CalWORKs Housing Support Program funding and rules changes

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The CalWORKs Housing Support Program (HSP) is intended to foster housing stability for families experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in the CalWORKs program.  All CalWORKs recipient families are eligible for the HSP.  HSP eligibility now includes families in CalWORKs who are at-risk of homelessness including recipients who have not yet received an eviction notice, and for whom housing instability would be a barrier to self-sufficiency or child well-being.

In general, homeless for purposes of HSP means either 1) an individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, 2) An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, 3) Any individual or family who is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a family member, has no other housing and lacks resources to obtain other housing.

For the purposes of HSP, a person is defined as at-risk of homelessness when they are experiencing housing instability, including recipients who have not yet received an eviction notice, and for whom housing instability would be a barrier to self-sufficiency or child well-being; have no subsequent permanent residence secured; and lack resources to secure subsequent permanent housing.  Families must be allowed to self-attest that they are at-risk of homelessness.

HSP provides rapid rehousing service, which includes housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and case management.  HSP can also provide homelessness prevention assistance, which includes payment rent or utility arrears, late fee payments, first month rent and/or security deposit, landlord mediation, repairs, habitability/accessibility improvements, and housing navigation.  Counties are encouraged to limit their spending on homelessness prevention assistance to no more than 30 percent of their HSP allocation.

HSP must operate in accordance with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing First principles.  This means that individuals should be connected to housing or housing support without preconditions, services must be voluntary, client choice must be respected, and client cannot be rejected on the basis of income, past evictions, substance abuse, or any other behavior that might indicate a lack of housing readiness.

HSP should assist participants who are behind in rent with accessing ERAP funds before using Home Safe funds to pay back rent.  This is not requirement for Home Safe eligibility, but is a requirement to use ERAP funds before Home Safe funds for rental assistance.  If ERAP rent relief would not prevent a loss of housing and the family is eligible for HSP, then HSP funds can be utilized to keep the family housed, including by covering arrears to prevent a loss of housing.  (ACWDL, December 13, 2021.)

Home Safe program funding and rules changes

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The Home Safe program provides housing services to Adult Protective Services (APS) clients. People are eligible for Home Safe if they 1) are an APS client or in the process of an APS intake, 2) are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, and 3) they voluntarily agree to participate in the program.  Home Safe must prioritize persons who are most likely to fall into homelessness without assistance.

Homelessness and imminent risk of homelessness are: 1) lacking a fixed or regular nighttime address and either living in a shelter, hotel, or motel designed to provide temporary living accommodations, or living in a place not designed for, or ordinarily used for, human habitation; 2) Receiving a court judgment for eviction; 3) receiving a notice to pay rent or quit, or will imminently lose their housing; 4) in a living situation associated with a substantiated report of elder abuse, neglect or financial exploitation.

Home safe eligibility has been expanded to include 1) individuals who are in the APS intake process, 2) individuals who may be served through a tribal social services agency who appears to be eligible for APS, 3) persons who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence including persons who have not yet received an eviction notice, 4) persons who have a primary nighttime residence or living situation that poses an imminent health and safety risk and the individual lack resources to obtain other permanent housing.

Home Safe offers intensive case management, housing stabilization which includes legal assistance; eviction prevention, tenant education, credit repair, cleaning services, hazard removal, assistance with hoarding, and home repairs or modifications; housing navigation; and connection to long term support including referral to the local continuum of care

Home Safe must operate in accordance with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing First principles.  This means that individuals should be connected to housing or housing support without preconditions, services must be voluntary, client choice must be respected, and client cannot be rejected on the basis of income, past evictions, substance abuse, or any other behavior that might indicate a lack of housing readiness.

Homeless prevention can include eviction prevention, which can include short term or one-time financial payments, including payment of back rent, in addition to more substantial case management or other supportive services.

Home Safe should assist participants who are behind in rent with accessing ERAP funds before using Home Safe funds to pay back rent.  This is not requirement for Home Safe eligibility, but is a requirement to use ERAP funds before Home Safe funds for rental assistance.  (ACWDL, October 15, 2021.)

Eligibility of Afghan Humanitarian Parolees and Afghan Special Immigrant Conditional Permanent Residents for Refugee Resettlement Program, CalWORKs, CalFresh and SSI

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has provided revised guidance regarding eligibility of Afghan Humanitarian Parolees Afghanistan for Refugee Resettlement Program, CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits, and new guidance regarding eligibility for Afghan Special Immigrant Conditional Permanent Residents.  This guidance superceedes ACWDL September 3, 2021.

Afghan Special Immigrant Conditional Permanent Residents and Afghan Special Immigrant Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible for public benefits to the same extent as refugees.  Afghan Special Immigrant Conditional Permanent Residents are persons waiting for medical clearance to enter the United States.

Afghan Humanitarian Parolees, and their spouse and children, are eligible for benefits and services to the same extent as refugees.  They are eligible from October 1, 2021 or the date they are paroled in the United States, whichever is later, to March 31, 2023, or the end of parolees’ parole term, whichever is later.  Benefits that Humanitarian Parolees, and their spouse and children, are eligible for are Refugee Cash Assistance, CalWORKs, CalFresh, SSI, Refugee Support Services, and Services for Older Refugees.  Counties should redetermine eligibility for benefits when parole has expired or by March 31, 2023, whichever is later.

For CalWORKs, Afghan Humanitarian Parolees are not subject to the five-year ban on federally funded CalWORKs benefits.

For CalWORKs, reception and placement cash benefits count as property because they are considered recurring lump sum payments.

Afghan Humanitarian Parolees can be eligible for CalWORKs Housing Support Program.  Housing Support and Homeless Assistance can supplement federal refugee resettlement funds.  (ACWDL, December 2, 2021.)

COVID-19 CalFresh emergency allotment for December, 2021

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California has been approved to issue an emergency allotment of CalFresh for November, 2021.  All households will receive at least the maximum CalFresh allotment.  Households eligible to receive the maximum allowable allotment based on household size are now eligible to receive an emergency allotment of $95 per month. Households who are not eligible to receive the maximum allowable allotment based on household size, but whose emergency allotment would be less than $95 per month to receive the maximum allotment, will receive additional CalFresh benefits to raise their emergency allotment to the $95 minimum.

The emergency allotment will be issued on January 16, 2022.

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.  There will be a one-month phase out of emergency allotments after the public health emergency is rescinded.  (ACWDL, December 17, 2021.)

Distribution of collected child support in former assistance cases

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In 2005, the federal government gave states the option, in cases where the family previously received Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (CalWORKs in California) to distribute current child support and arrears payments owed to the family to the family first before retaining payments to pay arrears assigned to the state.  In AB 135, chapter 85 (2021) California permanently exercised this option.  California had temporarily exercised this option by Executive Order dated May 1, 2020.

Now, for former assistance cases, all current support and arrears owed to the family will be paid to the family before assigned arrears are retained by the state.  This election also applies to collections made via federal tax intercept.  (CSSP Letter 21-05, November 29, 2021.)

 

Reopening of SSI cases denied because of pandemic assistance

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The Social Security Administration (SSA) is reopening cases that may have been denied because of receipt of pandemic-related financial assistance.  SSA initially determined that such payments counted as income but later decided that such payments are excludable disaster assistance.  (See EM-20014 REV 4, summarized here.)  EM-20014 REV 4 lists the pandemic-related financial assistance that SSA decided does not count as income for SSI.

SSA will send outreach notices to persons potentially affected.  Some people who had their claims denied will not receive an outreach notice.  They are people who have Denied claims with pending appeals, denied claims with pending subsequent applications, and denied claims with approved subsequent applications.  The outreach notice will tell people that SSA may have denied their SSI claim because they received pandemic-related financial assistance, that they may now be eligible for SSI and/or retroactive payments; and that they should contact SSA so we can reevaluate whether they are eligible for SSI and/or retroactive payments.  SSA started mailing the outreach notices on November 29, 2021 and expects to mail 144,000 notices.

There is no deadline to respond to the outreach notice.  If individuals do not respond to the outreach notice or it is returned as undeliverable, SSA will keep the case open and will review the case for any necessary action.  SSA will reevaluate the denial after speaking to the claimant.

Cases with Interim Assistance Reimbursement Agreements (IAR), that is agreements to reimburse General Assistance or other benefits paid while SSI applications are pending, will need new IAR authorizations.  States can reach out to claimants for new IAR authorizations.  (EM-21068, December 9, 2021.)

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