Emmy Burrus
Gloria Penner FellowEmmy Burrus is the Gloria Penner Fellow at KPBS. In this role she honors the legacy of political correspondent, Gloria Penner, as a member of the Public Matters team. Emmy’s reporting covers topics related to civic engagement and local politics.
Emmy graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a journalism major and environmental studies minor. She served as the news director for the school’s radio station, KCPR, where she was also a podcast host, DJ, anchor and reporter. The Intercollegiate Broadcasting System recognized Emmy as the Best College Radio News Director of 2025. When she’s not writing you can find her hiking or checking out local coffee shops.
MORE STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR
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New round of rental subsidies for seniors opens as homelessness among older adults continues to riseThe program administered by San Diego County will give 195 qualifying adults $500 a month for 18 months to help pay rent. It also offers case management services and other resources. -
San Diego is now funding an additional 160 shelter beds for women and children experiencing homelessness at Rachel’s Promise, a downtown shelter. -
San Diego City crews will continue clearing homeless encampments along a 5-mile stretch of freeways near downtown, but now they’ll also remove graffiti, clear weeds and debris, and trim trees. -
People without housing are particularly vulnerable when temperatures rise, as they did over the weekend. That’s why homeless outreach workers across the county are working to provide people with the resources they need. -
In 2025, people aged 55 and older remained homeless for an average of 234 days, according to a report from the Regional Task Force on Homelessness. -
New sleep cabins in Pacific Beach will soon house six people working their way out of homelessness. This group is already part of a program where they work to clean public streets, which includes sidewalk sweeping, trash pickup, landscaping, graffiti removal and custodial work.
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Protesters across San Diego joined a nationwide walkout and demonstration against the Trump administration on Tuesday afternoon.
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