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South Bay Real Estate – Stagflation?

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South Bay Real Estate – Stagflation?

South Bay: Market Shrinking

In July the South Bay real estate market made a valiant attempt to maintain a positive stance. It failed. Compared to June of this year, things looked better on the sales volume side, but June was already in the tank, so even the summer bump was only modest help. Looking back to July of last year gave a depressing picture. Overall sales for the south Bay were off by 1%. In itself that’s not a huge number, but considering the market started this year at well over 10%, it’s a big drop in sales.

Median price was an even greater disappointment. In January every area of the South Bay was in positive numbers. By July, every area except PV (which has been negative four out of seven months), was shrinking.

Year to date numbers have overall pointed in an equally negative direction. For the first seven months of the year the South Bay is looking at a 6% increase in homes sold. Compared to the 11% that started the year, one has to conclude the local real estate economy is trending down. The median price tells an even more down-trodden perspective with nearly all areas showing prices falling by 1% to 3% from the same period in 2024.

Beach: A One Month Jump?

The number of homes sold in the Beach cities during July jumped to 130 units, up 11% from June sales. Keep in mind, the increase follows a 4% drop in June, which followed a 2% drop in May. Month to month sales have been erratic at the Beach, while annual sales volume has been steeply up compared to 2024. July sales continued the trend with a 10% increase over the same month last year.

Median price is another matter. At the Beach the median came in at $1,844,000, down 3% from June. July was the sixth successive decline in month to month median prices for the Beach area. Annually the median has shown mixed results compared to 2024, ranging from a 32% increase in January to a 1% decline in July. This drop in July followed another 1% decline in June, continuing what looks like a year long slide in median price and in sales volume. While still higher than in 2024, July was the second lowest month this year in terms of homes sold.

Cumulative sales for 2025 were 23% higher than 2024, though still down 15% from 2019, the last normal year of business preceding the pandemic. For the same period, the median price is up 9% over last year, while coming in at 49% above the median in 2019.

Harbor: Volume and Median Down

July was not a positive month for the Harbor area. Compared to June, sales volume and median price both fell by 8%. The number of homes sold for the month fell to 307 units, while the median price dropped to $775,000. This was the steepest monthly drop seen at the Harbor in 2025.

Annual statistics weren’t any better. Looking back to July of 2024, shows sales volume declined by 3%, and the median price fell 9%, the largest annual drop this year. If the current trend continues for the balance of the year, Harbor area real estate may take a serious hit.

Year to date sales through July came in at 3%. While still positive, it’s important to note the Harbor started the year with sales volume at 10% and has been dropping all year. Similarly, the median price has gone from 1% up in January to 9% down in July, ending the first seven months falling by 1%.

A quick comparison to 2019, shows year to date sales volume still down 20% from pre-pandemic business. Median price is still 43% above the 2019 median.

Hill: Strikingly Good

The Palos Verdes Peninsula saw a strikingly good real estate market in July. Month over month sales climbed an astonishing 53%. Of course, it’s not so impressive when one notes that sales dropped 34% last month. Even at that, 75 homes were sold in July, well above the average sold in any month for 2024 and the highest number in yet this year. At $2,185,000, a 13% increase over June, the median price was likewise the highest month for 2025.

Though not as dramatic, the year over year statistics were also impressive with a 3% increase in the number of homes sold compared to July of 2024. Increasing at 8% over July of last year, made PV the only area with a positive median price this month.

Viewing 2025 versus 2024 year to date sales brought another increase of 2%, roughly on par with the rest of the South Bay. Then came the only negative on the Hill for July—a drop of 1% in the median price.

Year to date sales compared to 2019 are still down by 11% , while the median price remains up by 44% from 2019.

Inland: Long Term Slowdown

July versus June numbers showed surprising strength for the Inland area. Those cities kicked the sales volume by 15%, with the number of homes sold climbing to 131 units. While boosting the median price 1%, to $979,000, the Inland area topped the market except for the highly volatile PV peninsula.

The monthly trend reversed with the annual statistics. July 2025 compared to July 2024 showed a 8% drop in the number of sales, accompanied by a 2% drop in the median sales price.

Year to date for the first seven months came with mixed results. Sales volume showed a 1% increase. For the same period, the median price dropped 3%, ending very much like all areas except the Beach, which continued to show positive results.

Once again looking back to 2019, before the real estate market was irremediably shaken by the Covid pandemic, current sales are down 15% and median prices are up 36%. With five months left in the year and economic forecasts leaning toward stagflation, this could well be a tipping point.

Beach=Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo
Harbor=Carson, Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City
PV Hill=Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates
Inland=Torrance, Lomita, Gardena

LA From City to Sea: Care Campus Launches, Millions for Coastline Recovery

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LA From City to Sea: Care Campus Launches, Millions for Coastline Recovery

County Celebrates the Grand Opening of Skid Row Care Campus to Fill Housing and Services Gap

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County and city officials, community organizations and neighborhood residents gathered Aug. 14 to celebrate the opening of the Skid Row Care Campus, a welcoming and safe space for services, connection and community. Following speeches and campus tours, the Skid Row community came together for a celebration and service fair.

The campus, located at 442 S. Crocker Street in Los Angeles, offers a place for Skid Row residents to access hygiene care, case management, health care, harm reduction supplies and more. The campus comes out of the Skid Row Action Plan, a community planning initiative that expands access to interim and permanent housing, health care, harm reduction and other supportive services. The plan, developed by Skid Row community members and public, private, and non-profit organizations, seeks to address systemic racism and disinvestment in Skid Row by supporting a culturally vibrant and thriving community.

The Skid Row Care Campus, run by community organizations and staffed by people from the Skid Row neighborhood, began providing services in April 2025. The campus reflects what Skid Row residents have highlighted as the greatest needs in the community. The goals are to improve the health and wellbeing of Skid Row community members and create pathways out of homelessness.

The campus includes:

  • A safe services space featuring a park-like setting with onsite recreation areas, a garden, a pet area, showers, laundry, and wellness activities.
  • Case management and service booths with rotating resources from Los Angeles County and nonprofit agencies.
  • A harm reduction health hub, offering health care, respite beds for people who need medical observation, a drop-in center, harm reduction supplies, a methadone clinic (Opioid Treatment Program).
  • An enriched residential care facility, providing housing and care for people who need assistance with basic activities such as preparing meals, dressing and bathing. Also known as a licensed Residential Care Facility for the Elderly, the facility has 48 beds.

The campus is a collaborative effort among Los Angeles County Departments of Health Services, Mental Health and Public Health, City of L.A. officials, community organizations and Skid Row residents.

Details: Read more information about harm reduction services on campus and around Los Angeles County here at https://bylaforla.org/.

 

L.A. County Receives $5.1 Million to Advance Living Shoreline Projects

LOS ANGELES — Projects to restore and protect Dockweiler, Zuma and Redondo beaches for future generations are moving ahead, thanks to $5.1 million in Measure A funds, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors or DBH announced Aug. 18.

The grant from the Regional Park and Open Space District or RPOSD will fund the next phase of planning and design of “living shoreline” projects at each of the three beaches. DBH launched the projects in 2024 and is close to finishing a feasibility study that helped shape their design.

Living shoreline projects use native plants to restore dunes and shoreline habitats that naturally protect the coast from rising seas and stronger storms. By protecting the coastline, the projects will also ensure public access to the beach for years to come.

RPOSD approved over $5 million in Measure A funding for the planning and design phases of three projects:

Zuma Beach Living Shoreline Project, Malibu: $3.1 million
Widen the beach, create new dune habitat, and enhance existing dune habitat. Sand placed at Zuma Beach is expected to naturally migrate downcoast and widen Point Dume Beach.

Dockweiler State Beach Living Shoreline Project, Playa del Rey: $230,000
Add low sand barrier along the bike path to keep sand out of parking lots and restore and enhance existing dune habitat by installing sand fencing, removing non-native species, seeding with native plants, and building new access paths

Redondo Beach Living Shoreline Project, Redondo Beach: $1.7 million
Widen the beach between the Redondo Beach Pier and Topaz groin and create new dune habitat

Each project will now move into design development and environmental review, with an aim to start construction in the coming years. Community engagement will be a key part of the process—including public meetings, email updates, and presentations to local groups—to ensure transparency and help shape the design of each project.

Details: Join in building a more resilient L.A. County coastline at beaches.lacounty.gov/coastal-resilience.

DA Files New Public Corruption Charges Against LA City Councilmember Curren Price

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DA Files New Public Corruption Charges Against LA City Councilmember Curren Price

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has filed two new public corruption charges against Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price after uncovering evidence that the city’s housing authority and LA Metro paid Price’s wife more than $800,000 total at the same time Price voted to award the agencies multimillion-dollar contracts.

Curren De Mille Price Jr. has been the Los Angeles city councilmember for the Ninth District since 2013. Like all other councilmembers, he is prohibited from having a financial interest associated with any project that comes before the city council.

Price was charged on June 13, 2023, in case BA515782 with five felony counts of embezzlement of government funds, three felony counts of perjury and two felony counts of conflict of interest.

Subpoenas in the case yielded additional evidence of public corruption. On Aug. 11, prosecutors filed an amended complaint alleging two additional counts of conflict of interest. The complaint includes an appendix of 39 exhibits of evidence of the payments and Price’s voting history.

Between Oct. 22, 2019, and June 30, 2020, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles allegedly paid Del Richardson & Associates approximately $609,600. During this time, Price voted to support a $35 million federal grant and a state grant application for $252 million for the agency.

Price’s staff had flagged the item of interest prior to the votes.

Between Oct. 27, 2020, and Oct. 20, 2021, LA Metro paid Del Richardson & Associates approximately $219,500. During this time, Price brought and voted in favor of a motion to award $30 million to LA Metro.

Price’s staff had flagged the conflict of interest prior to the votes.

It is further alleged that Price took advantage of his position in city government to award city lease agreements and over $2 million in federal COVID-19 grants to the nonprofit Home at Last. Home at Last was a paying tenant of the Urban Healthcare Project at the time of the votes. Price served as CEO of Urban Healthcare Project during the time of these votes. These funds were intended for homelessness efforts.

Price’s arraignment on the amended complaint is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 14, in Department 42 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

If convicted as charged, Price faces a maximum sentence of 11 years and four months in custody, including up to nine years and four months in state prison and up to two years in county jail.

As Students Return To Classrooms, Drivers to Encounter New Street Safety Improvements Near Schools

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As Students Return To Classrooms, Drivers to Encounter New Street Safety Improvements Near Schools

 

LOS ANGELES—Mayor Karen Bass announced hundreds of new street safety improvements installed by the city to make it safer for children and families to walk safely to and from school. Improvements include installing new speed humps, signage and intersection treatments which help ensure drivers are traveling slowly and with control near schools. Last year, Mayor Bass announced the first installation of street safety infrastructure along with hiring of crossing guards.

“As the school year begins, the City has doubled down and completed hundreds of new street improvements to keep families and children safe as they get to and from school,” said Mayor Bass. “We will do all that we can to continue to make communities safer and focus on ensuring a safe experience for students this year.”

The city has completed installation of projects and taken action to make areas around schools safer, including:

  • Establishing School Slow Zones with reduced 15 mph speed limit at 625 schools, including 343 new street segments near 201 schools ahead of the new school year.
  • Completing 469 speed hump or steed table installations near 117 schools since 2023 – with 30 new schools receiving speed humps over the recent summer break.
  • Installing safety improvements including quick-build intersection tightening, new “No Right Turn on Red” restrictions, and leading pedestrian intervals (gives pedestrians a short head start, of 3-7 seconds, when crossing an intersection before vehicles are given a green light) at more than 75 schools.
  • Deploying nearly 500 crossing guards to help escort elementary and middle-school students across busy corridors.

LADOT General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo said this initiative has delivered improvements at hundreds of schools to reduce driver speed and ensure children can get to school safe and ready to learn.

County Sand Reuse Plan Aims to Protect L.A. Beaches, Shorten Permit Process

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County Sand Reuse Plan Aims to Protect L.A. Beaches, Shorten Permit Process

LOS ANGELES—A plan to allow the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors or DBH to use sand that may have otherwise gone to a landfill for beach nourishment moved forward Aug. 13 with the Board of Supervisors’ unanimous approval of the Sand Compatibility and Opportunistic Use Program or SCOUP.

If approved by regulatory agencies, the L.A. County SCOUP will remove the lengthy permitting and approval process for small beach nourishment projects that meet the program’s criteria.

“The diminishing amount of sand on our beaches is one of the many negative factors of climate change impacting our shoreline,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, whose Second District includes Dockweiler, Manhattan and Redondo beaches. “SCOUP helps the County address this challenge with cost-effective, nature-based solutions to replenish the sand our beaches need, while supporting the County’s commitment to keeping our beaches accessible to everyone.”

While coastal erosion is a natural process, climate change is making it worse. Higher sea levels and stronger storms wash away sand faster than before. Man-made structures like dams and sea walls also play a role.

Dams hold back sediment that would normally flow to the coast. Sea walls, which are often built to protect homes near the beach, can cause sand to erode more quickly by changing the way waves hit the shore. As sand disappears faster than new sediment arrives, beaches shrink, and the natural buffer that protects roads, buildings, and public spaces fades away.

SCOUP nourishment projects will restore sand to beaches that serve as a buffer between the ocean and public infrastructure.

Under the program, beach-quality sand left over from development, dredging and flood control maintenance may be used for small projects to nourish the following beaches:

  • Zuma Beach, Malibu
  • Will Rogers State Beach, Pacific Palisades
  • Dockweiler State Beach, Playa del Rey
  • Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Beach
  • Redondo Beach, Redondo Beach

Scoup Sites

These beaches were chosen using several criteria, including coastal erosion and flood risk, public infrastructure and amenities, and recreational and economic benefits, among others. These sites are also popular destinations for people from diverse inland communities. Preserving these beaches is vital to coastal access for all Angelenos.

The California Coastal Commission will next review the program for a coastal development permit. The program will also require approval by the California State Lands Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board.

SCOUP is a key component of DBH’s coastal resilience initiative, a strategy that works to protect local beaches for future generations through nature-based solutions and partnerships with regional stakeholders.

To learn more about the county’s coastal resilience initiative and SCOUP, sign up for emails about project updates and community engagement opportunities, and find out how to be part of building a more resilient L.A. County coastline, visit beaches.lacounty.gov/coastal-resilience.

Gelson’s Markets Workers Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contract

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Gelson’s Markets Workers Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contract

 

LOS ANGELES—United Food and Commercial Workers or UFCW Locals representing over 2,000 grocery workers at Gelson’s Markets across Southern California, Aug. 13 reached a tentative agreement securing higher wages, more money for pension contributions, additional health and welfare improvements, staffing and more.

The UFCW Gelson’s Bargaining Committee said:

“This victory was only possible because of our hard work and solidarity with our co-workers, our customers, and our union siblings at Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, Pavilions, and Stater Bros. Every pledge card and petition we signed, delegation we participated in, social media post we shared, customer we engaged, and action we attended helped get us to this point. Our victory sends a powerful message to workers everywhere – when we band together in solidarity, we win.”

Further details of the tentative agreement will be shared exclusively with union members in upcoming meetings. After the vote closes, the results will be tallied, verified, and shared with members. Vote results and further information on the contract will be shared with the public after membership has had a chance to review and vote on their contract.

Details: www.groceryworkersrising.org.

Grocery workers at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Super A, ratified their new contracts last month. Last week, Stater Bros. workers reached a tentative agreement and are currently holding contract ratification votes.

LA Briefs: Services Expanded to Cover Eviction Prevention and Enrollment in Safety Net Programs

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LA Briefs: Services Expanded to Cover Eviction Prevention and Enrollment in Safety Net Programs

Citywide Eviction Prevention Services Expanded in South LA

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and mayor’s fund CEO Conway Collis Aug. 13 announced the expansion of a proven resource for Angelenos who are currently — or at risk of — facing eviction. While the mayor’s fund already partners with the city’s FamilySource Centers across Los Angeles, they have now expanded and opened the first We Are LA Crenshaw casework office to help connect Angelenos in danger of becoming homeless to every resource available to them. We Are LA caseworkers provide these individuals and families one-on-one, personal support, helping them overcome obstacles like filling out applications for services, using unfamiliar technology, language barriers and accessing legal aid.

Focus on prevention is key to confronting the homelessness crisis, which has led to a second consecutive year of decline in the number of people experiencing homelessness.

“Preventing people from falling into homelessness is key to our efforts in addressing this humanitarian crisis,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “Results show that this program is working, and with a second consecutive decline in homelessness for the first time in recent history, we must continue this momentum. With more than 1,000 Angelenos served since it opened in June, I know that this office and We Are LA will continue to make change in Los Angeles.”

The following resources are available at the mayor’s fund We Are LA Crenshaw casework office, the city’s FamilySource Centers and the We Are LA Hotline (213-584-1808):

  • Caseworkers for one-on-one support in responding to eviction notices and filing court responses to fight eviction.
  • Referrals to the Eviction Defense Network for legal representation by an attorney in court.
  • Assistance applying for all eligibility-based benefits (Medi-Cal, SNAP) and unclaimed tax credits.
  • Assistance for veterans and foster youth.

Details: Results from an independent research study show that the We Are LA program is helping keep people housed and preventing them from falling into homelessness: https://tinyurl.com/fund-for-homeless-prevention

 

Solis, Horvath Lead Efforts to Keep County Residents Enrolled in Safety Net Programs

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Aug. 13 approved a motion to launch the “Keep Your Coverage” campaign. This initiative aims to provide multilingual and culturally competent information and critical resources, connect beneficiaries to work and volunteer opportunities as well as American Job Centers, and collaborate with community health workers and promotoras to help county residents maintain their enrollment in Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP amid new and expanded work requirements.

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” into law – a reconciliation bill that includes nearly $1 trillion cuts to Medicaid and SNAP over ten years. With 13.4 million Californians relying on Medicaid for health coverage, and another 5.4 million Californians receiving food assistance through SNAP, the bill eliminates access to essential safety programs on health, nutrition, and economic assistance among the county’s most vulnerable residents. In fact, approximately 3.5 million Medicaid enrollees in California are at risk of losing their benefits because of work requirements, while 368,000 individuals will be at risk of losing their food assistance in California as a result of this bill.

Despite exemptions, new and expanded work requirements and eligibility criteria may impact working adults, children, older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable and at-need residents due to unnecessary administrative barriers. As the county prepares for the implementation of these new eligibility and work requirements, it is imperative to proactively ensure that eligible Medicaid and SNAP enrollees can continue to receive the healthcare coverage and food assistance they have a right to access.

At its core, the “Keep Your Coverage” campaign will be supplemented by training of promotoras and community health workers in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways to help enrollees maintain their benefit coverage.

Details: Read the full motion here.

Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach Post Busiest Months Ever, POLA Eclipses 1 Million Container Units

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Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach Post Busiest Months Ever, POLA Eclipses 1 Million Container Units

 

LOS ANGELES — July was the busiest month on record in the 117-year history of the Port of Los Angeles. The port handled 1,019,837 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), 8.5% more than last July. Retailers and manufacturers brought in goods at an elevated pace due to concerns of higher tariffs later this year.

“Shippers have been frontloading their cargo for months to get ahead of tariffs and recent activity at America’s top port really tells that story,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Port terminals in July were jam-packed with ships loaded with cargo, processed without any delay—much to the credit of our dedicated longshore workers, terminal and rail operators, truckers, and supply chain partners.”

Dr. Zachary Rogers, Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management at Colorado State University and a lead author of the Logistics Managers Index, joined Seroka for the briefing. Rogers discussed the impacts of tariffs on transportation, warehousing and inventory.

WATCH BRIEFING HERE

July 2025 loaded imports came in at 543,728 TEUs, 8% more than last year and the most imports ever in a month at the port. Loaded exports landed at 121,507 TEUs, a 6% improvement from 2024. The port processed 354,602 empty container units, 10% more than last year.

Seven months into 2025, the Port of Los Angeles has handled 5,975,649 TEUs, 5% more than the same period in 2024.

Also in Long Beach a pause in tariffs in recent months lifted the Port of Long Beach to its most active July on record and the third-busiest month in its 114-year history.

Dockworkers and terminal operators processed 944,232 twenty-foot equivalent units in July, up 7% from the previous record set in July 2024. Imports rose 7.6% to 468,081 TEUs and exports declined 12.9% to 91,328 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the port increased 12.3% to 384,824 TEUs.

“Retailers are now seeing the arrival of goods that were purchased for lower costs during the temporary pause placed on tariffs and retaliatory tariffs earlier this year,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “Due to the ongoing uncertainty caused by shifting trade policies, our Supply Chain Information Highway digital tracking tool forecasts that cargo will be down about 10 percent in the second half of 2025, resulting in a flat year for volume.”

“We appreciate our terminal operators, truckers, dockworkers and all the individuals who are moving cargo through the Port at a record-setting pace,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “We continue to work closely with labor and industry to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

The port has moved 5,690,863 TEUs through the first seven months of 2025, up 10% from the same period in 2024.

Health Is a Basic Human Right—It’s Time Our Laws, Systems and Values Reflected That

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Health Is a Basic Human Right—It’s Time Our Laws, Systems and Values Reflected That

 

By Phillip Polakoff, MD and June Sargent

President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will cut funding for healthcare by over 1 trillion dollars over the next decade. The fallout is expected to be grim, with over 17 million people projected to lose health coverage, hospital closures, and around 5 million denied Medicaid because of new work requirements. These drastic cuts were made with relative ease because the U.S.—unlike other industrialized countries—does not recognize healthcare as a human right. It is time to change that.

Health is not a commodity to be bought, traded, or reserved for the privileged. It is a fundamental human right. That idea is not radical. It is affirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, which states that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.” Yet here we are in 2025, still debating whether people deserve access to basic care.

The consequences of ignoring this right are all around us. Life expectancy in the U.S. has declined, not because we lack the technology or knowledge to save lives, but because we have failed to build systems rooted in equity. We spend more per capita on healthcare than any other nation, yet preventable deaths continue to rise. These are not policy failures—they are moral ones.

In 2024, over 38 million Americans—including children and the elderly—were uninsured. That number is rising as Medicaid coverage shrinks and costs climb. Meanwhile, more than 1 in 4 Americans skipped or delayed medical care last year due to cost. That only stands to get worse. According to the Center for American Progress, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will result in at least 10.5 million people being tossed from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Maternal mortality has soared in recent years, with African-American women dying at nearly three times the rate of white women. Rural hospitals are closing. Mental health needs are surging. The opioid crisis—now driven by fentanyl—continues to devastate communities, with over 82,000 overdose deaths reported in 2024 alone. These are not just data points—they are lives cut short, families shattered, communities weakened.

We do not need more evidence to prove that the system is broken. What we need is the courage to reimagine it, and the will to build a broad coalition of citizens capable of pressuring government to act.

Health as a basic human right means more than emergency care or sporadic access to clinics. It means universal access to preventive care, affordable medications, mental health services, clean air and water, safe housing, and nutritious food. It means recognizing that health does not start in the doctor’s office—it begins in our homes, schools, workplaces, and streets.

It also means rejecting the false choice between individual responsibility and collective investment. We are all responsible for our health … but that responsibility must be matched with support. You can’t choose to eat healthy if your neighborhood doesn’t have a grocery store. You can’t manage diabetes if insulin is unaffordable. You can’t get therapy if mental health services are unavailable or stigmatized. Personal responsibility without social infrastructure is just another form of blame.

The pandemic revealed the high cost of failing to treat health as a public good. Communities of color bore the brunt of COVID-19 deaths. Essential workers were praised but not protected. Hospitals were overrun while billion-dollar companies profited. And still, the lesson seems unlearned. We return to business as usual at our peril.

Establishing healthcare as a human right will not be an easy fight, but we have the beginnings already. The Declaration of Independence guarantees Americans an unalienable right to life. This can and has been construed as including the right to healthcare. As of December 2024, “Sixty-two % of U.S. adults, the highest percentage in more than a decade, say it is the federal government’s responsibility to ensure all Americans have healthcare coverage,” according to Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare survey. Even among Republicans, who have historically opposed government-sponsored healthcare, the tide is changing. The same survey noted that “32 % of Republicans favor government-supported healthcare. This is up from 22 % in 2020.” For Democrats that number is at an historic high, with a 90 % support rate—“the highest Gallup has measured for the group to date.”

The choice before us is clear. We can continue to ration care by wealth, geography, and race—or we can build a system grounded in fairness, prevention, and possibility. We can keep patching up the wounded—or we can finally build a society where fewer people get hurt in the first place.

Health is a basic human right. Until we treat it as such, we will fall short of our values—and our potential as a nation.

Now is the time to make that right real for everyone.

June Sargent is a communications strategist, educator, and nonprofit leader. She is affiliated with the nonprofitA Healthier WEand a coauthor of Building the Healthy American Ecosystem. Sargent created apetitionwith Phillip Polakoff to make health care a human right.

Phillip Polakoff, MD, has a distinguished career in health and health care that spans forty-five years. He is affiliated with the nonprofitA Healthier WEand is a coauthor of Building the Healthy American Ecosystem. Polakoff created apetitionwith June Sargent to make health care a human right.

Efforts Emerge to Correct Prison Phone Rates, Mental Health Services and Reception Area Wait Times

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Efforts Emerge to Correct Prison Phone Rates, Mental Health Services and Reception Area Wait Times

 

Rep. Barragán Leads Call to End FCC’s Unlawful Delay of Prison Phone Rate Caps

LONG BEACH — Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) Aug. 12 led a group of 22 lawmakers in sending a letter to Federal Communications Commission or FCC Chairman Brendan Carr urging him to reverse his unlawful decision to halt implementation of the bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Justice and Reasonable Communications Act (“Martha Wright-Reed Act”).

The Martha Wright-Reed Act, passed with bipartisan support in 2022, gave the FCC explicit authority to set prison and jail phone and video call rate caps and required implementation no later than Jan. 5, 2025. In July 2024, the FCC unanimously approved new rate caps—slashing the cost of a 15-minute call from as much as $11.35 to as little as $0.90. Earlier this year, however, Chairman Carr halted full implementation until 2027, a move that is both unlawful and harmful.

Research has shown that staying in touch with loved ones while incarcerated reduces recidivism and improves public safety. Yet one in three families with an incarcerated loved one go into debt just to afford phone calls.

Details: The letter is available here.

 

LA County Improves Jail Mental Health Services and Wait Times in Inmate Reception Center

LOS ANGELES — LA County has reached a milestone in Rutherford v. Luna, a case that addresses, in part, the county’s need to improve conditions and reduce wait times for housing for inmates passing through the Inmate Reception Center upon entry to the Los Angeles County Jail system. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Health Services’ Correctional Health Services with the Chief Executive Office DOJ Compliance Office and other county partners, have improved the IRC through a series of corrective actions to shorten wait times and speed medical and mental health screening for individuals arriving at the LA County Jails.

As of July 2025, the LASD and LA County have been in compliance with all IRC-related requirements set by Rutherford v. Luna for six consecutive months without interruption. This is a critical landmark in the stipulated order.

The improvements come as county departments are working on multiple fronts to improve conditions in the jails and come into full compliance with settlement agreements with the United States Department of Justice, as well as Rutherford court orders.

Details: For more information on the DOJ Compliance Office, visit: ceo.lacounty.gov/doj-compliance-office/.

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