Concise, evidence-based summaries analyzing key issues in California’s construction industry, with a focus on enforcement of labor and public works laws. Each brief highlights relevant data, compliance trends, and enforcement challenges, and outlines potential policy solutions for policymakers and regulators.
Policy Briefs
Public Works Penalty Reform
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California’s public works labor violation penalties and contractor registration fees have lost value over time because they have not been adjusted for inflation in many years, reducing resources available for enforcement. This report estimates that updating these amounts for inflation could generate could generate funding to support stronger oversight of labor standards on public construction projects.
Homekey Affordable Housing Enforcement
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Private entities managing publicly funded affordable housing projects have enabled wage theft, contractor violations, and weak enforcement of labor standards. Solutions include expanding transparency and reporting requirements, increasing oversight of publicly funded projects, and applying stronger public works compliance obligations to private developers receiving public construction funding.
