When people talk about our county, they often talk about vineyards, fine dining and upscale hotels. But that's not the reality for many of us who call the Napa Valley home.
Housing and Homeslessness
Among the questions we sought to answer: How can people help those who are homeless in the Coachella Valley? How is money being spent on homeless services in the Coachella Valley? Why did Roy’s Desert Resource Center close in Palm Springs?
More than half the children in Milwaukee's troubled 53206 ZIP code are living in poverty. It's an area where unemployment is widespread and others are trapped in low-wage jobs.
I met Ashley for the first time in March 2015 at a Noodles & Company in Indianapolis. Her adoptive father Craig Peterson had arranged the meeting. He initially reached out to me about an article I'd written, then shared bits of Ashley's story.
The data showed that drug and behavioral health treatments are among the greatest needs in the community with the least available services in the Coachella Valley.
The Desert Sun surveyed 200 people experiencing homelessness in the Coachella Valley about health needs and access to health care.
A new reporting project will "examine the health risks to the public that can occur when society and local governments neglect or underfund initiatives to alleviate conditions where homeless populations live."
This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Rich Lord, a participant in the USC Center for Health Journalism's 2019 Data Fellowship.
Other stories in this series include:
Serious mental and physical health issues are on the rise among S.F.’s homeless population, as the city recommits itself to seizing and disposing of their tents and belongings.
Dr. Damon Francis doesn’t shy away from sparring with a room full of journalists when he thinks the media is getting the story wrong.