Health and Human Services News Briefs
Nov. 1, 2018
Social Services Homelessness Programs Updates
As part of CSAC’s overall efforts to secure funding in the 2018-19 state budget to assist counties in addressing homelessness around the state, CSAC supported three investments in social services homelessness and housing programs. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has recently released notices that provide implementation details for the Home Safe Program, CalWORKs Housing Support Program and the Temporary Homeless Assistance Program. The notices were posted to CDSS’s website, and we are sharing the information here to keep counties informed about the funding opportunity and implementation efforts.
Home Safe Program Request for Proposal (RFP)
CDSS released the Home Safe Program RFP on October 22, 2018. Home Safe is a new three-year pilot program designed to provide housing related assistance to individuals in the Adult Protective Services program. CSAC advocated for this $15 million proposal, which was sponsored by the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), California Commission on Aging, and California Elder Justice Coalition. Eligible individuals must be experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, due to abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. Counties who apply for this funding are required to match the state Home Safe Program funding dollar-for-dollar over the award period. Counties are encouraged to collaborate with local housing partners and will also be required to submit data to help evaluate these innovative programs.
Action Required – Counties must submit an application package to CDSS by 5:00 p.m. on December 3, 2018. Applications will be reviewed in a competitive process. The full application details can be found on the CDSS website, here. The application must identify areas that are currently in progress and will be further developed during the Program Development Phase with corresponding timelines for completion. The allocations are expected to be announced in January 2019.
CalWORKs Housing Support Program County Augmentation
CDSS released County Fiscal Letter (CFL) 18/19-26 on October 12, which outlines the 2018-19 augmentation allocation for the CalWORKs Housing Support Program (HSP). The HSP provides supportive services to CalWORKs families experiencing homelessness. The 2018 Budget Act provided a total of $70.8 million in funding, of which $46.6 was allocated for the planning allocation and $1.8 million is being set aside for innovation projects. This CFL details the remaining $22.4 million that is available to new and existing HSP counties. CDSS consulted with CWDA to establish a distribution methodology for the counties that requested the additional funding, which includes three new counties. The HSP counties can view their allocation on page 4 of the CFL.
CalWORKs Temporary Homeless Assistance Payment Increase
An All County Letter (ACL) 18-106 was released to counties in September informing counties of the change to the daily Temporary Homeless Assistance (HA) payment amounts. The Temporary HA payment is a special needs payment issued to homeless families receiving CalWORKs benefits, while the family is searching for permanent housing. Assembly Bill 1811 (Chapter 35, Statutes of 2018) increased the daily payment limit from $65 for a family with up to four family members to $85. Each additional family member can receive an additional $15 a day up to a maximum of $145 a day. The statutory change goes into effect on January 1, 2019.
CCDA Hosts ADA Access in Restaurant Industry Event
The California Commission on Disability Access (CCDA) in partnership with the City of Fresno, will host The Central Valley Community Gather for local restaurant owners and community members within California’s Central Valley Region to receive information about the various programs and services available related to disability access compliance.
The Central Valley Community Gathering event agenda, panelists, and flyer are now available on the Eventbrite page. Feel free to share this information with your membership and we encourage registration to secure seats by November 7th.
Please contact CCDA for any questions at ccda@dgs.ca.gov
