In this notice, HUD proposes imposing a requirement that federally assisted housing providers give applicants for occupancy a standard form notifying applicants of their statutory right under 42 USC 13604 to include in their application, if they wish, the name and contact information of a third person to assist in securing special care or services that the applicant might need during the tenancy or with any tenancy issues that might arise. HUD’s proposed rule requires that the completed form be kept confidential. Comments on the proposed rule are due on March 23, 2009. [Download.]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
74 FR 4215 – Announcement of Funding Awards for the Housing Choice Voucher Family Self Sufficiency Program for Fiscal Year 2008 (January 12, 2009)
The goal of the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program is to support local strategies that coordinate Housing Choice Voucher assistance with public and private resources to help participating families achieve economic independence. This announcement lists all the PHAs and other entities across the country that received FSS awards for FY 08 and the corresponding award amounts. [Download.]
ACL 09-03: Changes In Law Affecting The Regional Market Rate Survey, State Median Income And Family Fee Schedule (1/23/09)
The Ed code has been changed to align state law (annual survey of rates) to federal law (biennial survey). The letter also lists the “new” (frozen) Regional Market Rate (RMR) rates and the new (elimination) family fee for current CalWORKs recipients.
The state median index (SMI) used to establish the income ceilings subsidized child care was frozen for 2008-9 at the 2007-8 levels. (Families may receive subsidized child care until their income reaches 75 percent of the SMI. For the CalWORKs Stage One and Stage Two Child Care programs, the SMI applies only to former CalWORKs cash aid recipients including safety net families. Current CalWORKs recipients are categorically
eligible for Stage One and Stage Two child care.)
The 2005-6 family fee schedule will remain in effect until CDE releases the new family fee schedule. (Counties are “encouraged to check the CDE website regularly for updated income ceilings and family fee schedules in order to accurately determine income eligibility and family
fees for former recipients….”)
A recent statutory changes eliminates the family fee requirement for families receiving CalWORKs cash aid, including cases where the children continue to receive a CalWORKs grant such as safety net and sanctioned families. [Download]
ACIN I-06-09: Administrative Office Of The Courts Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Initiative (1/23/09)
Info on a resource for all things ICWA. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has developed statewide training materials and provide training and technical assistance to local courts and court personnel to help improve compliance with the requirements of the ICWA. Lots of links to resources.
[Download]
ACWDL 09-02: Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) Program (1/16/2009)
Several changes to increase the participation in the HIPP program became effective January 1, 2008 (they say, could they have meant 2009?). Some of the changes are: Having a share of cost of over $200 is no longer an automatic disqualifier. If someone does not have a medical condition predetermined by DHCS to be cost effective, a cost effective test will be conducted based on the individuals coverage, share of cost, premium cost, and the annual cost of the condition. HIPP will pay for additional family members’ premiums if the individual and family premium costs cannot be separated. [Download]
ACWDL 09-01: Juvenile detention facility contacts for SB 1469 requirements (1/9/2009)
This letter contains the list of chief probation officer contacts for county welfare departments. These contacts are to be used by counties to carry out the requirements of SB 1469. SB 1469 required DHCS to develop a process so that juveniles who are incarcerated for at least 30 days can establish Medi-Cal eligibility immediately upon release if they are eligible, see ACWDL 07-34 for more details. ACWDL 08-36 contains the contact information for the county welfare department contact person regarding the SB 1469 process. [Download]