Publications & Reports – Archive

2024 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The 2024 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity outlines the important work we are helping advance along with regional partners in our California Stewardship Network (CSN). The Roadmap is our annual document that outlines the ways CA FWD is convening and collaborating to advance policies, programs, and practices that help create a more equitable future for California.

Energizing California: Regional Lessons And Recommendations For Action

Throughout 2023, CA FWD hosted regional energy listening sessions with regional partners in the Sierra and rural forested communities, the greater Los Angeles area, the Imperial Valley, and Kern County, to hear from leading practitioners and those on the ground on what is working, where there are outstanding barriers and how to move California’s energy resilience forward. This report summarizes the input received and lessons learned from these listening sessions across California. The regional summaries are then synthesized into findings and recommendations for moving California’s energy system forward equitably and expeditiously.

Removing Fiscal Barriers to Housing Production

This new CA FWD study examined the relationship between property tax shares and housing production across California cities and how California’s current complicated system of municipal finances means new housing would put constraints on the budgets of southeast Los Angeles County’s Gateway Cities.

Building a More Inclusive and Sustainable California

Building a More Inclusive and Sustainable California, a report from CA FWD and Boston Consulting Group, summarizes concrete recommendations we heard from elected officials, agency staff, and community leaders and members across the state to maximize and amplify the upcoming federal funds and accelerate project delivery. By acting now, the state could deliver up to $180 billion worth of infrastructure projects and ~400,000 direct and indirect construction jobs.

CA FWD 2022 Annual Report

From creating and launching several in-depth reports to advancing inclusive economies in the state’s regions to lifting up the voices of young leaders, CA FWD is excited to share more about the work that was accomplished in 2022 via its first-ever annual report.

2023 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The 2023 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity shares our priorities in the action areas of Housing For All, Ecosystems & Climate Resiliency, Thriving Economies, Education Cradle to Career and Connecting California.

The priorities were drafted over the last year by our work groups, further refined in the working sessions at the 2022 California Economic Summit and will be moved forward through our collaborative approach that includes the advocacy of the California Forward Action Fund, regional partners in our California Stewardship Network and the intergenerational voices of our Young Leaders Advisory Council.

Building A Sustainable Energy Future: A Call to Action

Building A Sustainable Energy Future: A Call to Action provides a framework for California to move forward with an urgency befitting the reality before us, and the awareness that we must question the siloed frameworks of the past if we are to bring all Californians forward with us into a healthier, more prosperous future

As the state continues to chart a path toward carbon neutrality, this Call to Action provides context on California’s energy landscape and issues a set of recommendations to align state policy around a sustainable energy system that works for all Californians.

California Dream For All

This report provides a design framework for the California Dream for All, a proposed shared appreciation loan investment fund for the state of California, allowing the state to invest alongside first-time homebuyers so that they can afford to purchase a home anywhere in California, with a priority toward communities of color and low-income communities traditionally locked out of the housing market.

Empowering Communities through Inclusive, Regional Economic Development

CA FWD’s report, “Empowering Communities through Inclusive, Regional Economic Development,” provides a framework for understanding the landscape of regional economic development ecosystems in California. It includes key on-the-ground observations—including challenges and promising practices—to inform regional economic mobility strategies grounded in equity and environmental sustainability.

Guide to Regional Inclusive, Economic Development

With information and promising practices gathered from interviews with regional leaders from across the California, including those in our California Stewardship Network (CSN), this guide is intended to support regions in their inclusive economic development efforts by sharing strategies that regions can start using today.

Community Economic Resilience Fund Solicitations for Proposals Highlights

This document, created by CA FWD, outlines highlights from the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF Solicitations for Proposals released by the state in May 26, 2022 and is intended to support regions as they prepare for the CERF application process.

2022 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The 2022 Roadmap To Shared Prosperity builds on a year of impressive advancements by CA FWD and its partners. Encompassing policy areas foundational to the California Dream–from housing and ecosystems and climate resilience, to increasing connections across California – the Roadmap details the organization’s priority actions to help build more inclusive, equitable and sustainable economies that give more Californians the opportunity to thrive.

Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF)

California Forward and PolicyLink – two nonprofit organizations committed to building equitable economies for all – are collaborating to support the successful implementation of the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF). Our collaborative will support more equitable, resilient, and inclusive regional economies by enabling connectivity, partnership and accountability, between the state, regional planning entities and communities.

Building Racial and Economic Equity Through Home Ownership

A policy brief released by CA FWD, “Building Racial and Economic Equity Through Home Ownership,” outlines how communities of color have historically been left behind in home ownership, how it affects their everyday lives, and what can be done to make home ownership more equitable.

Regions Build Together – A Housing Agenda for All California

Released by CA FWD with support from Wells Fargo, “Regions Build Together – A Housing Agenda for All California” provides a regions-up housing agenda consisting of 14 practical actions that can relieve the state’s persistent housing crisis. The report looks at the state through nine regional housing markets to identify the current state of affordability, distinct challenges, and opportunities that can be replicated or scaled up at a state level.

2021 Roadmap To Shared Prosperity

This 2021 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity outlines the priorities for the coming year as identified by our many partners in the Summit network.

The Need for Equitable Economic Revitalization

In response to the current economic crisis, the state must institute a decision-making process that will rapidly deploy resources to stimulate a resilient, equitable, and sustainable economy. The focus must be on how these investments can not only improve the current conditions of low-income communities, both urban and rural, but how they can correct for the lack of investment over time that has resulted in the inequality we see today.

2020 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The 2020 Roadmap details priorities and solutions that help more Californians gain access to the Building Blocks of the California dream and guide the Summit network’s efforts in the coming year.

Recommendation to Governor for Statewide Broadband Policy

A framework for prioritizing expanding access to high-speed internet in all regions of California.

Communities for Healthy People: A Promising Gateway to a More Prosperous and Equitable California

New report explores the social determinants of health which shape the health of individuals, as well as the well-being and prosperity of families, communities, and the entire state as a whole.

California's Wildfire Crisis: A Call to Action

To achieve the “moonshot” needed to address California’s wildfire crisis, the California Economic Summit has identified the case for action, challenges, and action principles essential to understanding and building a comprehensive triple-bottom line response.

Land Available for Housing in California – A Review of Estimates and Actions for Increasing the Places Where Homes Can Be Built

This report was commissioned as part of California Forward’s ongoing efforts to understand – and overcome – barriers to diverse, affordable housing production throughout California. The chronic shortage of housing at all price points in California has worsened during the post-recession period as the economy has expanded strongly, particularly in the coastal metropolitan regions, while housing production has fallen well behind historical levels.

Governing for Resilience

In a new report, CA Fwd and the California Economic Summit captured some of the ambitious efforts undertaken after the North Bay fires and offer key recommendations for improving resiliency and set a new standard for recovery.

Multi-Year Impact of California Conformity to Federal Opportunity Zone Tax Provisions

An Opportunity Zone study shows the innovative investment tool could result in $745 million and $1.2 billion in new economic activity this year. In subsequent years, economic activity would range from more than $700 million to just under $500 million.

2019 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The 2019 Roadmap reaffirms the Summit priorities in workforce, housing, and infrastructure and outlines an agenda for three major new initiatives to help lift more California communities into prosperity.

2018 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The 2018 Roadmap reaffirms the Summit priorities in workforce, housing, and infrastructure and outlines an agenda for three major new initiatives to help lift more California communities into prosperity.

White Paper: Investing in a Business Engagement Ecosystem

This paper details strategies for California policymakers and workforce system stakeholders to consider as they continue to develop a 21st-century workforce system.

2017 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The 2017 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity sharpens focus on upward mobility and follows up wins from 2016 in achieving the Summit’s One Million Challenges

2016 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The California Economic Summit created the 2016 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity to highlight a set of ambitious goals—the One Million Challenges—that will be vital to expanding sustainable economic growth in every part of California.

2015 Roadmap to Shared Prosperity

The Roadmap to Shared Prosperity is a broad set of proposals aimed at helping every region in California concentrate its efforts to accelerate middle-class job growth—and address issues from growing income inequality to the environmental and economic challenges of climate change.

A Year of Action: Summit Plan to Advance Prosperity in 2014

This report details how these nine Summit proposals are the foundation for rebuilding California’s struggling middle class and restoring upward mobility. It also highlights a wealth of opportunities for the Summit’s seven action teams to engage and collaborate to make them a reality.

2013 California Economic Summit Report

Report on the 2013 Summit which serves as an initial summary of Summit commitments, a collection of some of the best thinking from across the state about how to drive sustainable economic growth in California.

2013 Regional Forum Results

During the 2013 Regional Economic Forum series, regional leaders were asked to identify top priorities in several categories through a deliberative process that engaged a range of stakeholders. This report summarizes those results to help set an agenda for action leading up to and including the 2013 Summit.

California Economic Summit 2012 Action Plan

The 2012 Summit Action Plan was the culmination of work done at regional forums across the state and the first-ever California Economic Summit to advance an action-filled agenda to help create more jobs in California and keep the state competitive.