Home Safe Program
The Home Safe Program was established in 2018 to prevent or address homelessness to support the safety and housing stability of individuals involved in Adult Protective Services (APS), individuals in the APS intake process, or who may be served by a Tribal social services agency and who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Home Safe offers a range of strategies to address and prevent
homelessness and support ongoing housing stability for APS clients, including
housing-related intensive case management, housing-related financial
assistance, deep cleaning to maintain safe housing, eviction prevention,
landlord mediation, and more.
Fifty-eight (58) counties operate a Home Safe program, and each program is tailored to meet the needs of the local community. Twenty-three tribal grantees operate a Home Safe program. For more information about county funding, refer to CFL 22/23-43 (January 20, 2022). Tribal grantees were issued individual allocation letters on a rolling basis as Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) were executed.
Eligibility
Current APS clients, individuals who are in the process of intake to APS, or individuals who may be served through a Tribal social services agency who are experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness as a result of elder or dependent abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation, as determined by the APS agency or tribal entity are eligible for Home Safe. Note that Home Safe services are not contingent upon the outcome of the APS investigation.
Current and prospective grantees must review the ACWDL dated October 15, 2021 for a complete overview of Home Safe program eligibility, definitions, services, rules, and requirements. For Home Safe, “homelessness or at risk of homelessness” is defined in WIC Section 15770.
Program Funding
Assembly Bill 1811 established Home Safe in 2018 with a $15 million, one-time appropriation. These funds were available over a three-year period, beginning July 1, 2018, and ending June 30, 2021. The program required a dollar-for-dollar grantee match.
The Budget Act of 2021 (SB 129) appropriated $92.5 million, match-exempt General Fund (GF) for Home Safe in FY 2021-22, available for expenditure from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2024.
The Budget Act of 2022 (AB 178) appropriated an additional one-time $92.5 million, match-exempt GF for Home Safe, available for expenditure from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025.
The Budget Act of 2024 (AB 161) reappropriated funds provided in the Budget Act of 2021 (SB 129) and are now available for expenditure through June 30, 2025 (previously June 30, 2024) and funds provided in the Budget Act of 2022 (AB 178) have been reappropriated and are now available for expenditure through June 30, 2026 (previously June 30, 2025). The Budget Act of 2024 also extended the match waiver for all available funds through June 30, 2026.
How to Apply
The Home Safe Program is administered locally. You may look up your county point of contact for more information or contact the CDSS Housing and Homelessness Division to learn how to connect with your local program.