Sober Living Environments

SLE are residential living arrangements for persons transitioning from drug or alcohol rehabilitation or treatment centers.

There is no state agency in California that licenses or provides certification of SLEs. A facility must be certified by the state Title 19 Agency that it is “operating under Part B of Title 19 of the Public Health Service Act” or be an authorized FNS retailer. SLEs cannot be considered DAA Treatment Centers for CalFresh purposes.

Shelters for Battered Persons [63-503.46]

Definition

Shelters for battered persons refer to public or private nonprofit residential facilities that serve battered men, women and children.

A shelter:

May have FNS authorization as a retail food store to redeem CalFresh benefits through wholesalers, or
May accept CalFresh benefits from residents in payment for meals prepared by the shelter, or
May redeem CalFresh benefits at retailers as the authorized representative, or
Residents may use CalFresh benefits to purchase food and prepare meals.
If the facility also serves other individuals, part of the facility must be set aside on a long-term basis to serve only battered women and/or women with children.

Important: CalFresh provisions related to persons fleeing domestic violence apply to all victims of domestic violence, regardless of gender or sex.

Verification of Domestic Violence

Victims of DV and their children can be verified through self-attestation or as identified on the CalFresh application. Self-attestation by a victim is sufficient to establish DV unless the EW documents independent evidence which strongly suggests that the individual’s statement is not credible.

Implementation of Assembly Bill (AB) 2057

Effective January 1, 2017, AB 2057 entitles a victim of DV, who is a resident of a shelter and included as a member of a CalFresh household that also includes the abuser, to receive an additional allotment of benefits as a separate household.

Additionally, AB 2057 requires that the CDSS develop and make available to domestic violence shelters information regarding CalFresh eligibility and processing timelines for victims of domestic violence. Lastly, AB 2057 requires that counties defer victims of domestic violence from mandatory placement in the CalFresh Employment and Training (E&T) Program.

List of Shelters

The EW must fist confirm if the shelter meets the definition of a shelter for battered persons as defined in 29.4.1. Below are some of the shelters that serve DV victims:

Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence
Maitri Org
YWCA Domestic Violence Department
Asian Women’s home
Community Solutions
City Team Heritage Home Shelter

Application Process

A man or woman and his/her children who are temporary residents of a shelter for battered persons may apply for CalFresh directly or through an AR.

Shelter residents who were included in the CalFresh household of an abuser from whom they recently fled to come to the shelter must complete a new application and apply as a separate household.

In the month when they enter the shelter, the parent and children may:

Be a member of more than one household; and/or
Receive benefits in more than one county.
- Note: This is the one EXCEPTION where a client can receive benefits in two different households for the same month.
The additional allotment of benefits for the current issuance month to the victim of DV must be issued under a different case number and on a new EBT card.

Reminder: All applications must be screened for ES. All applicants determined to be entitled to ES, CalFresh benefits must be issued within three calendar days following the date of application.

Eligibility Determination

Determine eligibility for the man or woman and children solely on the basis of the income and expenses for which they are responsible on the date of application and their resource level as of the date of the interview.

Exclude resources as inaccessible if:

Jointly owned by the resident(s) and a member of the former household.
Access would require consent of both the resident(s) and a member of former household.

Income and expenses:

Do not consider the income or expenses of the former household.
Count any allowable expenses the applicant is responsible for at the time of application and any income the applicant expects to receive that will be accessible to him or her.

Former HH

Act promptly to inform the EW or county of the man or woman and/or children's former household that they are no longer living there.

Documentation

The EW must document in the case file that the shelter for battered persons meets the CalFresh provisions and the reason why. CalFresh provisions related to persons fleeing domestic violence apply to all victims of domestic violence, regardless of gender or sex.