LAKE COUNTY
Habitat for Humanity Lake County is accepting applications for home repairs
Does your home need electrical or plumbing repairs? Are conditions in the home unsafe? Do you or a member of your household need handicap accessibility modifications to make the home more accessible to your needs? Do you need a wheelchair ramp or lift or stair repairs to make it easier to get in and out of the house?
Habitat for Humanity Lake County is actively accepting applications for the Brush of Kindness Home Repair Program. Our homes are our greatest investments but it is not always easy or affordable to manage the maintenance a home requires. The Brush of Kindness Program was created to make it possible for seniors, military veterans, disabled individuals, and others to get the repair services they need while remaining in their homes. Habitat for Humanity Lake County is here to help by providing critical health and safety repairs to homeowners who qualify for the program.
Applicants must have owned and lived in their home for at least three years and be income-qualified. If you, or someone you know, are interested and might qualify, please contact the Habitat office at 707-994-1100 for more information or come into the office at 15312 Lakeshore Drive Clearlake to receive an application. For assistance in Spanish dial extension 108.
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SACRAMENTO
California’s economy leads the nation
California is leading the nation’s economic growth. Since April, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that the state has retained its title as the world’s fifth largest economy, broken tourism-spending records, increased its population, created thousands of fast food jobs, has the most companies on the Fortune 500 list, and expanded businesses in San Francisco.
World’s fifth largest economy
California is the 5th largest economy in the world for the seventh consecutive year, with a nominal GDP of nearly $3.9 trillion in 2023 and a growth rate of 6.1% since the year prior, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. On a per capita basis, California is the second largest economy in the world among large economies.
Highest level of tourism spending
California has the largest market share of tourism in the nation. Travel spending in the state reached an all-time high of $150.4 billion last year, surpassing the record $144.9 billion spent in 2019 – spending that is 3.8% higher than 2019 and 5.6% higher than 2022.
The new travel-spending record generated $12.7 billion in state and local tax revenue by visitors in 2023, marking a 3% increase over 2019. Tourism created 64,900 new jobs in 2023, bringing total industry employment to 1,155,000.
Increasing population
California’s population increased by 67,000 people last year to 39,128,162, according to data by the California Department of Finance. The state’s population growth can be attributed to an increase in legal foreign immigration and natural population increasing. This is the first year since 2020 that the state has seen a net increase.
Thousands of fast food jobs created
According to new state and federal employment data, California’s fast food industry has added jobs every month this year, including roughly 10,600 new jobs in the two months since Governor Newsom signed the fast food minimum wage bill into law.
Most companies on the Fortune 500 list
For the first time since 2014, California is home to the most Fortune 500 companies in the country – beating out Texas, Florida, and all other states. From tech to finance to entertainment, the state’s diverse economy has 57 companies on the list, while Texas and New York are tied in second with 52 companies each.
Businesses are expanding
Last month, Visa opened up their new state-of-the-art headquarters in San Francisco. They are one of countless companies to recently announce new investments in the Golden State. Hamdi Ulukaya also announced he is re-establishing Anchor Brewing, Nintendo is opening up its second U.S. store in San Francisco, and Disneyland is expanding its theme park with a $1.9 billion investment.
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