COVID-19

COVID-19 HUD extension of foreclosure and eviction moratorium

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The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has extended the foreclosure and eviction moratorium announced in Mortgagee Letter 2020-04 for borrowers with FHA-insured Single Family mortgages covered under the CARES Act through June 30, 2020.

FHA-insured Single Family mortgages, excluding vacant or abandoned properties, are subject to this extension to the moratorium on foreclosure.  The moratorium applies to initiation of foreclosure and to foreclosures in process.

Evictions of persons from properties securing FHA-insured Single Family mortgages are also suspended through June 30, 2020.

Deadlines for first legal action and responsible diligence are extended by 90 days from the date of the expiration of the moratorium.  (Mortgagee Letter 2020-13, May 14, 2020.)

COVID-19 CDSS waivers of background check requirements

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued a statewide waiver for certain background checks for Adult and Senior Care (ASC) licensees.  ASCs can use the waiver if the licensee experiencing a staff shortage and live scan services are limited because of COVID-19.

Newly hired ASC staff may start working immediately upon submission of a request to transfer a current CDSS criminal records clearance or exemption.  If newly hired staff do not have an existing CDSS criminal records clearance or exemption, they must make every effort to complete live scan within 5 days of starting employment.

If live scan services are available, newly hired staff without an existing CDSS criminal records clearance or exemption may start working immediately upon submitting to the licensee a complete criminal record statement (LIC 508) and request for live scan services (LIC 9163) to the ASC.  Within 5 days of starting work, newly hired staff must complete live scan.

If live scan services are not available, newly hired staff without an existing CDSS criminal records clearance or exemption may start working immediately upon submitting to the licensee a complete criminal record statement (LIC 508) and a complete DOJ Bureau of Criminal Records Information and Analysis Name-Check Form.

If new staff are unable to complete live scan within 5 days because of COVID-19 closures, the licensee can do a Department of Justice background search based on identifying information other than fingerprints.  CDSS has a new background check system call Guardian for name based searches with the Department of Justice.

New staff must complete live scan no later than June 15, 2020 unless that deadline is extended by CDSS.

The background check waiver for Home Care Organization (HCO) licensees and Home Care Aids (HCA) is rescinded and all statutory background check requirements now apply except newly hired HCO staff or applicants for the HCA registry may begin working immediately upon submitting a request to transfer a current CDSS criminal records clearance or exemption.  New HCO staff or HCA applicants without a current CDSS criminal records clearance or exemption can request an individual waiver which will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  (PIN 20-12-CCLD, May 8, 2020.)

COVID-19 CalFresh emergency allotment for May 2020

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California has been approved to issue an emergency allotment of CalFresh for May, 2020.  The emergency allotment will be issued on June 14 to raise each household’s monthly CalFresh allotment to the maximum allowable for the household size.  Per guidance from the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), households already receiving the maximum allotment are not eligible to receive an emergency allotment.

Moving forward, emergency allotments may be approved by FNS on a month-to-month basis until the Secretary of Health and Human Services rescinds the public health emergency. (ACWDL, May 11, 2020.)

COVID-19 Pandemic EBT

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has provided information about Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), which will provide families a standalone food benefit amount equal to the value of free or reduced-price (FRP) school means that are no longer available because of school closures caused by COVID-19.  All students eligible for FRP meals statewide are eligible for P-EBT will be eligible, including students in charter schools and private schools so long as the school participates in the federally funded School Breakfast Program and/or the National School Lunch Program, regardless of whether they receive CalFresh benefits.

Students who are directly certified for FRP because they receive certain benefits, including CalFresh, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal and foster care, will be automatically eligible for P-EBT.  Automatically eligible families will receive a P-EBT card in the mail without applying.  For these families, P-EBT card issuance will begin on May 8.  If a family thinks they are eligible but has not received a P-EBT card by May 25, they should apply online.

Students who approved for FRP meals based on a paper application or community eligibility will need to apply for P-EBT online.  CDSS will verify eligibility by checking against a list of all students who were approved to receive FRP during the 2019-20 school year.  If verified eligible, these families will receive a P-EBT card in the mail within 5-10 days of applying. The online application will be open from May 22 to June 30 at https://ca.p-ebt.org.  Families will not be able to apply after June 30 and will not be able to receive the benefit.

The benefit amount will be $365 for most eligible children.  A few children who were directly certified for the first time this school year after school closure will receive a pro-rated amount based on the date they were directly certified.  These families do not need to apply but their P-EBT card may not arrive until as late as the end of June.

P-EBT benefits will be provided on a separate P-EBT card.  It can be used just like regular EBT cards.

P-EBT eligible families can receive P-EBT, CalFresh and to go meals provided by schools at the same time.  P-EBT eligible families do not need to choose between these available resources.  (ACWDL, May 7, 2020.)

COVID-19 new unemployment programs as income for CalWORKs

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding counting Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) as income for CalWORKs.

PUC is an extra $600 per week of regular unemployment insurance through July 31, 2020.  Pursuant to Executive Order N-59-20, PUC is exempt as income for CalWORKs recipients.  However, PUC counts as income for CalWORKs applicants.

PEUC is an additional 13 weeks of unemployment insurance for people who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance through December 31, 2020.  PUA is unemployment payments for persons not otherwise eligible for regular unemployment insurance including self-employed persons and independent contractors who are unemployed as a result of COVID-19.  PEUC and PUA are not exempt for purposes of CalWORKs and they count as unearned income.

This guidance also applies to Refugee Cash Assistance, Entrant Cash Assistance and Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance program.  (ACWDL, May 5, 2020.)

COVID-19 ongoing child care for at-risk populations

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding child care services for the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children (Bridge Program) and other at-risk populations during the COVID-19 emergency.

Children at-risk should continue to receiving child care at the request of the caregiver or parent even if the caregiver or parent is not employed in a job designated as essential.

If a Bridge Program voucher is scheduled to expire during the emergency period, counties may extend the voucher for 60 days.  This flexibility is in place until June 30, 2020 or when the State of Emergency has ended, whichever is earlier.  When the family secures a long-term child care placement, the Bridge Program voucher is terminated.  (ACWDL, May 4, 2020.)