UCLA Government and Community Relations and Blueprint magazine, in partnership with UCLA Health, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and CalMatters, recently hosted an event featuring a conversation with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Jim Newton, a veteran journalist and editor of UCLA's Blueprint magazine. The discussion focused on the pressing issue of homelessness in Los Angeles, examining the various challenges the city faces and exploring potential solutions and collaborations. The event took place on November 13, at the Deaton Civic Auditorium near City Hall. Attendees also had the chance to see one of the UCLA Health Homeless Healthcare Collaborative (HHC)
vans, which Mayor Bass toured before the event. The HHC provides customized street medicine to the homeless population across Los Angeles County, delivering medical care and support to unhoused people desperately in need of those services.
If you were unable to attend in person, you can watch the recorded event here.
L.A. County program seeks to prevent homelessness
A new report from the nonpartisan California Policy Lab (CPL) at UCLA shows how a program implemented for the first time in California — and the United States — is identifying Los Angeles County residents at risk of becoming homeless and helping them avoid that fate by using predictive analytics, coupled with proactive outreach, intensive case management and flexible financial assistance. Since launching in 2021, the Homelessness Prevention Unit (HPU) has provided tailored services — including case management, housing navigation, and financial assistance — to hundreds of individuals, helping them to stabilize their lives with the goal of preventing homelessness.
A new memorandum of understanding (MOU) brings together the resources of the largest and busiest port in North America, the Port of L.A., with the nation’s No.1–ranked public university, UCLA. This partnership will strengthen environment-centered collaborations with port-adjacent communities while advancing both institutions’ commitment to sustainability. The MOU also aims to create new learning, research and workforce opportunities for students and faculty from UCLA and local community members.
UCLA experts propose ways to improve housing and transit
UCLA urban planning and transportation experts shared crucial insights at a November 13 hearing of the California Assembly Select Committee on Permitting Reform, chaired by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. They discussed how permitting reforms could stimulate infill housing and sustainable transportation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote equitable urban growth. Professor Michael Manville highlighted California's housing affordability crisis, caused in part by 30 years of below-needed housing construction. He emphasized the need to simplify permitting and zoning to increase supply. Meanwhile, Juan Matute, deputy director of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, pointed out that safe and reliable transit depends on effective permitting, noting that delays in building
infrastructure such as bus shelters hinder accessibility and public health. He advocated for streamlined permitting to implement cost-effective solutions such as bus rapid transit, especially given uncertainties around federal rail funding.
A significant state grant will support UCLA's expansion of its BruinBus fleet to 100% electric and fund California's first electric road charging system at UCLA. This innovative wireless charging roadway project follows the successful launch of the nation's first public electric vehicle-charging roadway in Detroit, Michigan, in November 2023. UCLA’s advancements in charging technology will pave the way for improved transit electrification and efficiency throughout California's transportation infrastructure.
UCLA evaluates L.A.’s wastewater recycling infrastructure
A new UCLA report emphasizes that Los Angeles' wastewater recycling plan, Pure Water Los Angeles, will significantly enhance the city's resilience and self-reliance during climate-induced droughts and other emergencies affecting water supply. The research team, led by the Luskin Center for Innovation, employed a novel methodology and found that this initiative could generate more than 250,000 acre-feet of clean drinking water annually, enough to serve more than half a million households. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has committed $6 billion to achieve full wastewater recycling by 2035. The findings demonstrate that the plan will improve local water supply resilience, reduce dependence on uncertain water imports, and provide substantial regional economic benefits,
highlighting the urgent need for urban areas worldwide to implement similar wastewater recycling strategies in response to climate change.
Climate change parching the American West even without rainfall deficits
Higher temperatures resulting from anthropogenic climate change transformed a typical drought into an exceptional drought that affected the American West from 2020 to 2022. A study conducted by scientists from UCLA and NOAA revealed that evaporation contributed to 61% of the drought's severity, while reduced precipitation accounted for only 39%. Additionally, the research indicated that since 2000, evaporative demand has played a more significant role than reduced precipitation in droughts, suggesting that these droughts may grow more severe as the climate continues to warm.
UCLA recognized veterans in the community at a recent Veterans Day event on campus, where Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt highlighted their significant contributions to the university. UCLA’s support for veterans dates to its inception and today includes such programs and services as the UCLA/VA Veteran Family Wellness Center, the School of Law Veterans Legal Clinic, UCLA Health Operation Mend, and the Veterans Resource Center, which empowered veterans and their families to pursue education and careers in a supportive environment. The university has also reaped the benefits of the diverse backgrounds and experiences of student veterans, who enrich campus life and often emerge as leaders in their fields.
The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA welcomed nearly 100 high school students from East Los Angeles Renaissance Academy and Odyssey STEM Academy on October 15 and 16 to celebrate Stem Cell Awareness Day. The students engaged in hands-on scientific exploration, visiting research labs, using high-resolution microscopes, and observing a 3D bioprinter in action. They also participated in interactive activities such as creating DNA-sequence bracelets, and took part in a Q&A panel with UCLA scholars who shared insights about pursuing STEM careers. This outreach program seeks to inspire students from diverse backgrounds by showcasing scientific careers and fostering their interest in science.
Lindsey T. Kunisaki, the Arts for LA 2024 Laura Zucker Fellow for Policy and Research, authored a groundbreaking report on the implementation of Proposition 28, the largest investment in arts education in U.S. history, which passed overwhelmingly in November 2022. The report examines how Los Angeles County school districts are making use of the increased funding for arts and music education, highlighting successes while also noting challenges such as teacher shortages and limited resources. Kunisaki's findings reveal a correlation between community involvement and confidence in the initiative's success, stressing the need for increased public engagement. Additionally, the report recommends subsidizing teacher credential programs to create a steady supply of qualified arts educators
and calls for the creation of a statewide oversight committee to enhance transparency and accountability in the use of funds.
The second annual UCLA Barbra Streisand Center lecture on October 16 featured Michele Bratcher Goodwin, a reproductive justice expert who addressed the implications of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and its ties to historical injustices, including slavery. Goodwin argued that the court’s ruling in Dobbs, which overturned Roe v. Wade, has created a crisis in reproductive rights, contributing to rising maternal mortality rates and the emergence of reproductive health care deserts.
UCLA researchers are developing a new test to detect when cancer spreads to the central nervous system, providing results on the same day as a doctor’s visit. This condition, known as leptomeningeal disease (LMD), significantly reduces survival rates, with treated patients living only around four months and untreated patients surviving mere weeks. Current tests require weeks to confirm the presence of cancer cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, delaying critical treatment. Dr. Won Kim, a neurosurgeon involved in the study, emphasizes the urgency of timely diagnosis, while his colleague, bioengineering professor Daniel Kamei, focuses on creating a paper-based test that can accurately measure low levels of cancer cells. This test would allow doctors not only to confirm the presence
of cancer that same day but also to monitor the effectiveness of treatments, adjusting approaches based on real-time data. The $375,000 project, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is designed to streamline testing procedures, reducing both time and costs. The research is currently underway, with hopes of starting patient tests soon and sharing initial results by 2026.
Researchers receive grant to increase lung cancer screenings in underserved communities The award supports a new program called California Partnerships to increase Access to Lung Cancer Screening (CAL-PALS), which includes collaborations with community hospitals and advocates to enhance understanding of lung cancer and promote the importance of early detection, addressing its status as the leading cause of cancer mortality.
Discover how UCLA's students, staff, and faculty are enhancing the well-being of Greater Los Angeles through UCLA Community Partnerships.
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
Since 2022, UCLA Health’s direct community care program, the Homeless Healthcare Collaborative(HHC), has cared for thousands of unhoused people in the Los Angeles community. The street medicine care model is unlike any other in L.A. County, with mobile clinics travelling directly to people experiencing homelessness on the streets and in shelters, encampments, interim housing sites, libraries and soup kitchens. The program offers a range of treatments and support seven days a week, from medical screenings to mental health services and referrals to housing and social services.
