Cost of Living Tops Californians’ Concerns in Online Poll

More than one-third of Californians say the cost of living is the most pressing challenge facing the state and the nation, with smaller percentages citing housing affordability, homelessness, and crime and drug issues, a recent study shows. The Public Policy Institute of California has released its June statewide survey, showing that economic conditions including inflation are most commonly mentioned as the Golden State’s pressing problem. “It’s noteworthy that we really haven’t seen this high of a share going to a single topic since February 2021, when COVID was named as the top issue,” Dean Bonner, associate survey director at the institute, said June 14 during a webinar on the survey. The survey was conducted between May 23 and June 2 among 1,600 adult residents....