Youth and Community Services

Overview

Youth and Community Services

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

Campbell’s motel voucher programs could be the first step in regional homelessness plan

Campbell, in recent years, has directed a great deal of resources toward meeting unhoused residents’ immediate needs, including a motel voucher program. But city officials want to do more in the coming years. “We recognized that if we want to accomplish a lot, we couldn’t finance it alone,” says Rob Eastwood, community development director. 

Article Features By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot and Caleb Zimmerschied Valadez

‘We can’t call the President and say stop.’ California cities scrambled to respond to summer immigration sweeps

California city officials say the surprise immigration sweeps that started earlier this year have eroded public trust, strained local economies, and revived old fears. And although there are limited ways to respond, they are determined to take care of their residents.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By Manuel Carrillo Jr.

Baldwin Park’s tiny home villages transformed a crisis into community

In five years, Baldwin Park reduced the number of residents experiencing homelessness by 80%. “Baldwin Park has proven that you don’t need to be a big city to create big change,” said Marisa Creter, executive director of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.

Article Features By John Lorinc

People want to have kids and live downtown. Can they?

For decades, planners focused on attracting young singles to dense urban cores. That dynamic has shifted, in part because those young singles didn’t want to move to the suburbs to have kids. But many cities still don’t have enough affordable, family-sized housing or services.

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

Glendora is trying to house homeless residents. But it needs help to maintain momentum

Glendora plans to convert an assisted living facility into either permanent low-income housing or a mix of transitional and permanent housing. The city, which has spent $5 million thus far, needs to raise another $40-$50 million to make it a reality. 

Article Local Works By Caleb Zimmerschied Valadez

Doctors in LA bring health care to the streets

What started as a radical fringe movement of medicine more than 30 years ago is now being incorporated into mainstream health care — with the city of Los Angeles at the forefront. Patients receive care wherever they are, whether that’s in an encampment, on the sidewalk, or under a bridge.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence by Judith Franco

Vacaville’s Summer at City Hall builds generational bridges

Summer at City Hall equips Vacaville youth with job readiness skills and a deeper understanding of local government. But city officials say the four-week program is more than just preparing students for jobs. It’s also about building community and giving them confidence.

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

New trails put the tiny town of Rio Dell closer to a revitalized economy

The Eel River trail is one of three new projects in Rio Dell that have already made an impact on health and community-building. Officials in this Humboldt County town hope it will eventually serve another purpose: tourism.

Article Local Works By Jackie Krentzman

The small city of Colusa is determined to overcome a history of prioritizing single-family homes

A semi-rural city in Sacramento Valley added its first affordable housing project in close to a decade earlier this year. Colusa City Manager Jesse Cain says projects like these are critical to the community’s future, in part because many homes never hit the open market. 

Article Legal Notes By Matthew R. Silver and Valerie D. Escalante Troesh

The Grants Pass case resolved some — but not all — public camping ordinance challenges

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court resolved Eighth Amendment lawsuits against public camping ordinances. But the ruling did not close the door to other challenges — including state legislation attempting to preempt local control.

Article Local Works By Caleb Zimmerschied Valadez

Education, culture and community — free at the Santa Fe Springs Library

You may think of libraries as places to borrow books and access the internet. But think again — especially if you live near the Santa Fe Springs ​​​​Library. Bit by bit, it has become the city’s go-to institution for culture and entertainment.

Article Features By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

Want to end homelessness, recover faster from a disaster, or upskill workers? Call your library

According to State Librarian Greg Lucas, no other government-paid-for entity is as nimble or flexible as libraries. That makes them pillars of their community and well-positioned to tackle some of our biggest challenges — if they have the funding.  

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By Regina Cave

Citrus Heights transforms with a citywide beautification program

“We’re not just cleaning up the city; we’re changing how people feel about their community,” said Meghan Huber, the city’s economic development and community engagement director. “The Beautification Crew and our public outreach efforts have really made a difference.”

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By Jennifer Ortega and Justin Ezell

Colorful murals infuse new energy into downtown Concord

In Concord, peregrine falcons flock to the sky, Aztec jaguars bare their teeth, and abstract flowers sparkle in the sun. Contemporary and bold, these murals put the city on the map for art in Contra Costa, a region with the lowest art budget of all the Bay Area counties. 

Article Features By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

How cities can respond to and heal from mass shootings

Even with the nation’s most effective gun laws, Californians experienced a mass shooting every six days in 2023. “It is a sad state of affairs for our country and our community that we’ve had so many mass shootings that a set of best practices have emerged,” said one expert.

Article Local Works By Christine Jones

San Diego is driving change through an arts workforce program

The city of San Diego is leading Far South/Border North, a regional initiative for artists and cultural practitioners. The program provided grant funding to 78 recipients for outreach and awareness campaigns focused on everything from public health to civic engagement.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By Justine Jimenez

West Sacramento hits a home run for employers and high schoolers

When it comes to improving career readiness, West Sacramento is knocking it out of the park. A paid internship program has placed over 200 high school students in local internships that equip students with industry-specific and transferable skills.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By David Franz

One of California’s busiest libraries isn’t where you think it is

The Shafter library was seemingly doomed to closure in 2020. Today, it is one of the busiest libraries in the state per square foot of space.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By Edgar R. Garcia

Modesto creates a countywide system of care for youth experiencing homelessness

Success creates success, even for seemingly intractable issues. Modesto is at the forefront of a new system of care for homeless youth thanks to a strong public-private partnership. The city launched several related programs in recent years, including a navigation center and Homekey project for youth.

A judge's gavel sitting on a desk.
Article Legal Notes By Matthew R. Silver, Lauren E. Brown, and Natalie Sahagun, Civica Law Group, APC

How does CARE Court, California’s new legal approach to behavioral health care, work?

The CARE Act takes a novel, albeit controversial, approach to mental health care. Unlike previous laws, it focuses on incentivizing long-term treatment rather than imprisonment or involuntary commitment. Seven counties have already begun implementation. The rest must follow suit in 2024.