logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
18m 25s

Fighting homelessness in Sacramento

Bbc World Service
About this episode

California's state capital suffers from a serious shortage of housing, like much of the Golden State. Small informal encampments along riverbanks or the side of the road are a common sight.

We hear from Laura Nussbaum, a woman living in one of these camps in Sacramento. She's trying to get back into permanent housing but doesn't think she'll get any help from the city. Meanwhile, the mayor of Sacramento thinks his city should pass a law which gives everyone the legal right to housing. Darrell Steinberg tells presenter Sarah Hawkins how it would work, and why a law is needed to cut through red tape.

But not everyone is convinced; Faye Wilson Kennedy of the Sacramento Poor People's Campaign worries that the law could force people to choose from the city's very limited list of housing options without necessarily building new options. And local reporter Chris Nichols gives us the perspective of local builders, NIMBY groups, and even some YIMBY groups who positively want new developments to take shape.

(Picture: Woman living in an encampment in Sacramento; Credit: Andrew Nixon)

Up next
Yesterday
The impact of 'thirsty' data centres
We're in the US state of Georgia, where huge data centres need water to keep cool. But how is this need for cloud storage and AI capability affecting local residents and the environment?Presenter: Michelle Fleury Producer: Nathalie Jimenez(Image: Georgia resident Beverly Morris l ... Show More
17m 50s
Jul 8
Does university still get you a well-paid job?
Graduates are facing one of the toughest jobs markets in decades. We hear from students in India, the US and UK about whether they feel a university or college degree is worth it as we discuss the cost of attending university around the world and what your job prospects might be ... Show More
17m 27s
Jul 7
Returning to Ukraine?
The UN estimates that nearly seven million Ukrainians have left their home country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Many have set up businesses in their new country - around 90,000 of those in Poland. We hear about the challenges they’ve faced, and the sectors ... Show More
17m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
Is homelessness a crime?
America is in the midst of a homelessness crisis. With little affordable housing and limited space at shelters, many people are instead sleeping outside. But as tent encampments become more common, particularly on the West Coast where the housing crisis is most acute, the pressur ... Show More
32m 39s
May 2023
Women Face Challenges With Child Care As They Look To Enter Construction Industry
The construction industry in California wants to hire more women to meet a shortage of skilled workers. But access to child care is keeping many of these women from joining the trades.Reporter: Daisy Nguyen, KQED The state is suing the city of Elk Grove for allegedly using discri ... Show More
11m 44s
Oct 2022
Diving Into The Homeless Crisis In America
California has the highest number of homeless encampments in the United States and holds more than half of all unsheltered homeless people. In an effort to resolve homelessness, major cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Portland, Austin, Houston, and San Francisco, are ... Show More
58m 22s
Apr 2024
The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
Debates over homeless encampments in the United States have intensified as their number has surged. To tackle the problem, some cities have enforced bans on public camping.As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments about whether such actions are legal, Abbie VanSickle, who c ... Show More
29m 46s
Dec 2020
Chapter 5: Housing Finally
If homelessness is the problem, housing is the solution. But it’s not always that simple. Kate Cody has been living in her encampment community for a long time. And there’s no guarantee she’ll be able to make the transition inside, even with the golden ticket. The way homelessnes ... Show More
48m 2s
Apr 2024
Hear Me Out: Don’t Blame Capitalism For The Housing Crisis
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: housing the nation.  We have an affordable housing problem — and an affordability problem, period, but that’s another show.  When we talk about solutions to homelessness and cost burden for renters and homeowners alike, many progressives lean to ... Show More
37m 9s
Oct 2023
San Fransicko
This week we're tackling "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities," a book that dares to ask: What if everything that experts think about homelessness is wrong, and everything that one crank on Twitter thinks about homelessness is right?Support us on Patreon: https://www ... Show More
1 h
Jul 2023
What We Learned From the Deepest Look at Homelessness in Decades
California has around half of the nation’s unsheltered homeless population. The state’s homelessness crisis has become a talking point for Republicans and a warning sign for Democrats in blue cities and states across the country.Last month, the Benioff Homelessness and Housing In ... Show More
1h 2m