What’s going on with poverty issues in California in 2025?
The state’s legislative leaders have already declared that affordability will be at the top of the agenda in 2025. CalMatters has a team of reporters assigned to a project we call the California Divide, focused on social mobility, poverty and affordability. In January, Gov. Gavin Newsom, legislators, anti-poverty leaders and advocates will outline their plans for the state’s 2025 agenda for addressing poverty and affordability. This page will be updated as new proposals are introduced.
CalMatters reporters working on “California Divide” issues:
- Reporter Felicia Mello, felicia@calmatters.org
- Reporter Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, alejandra@calmatters.org
- Reporter Wendy Fry, wendy@calmatters.org
Quick Facts
- Poverty: 13% of Californians live in poverty, earning less than $39,900 a year for a family of four.
- Child poverty: Fell from 18% in 2019 to 9% during the pandemic, then climbed back to 14% last year.
- Minimum wage is $16 per hour, 2nd-highest in the US. An adult with two children would need to earn more than $56/hr to support their family.
- Wealth: The number of Californians making more than $50 million a year jumped by 158% during the pandemic, to 3,182.
Poverty related Bills
In Focus
These are all of the bills under consideration this session related to poverty. Highlighted bills are identified by CalMatters as among the most significant.
Key Players
Legislative Leaders
These are the leaders in the Legislature on poverty issues, as identified by CalMatters.
Marie Alvarado-Gil
District 4, Modesto
Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh
District 19, Redlands
Melissa Hurtado
District 16, Bakersfield
Corey Jackson
District 60, Moreno Valley
Scott Wiener
District 11, San Francisco
Alex Lee
District 24, Milpitas
Bill Essayli
District 63, Corona
Non-Legislator leaders
These are the people who have been most active on poverty related bills based on how many times they have testified in hearings or taken positions on related bills.
