Government
Richmond’s lawsuit against 29 oil and coal companies, including Chevron, aims to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for future costs related to climate change. Richmond is the ninth city to sue fossil fuel companies, following on the heels of San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Cruz.
Recent data on homelessness in Richmond shows a dramatic decrease in the number of unsheltered people over the last few years. However, county and city officials are worried about the increase in homeless seniors and youth, and signs the homeless population is moving east.
After sitting vacant and neglected for almost a decade, 662 Fourth St., a home in the Iron Triangle, burst into flames. The blaze, which neighbors say was started by trespassers, lead to the destruction of three homes. According to public records and interviews with city officials, Richmond doesn’t have the budget or staffing to fully mitigate the risks posed by vacant homes.
Significant campaign donations from organizations linked with charter schools flooded the last two West Contra Costa school board races. As charter schools continue to grow in the district, it’s important to examine the money and policies that shaped the current charter landscape.
It’s Wednesday morning, and Demnlus Johnson III works diligently in his office. The sounds of footsteps echo in the hall as students, teachers and staff make their way to where they need to be before the morning bell rings. After finishing up emails, securing a new gym floor covering, and methodically searching for students’ schedules, Johnson stands up and buttons his brown tweed suit. It’s time to hand-deliver 30 applications for the Rising Scholars program, an initiative that helps young…
Nikki Beasley is executive director of Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, a nonprofit developed in the 1980s to address housing inequities, particularly those created by practices such as redlining and discriminatory lending. She’s served in her current position for little more than a year, but in that time she’s made it clear she’ll be showing up and speaking her mind when it counts.
The Richmond Police Department reports up to 800 live on the streets of Richmond every night, but there is currently no dedicated fund for the homeless in the city. Local advocate Kathy Robinson is the head of the city’s new homeless task force, and she’s determined not to let it go on like this.
Underutilization of the CalFresh program in Contra Costa County resulted in a projected loss of nearly $94 million in annual economic impact. Five years later, the federal aid remains untapped.