Homelessness Due to State or Federally Declared Disaster

Timely Access to and Issuance of CalWORKs HA Benefits

Families must maintain the ability to apply for HA benefits during normal business hours and receive those benefits timely.  The payment for THA must be approved and issued or denied within the same working day in which the family requests HA.  This means that the family requesting temporary HA must have these benefits issued and available on the same day their application is approved.  For permanent HA, the payment must be issued or denied by the next working day.

Whenever the client's homelessness is a direct result of a state or federally declared disaster (including but not limited to natural, chemical, terrorist or biological disasters) the client may be determined eligible for either, or both, TS and PH. All eligibility factors for TS and/or PH must be met, before payment is issued. A family applying for HA as a result of any state or federally declared disaster shall provide a sworn statement that the family is experiencing homelessness as a direct and primary result of a state or federally declared disaster through the CW 42: Statement of Facts-Homeless Assistance form. Eligibility Staff are required to accept the sworn statement for verification of homelessness and additional verification is not required.

Administrative Flexibilities for Issuing HA Benefits

The following rules apply to clients who become homeless as a direct result of a state or federally declared disaster:

  • These families qualify for good cause for failure to provide proof of housing search.
  • The county may know that many families were displaced by disaster that was declared by the Governor and that the AU may have to travel quite a distance to find an available motel. The county may issue the AU the entire 16 days of temporary HA on the day they apply.
  • There is no limit on how many times a family can receive HA due to a state or federally declared disaster in any given year.
  • When the AU receives HA based on a state or federally declared disaster, it does not count as their regular once every 12 months HA benefit or their once every 12 months limit on exceptions.
  • A sworn statement may be accepted as verification that HA benefits were spent appropriately, or good cause may be granted for not providing paper verifications, such as motel receipts.
  • HA applications are not required to be made in person or to include a face-to-face interview. The CW 42 may be completed on behalf of a family and electronic signatures are always an allowable option.  

AB 607 requires the county to identify and inform recipients of their eligibility for CalWORKs temporary and permanent HA.

Note:  Families should be referred to the CalWORKs Housing Support Program whenever a family applies for HA.

Note: In the CalSAWS Case Flag page, please select:

THA State/Fed Disaster-SB1065 for temporary HA

PHA State/Fed Disaster-SB1065 for permanent HA

Example Example A recipient applies for TS, stating that their apartment is uninhabitable due to damage caused by an earthquake. The EW receives the completed CW 42. All other TS eligibility factors are met and the EW issues the TS payments as appropriate.

Related Topics

Federal/State Declared Disasters - Applications

Federal/State Disasters - Questions & Answers