California Policy Lab April 2026 Newsletter

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“Priced Out” report sparking conversations across California and the US 

Our “Priced Out” report is sparking widespread conversations across the state and country about California’s affordability crisis and implications for the state’s population, including a briefing we hosted at the UC Student and Policy Center.

In addition to an LAT exclusive, 50+ outlets have covered the report, including the New York Times, SF Gate, Sacramento Bee, SF Chronicle, USA Today, Newsweek, Las Vegas Review Journal, and the San Diego Union Tribune.

Use new tables to see migration numbers for your county or legislative district. Report

March update: Tracking Prop 36

CPL’s monthly analysis shows how many people are admitted to prison each month for the two new drug and theft offenses created by Prop 36 (2024). March update

Early representation improves outcomes

Dr. Johanna Lacoe (CPL) and Charlie Hendrickson (Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office) highlight how earlier access to a public defender significantly reduces jail time and conviction rates while increasing case dismissals. The Santa Clara Blueprint

CPL testifies on statewide homelessness prevention bill

Janey Rountree, Executive Director at CPL’s UCLA site, testified on AB 1924 (Gabriel & Quirk-Silva), which would require the state Dept of Housing and Community Development to develop and publicly issue a statewide homelessness prevention strategy by July 1, 2027. The bill passed the Assembly Housing committee with unanimous support. Testimony

Sacramento briefing and panel discussion: Implications of CPL’s “Priced Out” report

Thanks to Lindsey Holden (POLITICO) for moderating an engaging discussion with Chas Alamo (LAO), Teri Olle (Economic Security California Action), and Evan White (CPL). Recording

Research associate at our UC Berkeley site

Come join our team!  Follow us on LinkedIn to see future job openings. Job posting

Hosted research on moves and debt

Beyond our own research, CPL also facilitates access to our data infrastructure for other researchers.

In the SF Bay Area, moves to low-cost suburban areas led to substantial increases in housing and auto debt. Ramiller

Jesse Rothstein wants to say yes

“The California Policy Lab was a way to set up that administrative infrastructure—to negotiate agreements, to build relationships, to build computing infrastructure that could support collaborations between researchers and programs and agencies.”

In this in-depth interview, Professor Jesse Rothstein, faculty director at CPL’s Berkeley site, discusses CPL’s decade-long mission to build the data infrastructure necessary for high-impact research partnerships between state agencies and academics.

What happens after people leave California?

Evan White was interviewed about CPL’s “Priced Out” report, highlighting the lower average housing costs ($672 less) for movers, higher likelihood of becoming a homeowner, and that Nevada is the most popular desitation.

People leaving California are often less rich than their neighbors. New research shows what happens after they move

Evan White explains that people moving out of state are, on average, financially weaker than their neighbors, reflected in larger student and auto debts and lower credit scores. In addition to an LAT exclusive, 50+ outlets have covered the report, including the New York Times, SF Gate,  Sacramento Bee, SF Chronicle, USA Today, Newsweek, Las Vegas Review Journal, and the San Diego Union Tribune.

Californians flee high costs – and many come out ahead financially, study finds

Evan White was interviewed about CPL’s “Priced Out” report, highlighting the lower average housing costs ($672 less) for movers and higher likelihood of becoming a homeowner.

Moving out of California might make you richer

Evan White was invited to join AirTalk to discuss the implications from the migration trends shared in CPL’s “Priced Out” report.

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