From California Budget and Policy Center, February 2026
Around 7 million Californians consistently struggle to make ends meet due to factors like unaffordable housing costs and rising food costs, which are straining already tight household budgets. These intense affordability pressures will increase as the debilitating federal cuts to food assistance and health care from H.R. 1 — the harmful Republican megabill — begin to materialize, likely driving up already high rates of poverty and food insecurity.
At a time when the federal government is making it harder for families to meet their basic needs, California leaders should do more to use the tools they have to address affordability challenges. Specifically, policymakers should seize the opportunity to expand California’s Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) to all low-income families with dependent children, providing a much-needed boost to their incomes.
Read more: https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/expanding-the-young-child-tax-credit-would-help-more-families-afford-basic-needs/
