Many individuals and families in California's San Francisco Bay Area struggle to afford basic expenses, given the area's high cost of living – particularly residents with the lowest incomes. Public supports like food assistance, refundable tax credits, and cash benefits can be vital resources to help these households make ends meet. Housing affordability also makes a critical difference. This brief, produced jointly by Stanford CPI and the California Budget & Policy Center on behalf of All Home, examines the size of the gap between household resources and the basic cost of living for the Bay Area's lowest-income families and individuals. The report shows how public safety net programs and housing support can help close cost-of-living gaps, and considers implications for policy.
- Read the report (2023): Closing the Gap: Basic Costs of Living and Public Supports for Extremely Low-Income Households in the Bay Area
- Read the blog post by All Home (2023): Closing the Gap: Making Ends Meet in the Bay Area