An October deadline for amending local energy codes has inspired many California cities to accelerate adoption of energy efficiency and sustainability “reach” codes, which SPUR helped develop. Because the deadline makes some exceptions for home hardening and emergency standards, Bay Area cities are reassessing their options to exceed the state minimum requirements for resilient building design. Doing so offers big savings but requires incentives to offset upfront costs.

On November 4, 2025, Santa Clara County voters will weigh in on a proposed measure to temporarily raise the county sales tax from 9.125% to 9.75%, estimated to generate $330 million per year until it expires in 2031. While sales taxes are regressive in nature, Measure A would directly benefit low-income and vulnerable communities by backfilling some of the deep federal funding cuts to social safety net services such as Medicaid. SPUR recommends a YES vote on Measure A.

SPUR collaborates with Nuestra Casa to address critical environmental and public health issues, such as groundwater rise and drinking water safety, in East Palo Alto. We asked Nuestra Casa Environmental Justice Fellow Osvaldo Macias about the fruits of this partnership. He explains how our work together has advanced impactful research while extending his organization’s reach and influence in advocating for policy changes.

California has dramatically expanded wildfire spending over the past decade, but most resources still go toward fire response rather than proactive resilience measures like vegetation management, home hardening, and community preparedness. To match the scale of rising wildfire risks, the state must increase and maintain resilience investments.

The 2025 California legislative session was a critical one for averting a transit fiscal cliff. As the session drew to a close, SPUR worked with our partners to focus on three issues: securing critical short-term loans for transit operators; passing Senate Bill 63, which authorizes a regional transit funding measure for the November 2026 ballot; and maintaining funding for transit within the renewal of the the state’s Cap-and-Invest Program.