The stories of immigration fraud across California seem endless.

A Central American woman lost her job after an immigration consultant, who charged her $4,500, failed to renew her temporary protected status that allowed her to work in the United States.

A Mexican woman’s request to remain in the United States while the consulate in Mexico reviewed her green card application was denied after an immigration notary inappropriately submitted the paperwork. She lost $3,000 in the process.

Immigrant rights advocates with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, a Los Angeles-based organization that provides services across Southern California, say these are common occurrences.  The coalition, which offered those examples on Facebook, is trying to combat such problems with a new bill that would repeal California’s immigration-consultant law and do away with this industry as of Jan. 1, 2019.

A collective sigh of relief has been heard across Gilroy in response to the recent street paving up and down First Street—between Santa Teresa and the intersection of Monterey Road and Leavesley Avenue. As the road condition increasingly worsened over the last few years, locals and visitors began circumventing the bumpy, pothole-riddled street that is the main artery to grocery stores, retail, restaurants and many other services.

But thanks to the efforts of Mayor Roland Velasco, the street recently received emergency, temporary repairs. “I am hesitant to say the road has been fixed—it’s been improved—but my goal is to properly rebuild the road,” said Mayor Velasco.

Homelessness is up 23 percent and, according to one report, Los Angeles needs 550,000 new housing units to keep up with demand from low-income folks who could end up on the streets. The housing crisis, bolstered by low pay and high rents, has the attention of our elected officials, and voters have approved local measures, including a sales tax increase, as a way to provide some shelter.  

Now a California assemblywoman says it's time for the entire state to pitch in and build some housing. After all, the crisis affects our urban hubs, from San Diego to San Francisco, and our rural communities.