CW Update 24-07: Changes to Homeless Assistance
CalWORKs Handbook
| Date | References | Clerical | Implementation |
| 06/20/24 | ACL 23-83 | N/A | N/A |
Background
The CalWORKs Homeless Assistance (HA) program was established to help CalWORKs applicants and families meet the costs of securing or maintaining permanent housing or providing emergency shelter when a family is experiencing homelessness or is at-risk of homelessness due to receiving a notice to pay rent or quit. HA includes both temporary HA, which helps families pay the costs of temporary shelter, and permanent HA, which helps the families pay last month's rent and security deposits or up to two months of rent arrearages.
Changes
Senate Bill (SB) 1083 includes changes to HA eligibility. The changes are as follows:
- Pregnancy verification via a sworn statement/verbal attestation. CalWORKs applicants with no other CalWORKs eligible children can initially satisfy the pregnancy verification requirement for purposes of receiving HA benefits, by means of a sworn statement or, if necessary, a verbal attestation. If the pregnant applicant fails to submit medical verification of pregnancy within 30 working days, HA must only be issued when the pregnant person presents evidence of good-faith efforts to comply with this requirement.
- Expanding HA eligibility to include at-risk families in receipt of any notice that could lead to an eviction, regardless of circumstances cited in the notice.
- For purposes of HA eligibility, domestic violence perpetrated by a roommate that results in homelessness includes but is not limited to domestic violence perpetrated by a parent or child with whom the family is living.
The Homeless Assistance Program Eligibility section of the CalWORKs Handbook has been revised.
Documentation
Journal entries should include the reason HA was issued.
Data Systems
CalSAWS is programmed to enable the new reason of "Notice that could lead to eviction" for the Homeless Assistance Detail-Temporary and Permanent pages effective July 1, 2024.
Department of Employment & Benefits Services
Contact Person(s): Romelia Cuellar, SSA Business Policy Implementation Specialist