Nick Josefowitz

10/07/2022

Excited to host Secretary wade.crowfoot on Tuesday for a discussion about equitable climate resiliency in California, with a particular focus on wildfires, sea level rise and drought! Let me know if there are any questions you want me to ask, and hope you can make it.
Tuesday October 11 1230-130pm, sign up link below.
https://www.spur.org/events/2022-10-11/resiliency-face-changing-climate
HT SPUR

Californians — and citizens worldwide — are feeling the effects of a changing and warming climate. Sea levels are rising, ice caps are melting and wildfires are more intense and frequent. As California grapples with how to address the impacts of climate change, the California Natural Resources A...

09/15/2022

Amazing to be at White House for IRA signing ceremony earlier this week. Met some of the good folks who made it happen. But as historic as the IRA is, climate change isn't solved. Not even close. In California, we need to pass Prop 30 this Nov to leverage IRA funding and making the scale of investments that will zero out tailpipe emissions and prevent the worst catastrophic wildfires -- cleaning our air, fighting climate change, and lifting up Californians.
Yes on 30 - Clean Air California Secretary Pete Buttigieg Elizabeth Warren Joe Manchin

08/17/2022

Earlier this year, the California Legislature considered a proposal to make healthy food more affordable for Californians with low incomes. The proposal would have provided a penny-for-penny rebate for people buying California-grown fresh fruits and vegetables with CalFresh dollars at participating retailers. Though the proposal didn’t pass, the momentum behind it demonstrated strong legislative interest in the idea, bipartisan support and positive response from people who see the value in expanding an existing program that reduces hunger, improves health and supports California’s agricultural economy.

California

Earlier this year, the California Legislature considered a proposal aimed at making healthy food more affordable for Californians with low incomes. The proposal — introduced by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula, co-sponsored by SPUR and Nourish California, and backed by a broad coalition — wou...

08/16/2022

SPUR is a long-time supporter of BART Phase II, which will bring BART into downtown and Diridon Station in San José. The project gets many things right, but we think it can do even more to reach its goal of making transit the best choice for more people and more types of trips. Here's how we think that can happen.

SPUR is a long-time supporter of BART Phase II, which will bring BART service into downtown San José. The project gets many things right, but we think it can do more to reach its goal of making transit the first and best choice for more people and more types of trips. As VTA convenes a collaborativ...

08/15/2022

This November, San Francisco voters will be asked to choose between two competing charter amendments to streamline the creation of new affordable and workforce housing, one co-sponsored by SPUR. On the face of it, the two ballot measures appear very similar. But the policy details included in these measures mean that only Affordable Homes Now would have a significant impact on affordable housing production in San Francisco.

This November, San Francisco voters will be asked to choose between two competing charter amendments to streamline the creation of new affordable and workforce housing, one co-sponsored by SPUR. On the face of it, the two ballot measures appear very similar. But the policy details included in these....

08/12/2022

With the passage of a $17 billion inflation relief package, the California Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom built on the economic stimulus efforts of the past two years by getting cash into the hands of Californians and investing in programs to help people make ends meet.

By continuing to invest in helping people who have been most destabilized by the pandemic, and who suffer the most under inflation, California can take meaningful steps toward building economic security for all people.

With the passage of a $17 billion inflation relief package, the California Legislature and Governor Newsom built on the economic stimulus efforts of the past two years by getting cash into the hands of Californians and investing in programs to help people make ends meet. By continuing to invest in h...

08/11/2022

California grows more than a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts. Yet, recent assessments of food purchasing by nine Bay Area institutions show that less than 19% of their spending is on local food.

Bay Area public institutions including schools, jails and hospitals are working to address this gap by aligning their spending with the five core values of the Good Food Purchasing Program, procuring food that is local, sustainable, fair, humane and healthy.

SPUR and for Good Food Purchasing's new research brief, The State of Good Food Purchasing in 2022, identifies seven strategies to support institutions in aligning supply and demand to build a more resilient, sustainable and equitable regional food system.

Bay Area schools, jails and hospitals are working to align their spending with the five core values of the Good Food Purchasing Program, procuring food that is local, sustainable, fair, humane and healthy. SPUR and The Center for Good Food Purchasing identify seven strategies to support institutions...

08/10/2022

Can we really save Democracy with election reform alone? On Thursday, join me in a lunch discussion with California’s Chief Service Officer, Josh Fryday, as we take a deeper dive into the how mass volunteering and service can help us rebuild our communities and Democracy itself.

It's a common mantra in the Bay Area that our water is the purest in the world. But even in the Bay Area, communities that are primarily Black and Latino report concerns that their tap water isn't clean or affordable. California's Integrated Water Regional Water Management program, funded by a 2014....

07/06/2022

Assembly Bill 2206 would make it easier for employers to implement a California law known as parking cash-out, which requires companies that provide free employee parking to offer the cash equivalent to those who choose not to drive to work. SPUR explored the benefits of parking cash-out at a digital discourse earlier this year.

A bill to give California commuters more options for sustainable transportation is getting strong support. Assembly Bill 2206 would make it easier for employers to implement a California law known as parking cash-out, which requires companies that provide free employee parking to offer the cash equi...

07/05/2022

During the pandemic, organizations across the country started cash transfer programs to help those who needed it most. These moves helped bring guaranteed income to the forefront of a national conversation on how best to alleviate poverty and growing income inequality. SPUR recently participated in an effort to turn SF’s guaranteed income pilot programs into permanent policies.

During the pandemic, federal stimulus funds sent as cash transfers gave many people the money they needed to survive. Organizations across the country started cash transfer programs to help those who needed it most. These bold moves helped bring guaranteed income to the forefront of a national conve...

07/04/2022

With housing prices out of reach for many, California is facing the need to create housing affordable to middle-income households. A promising new model — joint powers authority (JPA) owned middle-income housing — uses tax incentives to close the gap between development costs and affordable rents.

This brief by SPUR and the Terner Center for Housing Innovation explains how the JPA model works, how it’s being used and how it can be implemented to deliver meaningful public benefits.

Terner Center for Housing Innovation

With housing prices out of reach for many, California is facing the need to find new ways to create housing affordable to middle-income households. A promising new model — joint powers authority (JPA) owned middle-income housing — uses tax incentives to close the gap between development costs an...

06/30/2022

We’re hiring for ten exciting new positions. Come join our growing team at SPUR!