Past Tour Stops
Human Response Network – The staff at the Human Response Network in Weaverville shared that despite a population of only 16,000 people, Trinity County residents experience the same housing and homelessness issues as the rest of California per capita. Trinity County considers themselves the frontier–it is one of eight counties in CA without county-wide wifi or cell phone service. Residents have been severely impacted by wildfires—being displaced or even having their homes destroyed. They have had challenges getting disaster relief or recouping insurance monies, as many of the homes are old, handed down through generations and not up to code. The homes are often not rebuilt and wealth and nest eggs are thus destroyed as well. Additionally, residents face unique challenges in accessing the safety net—without reliable internet, it’s pretty hard to navigate websites. So people attempt to access through hotlines or in-person services. But with many county workers commuting from Redding, which is an hour away in the best of conditions, there is high employee turnover and makes building relationships difficult. Trinity County’s small size often makes it overlooked and local nonprofits find themselves competing with other rural communities with different landscapes for funding.
Top Policy Ideas:
– Digital divide
– Broadband access
– Affordable housing
– Climate resilience
– Safety net access