A program in Modesto is helping reduce the number of people
experiencing homelessness. In 2023, the team received nearly
5,000 calls, with 71% of individuals accepting services. The
program saves the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in staff
time annually.
Four years ago, Corona had thousands of missing trees and a
disorderly forestry strategy. Today, the city is actively
managing and planting trees, creating environmental, aesthetic,
and social dividends in the process.
For decades, Santa Monica chipped away at water self-sufficiency.
Now it’s on track to increase local water supplies to 90% by
summer 2024. The project was recognized at the 2024 Global
Water Awards, second only to the United Arab Emirates.
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.
When the city of Riverside was looking for a way to reuse its
historic library building, it turned to an unlikely ally: the
comedian Cheech Marin. The tired structure was reborn in 2022 as
“The Cheech,” a national cultural center for Chicano art.
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.
Agoura Hills once faced a familiar conundrum: How do you bridge
the communications gap between a city and the people they serve?
The Good Life Agoura Hills podcast is helping the city close that
gap in a fun, cost-effective, and accessible way.
Like many cities, Moreno Valley grapples with a low college
completion rate. A new set of low-cost programs aims to change
that. Nearly two-thirds of participants have experienced an
improvement in their GPA. Most have secured full-time jobs in
their fields and reported positive changes in their wages.
Just three years ago, Pleasanton police were placing over 350
people per year in psychiatric detentions when they were judged
to be a danger to themselves or others. There were no follow-ups
after initial evaluations. Today, someone experiencing a mental
health crisis in Pleasanton has a much different experience.
Shell Beach Road is Pismo Beach’s oldest road — and one of its
most important downtown connectors. What began as a community
concept to make it a safe, efficient, and enjoyable street for
all its users turned into one of the largest projects ever
completed by the city.
Youth throughout California are struggling with mental illness —
a trend made worse during the pandemic. As lawmakers advance
major changes to the state’s behavioral health system, students
in Gonzales are also making changes to their own systems of care.
E-bikes became popular in Laguna Niguel during the pandemic,
especially with younger riders. This led to heightened concerns
about rider safety. But when the city began developing a safety
plan, it found few case studies and strategies to pull from.
Around 80% of Stanislaus County’s homeless population lives in
Modesto. City leaders know what services to provide. However,
coordinating those services was difficult without good data.
Inaccurate data can slow down services and drive up costs.
Buellton residents have long pushed for more arts and culture
opportunities to increase their quality of life. Many have come
to view the arts as a way to incentivize economic development.
Like many aspects of government, this is easier said than done,
especially with just 20 full-time city employees.
Service providers are often reluctant to deploy high-speed
universal broadband due to costs. To get around this, Placentia
helped develop new microtrenching construction techniques that
allow for quicker broadband deployment, even in areas with no
existing connections.
Eureka is reversing an unusually high rate of homelessness thanks
to an innovative set of social service programs. Since
launching the program in 2019, Eureka has housed over 120
individuals and helped more than 200 people obtain employment.
Firefighters and paramedics often do not have the time to address
the chronic causes behind emergency calls, such as homelessness.
Montebello is filling that service gap by treating people where
they are, building long-term relationships, and developing
evidence-based solutions.
Many looked at Paradise after the Camp Fire and saw a “clean
slate” — a chance to rebuild completely anew. However, town
leaders and the private owners of thousands of the now vacant
parcels needed to come together before they could move forward.
Once a nearly all-white community, Lakewood has become one of
California’s most diverse cities. When the murder of George Floyd
made national news in 2020, the resulting public outrage shook
the bedroom community and led to calls for change. The resulting
10-point action plan and first year of implementation are major
milestones for the city.
