diego City Council is set to consider an "Unsafe Camping Ordinance" on Wednesday, which would prohibit tent encampments in all public spaces throughout the city if shelter beds are available and would ban tent encampments at all times in certain sensitive areas - parks, canyons and near schools, transit stations and homeless shelters - regardless of shelter capacity.

The news on homelessness in North County was mixed. In Escondido, the count of unsheltered people went from 182 in 2022 to 304 this year - a 67% increase.

"Unfortunately, the data reaffirms what we have been seeing on the ground every day that homelessness is increasing, and in particular, unsheltered homelessness has increased in in our North County communities," said Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, a North County shelter provider.

Other North County cities saw a drop in their numbers. They included Poway, San Marcos and the coastal cities of Del Mar, Encinitas and Solana Beach.

In the South Bay, Chula Vista had a 54% increase in people living without shelter.

Deputy Mayor Jose Preciado said the city is working on several efforts from building 11,000 new housing units, the recent opening of the Chula Vista Village at Otay that includes 65 tiny homes, to the creation of a housing and homelessness office. He said the city is also forming a citizen's commission that will include residents on how to address additional challenges.

"Chula Vista continues to be vested in everyone that comes to Chula Vista. We're a welcoming city and we will try to support everyone the best we can as long as we have resources," Preciado said.

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Homelessness in San Diego County increased by at least 14%, annual count finds

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Homelessness in the region increased by at least 14% this year, according to the results from the 2023 WeAllCount Point-in-Time Count released Thursday.

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At least 85 percent of the world’s population has been affected by human-induced climate change, new study shows

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Researchers used machine learning to analyze more than 100,000 studies of weather events and found that four-fifths of the world’s land area has suffered impacts linked to global warming.

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LGBT Identification in U.S. Ticks Up to 7.1%

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LGBT Identification in U.S. Ticks Up to 7.1%

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LGBT Identification in U.S. Ticks Up to 7.1% — LGBTQ Institute

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LGBT identification up from 5.6% in 2020 One in five Gen Z adults identify as LGBT Bisexual identification is most common

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57% of Covid cases from March through July in UCSD Health workers were vaccinated.

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57% of Covid cases from March through July in UCSD Health workers were vaccinated.

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A San Diego hospital system reported a small resurgence of Covid, even among vaccinated workers.

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The staff of a Southern California hospital system experienced a small resurgence in coronavirus infections this summer, despite more than four-fifths of its employees being fully vaccinated. The findings join a flurry of recent reports of so-called breakthrough infections among vaccinated people.