The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) announced that a total of $209.4 million in new one-time funding has been allocated for the 2025-26 fiscal year for housing and homelessness programs. These funds come from the Budget Act of 2025 and will be distributed to counties and eligible Tribal grantees to continue and expand three programs: Bringing Families Home (BFH), the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP), and the Home Safe Program. The funding period for these programs will run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. Unlike past years, there are no matching requirements for counties or Tribal governments.
The Bringing Families Home program will receive $81 million to provide housing-related support to families in the child welfare system who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Housing and Disability Advocacy Program is allocated $44.6 million in additional one-time funding, which will supplement the ongoing $25 million that the state already provides annually. This program focuses on outreach, housing assistance, and disability benefit advocacy for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness who may qualify for disability benefits. The Home Safe program will receive $83.8 million to support older and dependent adults, including those involved with Adult Protective Services or Tribes, who are facing homelessness or housing instability due to abuse, neglect, or related risks.
Current grantees are strongly encouraged to continue running their existing programs without interruption to ensure families and individuals maintain housing stability and avoid returning to homelessness. Grantees may begin claiming eligible expenses for these programs starting July 1, 2025, and can continue to do so until final allocation amounts are released. The new one-time funding is in addition to any unspent funds from the 2021 and 2022 Budget Acts, which are still available for use. To avoid overspending before allocations are finalized, grantees are advised to limit their spending to the average quarterly amount they claimed in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
For Tribal grantees, CDSS will provide more details in separate communications and will engage directly with Tribal governments and organizations before finalizing allocations. For counties, the state has extended the deadline to spend and claim funding from earlier budget cycles, allowing grantees to use 2021 through 2024 program funds for two additional quarters, up to the December 2025. (ACWDL, July 30, 2025.)