Housing and Homelessness

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Housing Support Program (HSP)

This visualization shows the trends in the HSP for numbers of requests/referrals, eligible requests/referral, approvals, and families permanently housed. The HSP launched in state fiscal year (FY) 2014-15. It grew in FY 2015-16 and 2016-17 after an increase in funding and the number of grantees for the program more than doubled. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (FY 2020-21), the HSP had fewer total requests/referrals, approvals and families permanently housed. Since FY 2020-21, the program has seen an increase in all categories.  Furthermore, over the last year, counties worked to improve their data reporting processes, which is partly reflected in the increase in number of families served in FY 2022-23 and onward. 

The table shows the HSP allocation and number of families that obtained permanent housing by counties that participate in HSP for the selected fiscal year. 

In FY 2023-24, the program appropriation returned to the annual $95 million from $285 million in combined one-time and annual funding in each FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23. As one-time funding is exhausted, counties across the state are adjusting programming including having to reduce the number of families to be served as well as the depth and duration of services provided to each family.  The allocation amounts in this list refer to the new FY 2023-24 allocations. Many counties also spent leftover funds from the FY 2021-22 and 2022-23 allocations during the 2023-24.

In October 2023, CDSS published ACL 23-83 to inform County Welfare Departments of the policy changes enacted by Senate Bill 1083 (Chapter 715, Statutes of 2022), which include and are not limited to (1) expanding the HA eligibility to additional at-risk populations by including families in receipt of any notice that could lead to an eviction regardless of the circumstances listed in the notice and (2) expanding the definition of domestic violence to include domestic violence perpetrated by a parent or child with whom the family is living as it relates to the domestic violence exception to the 12-month rule for HA benefits.

The two visualizations display CalWORKs Homeless Assistance average cost of temporary nightly shelter for families of four or fewer and families of more than four. The data can be sorted by county through a drop-down menu.

To better understand the actual cost of nightly shelter for families eligible for the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance program (HA), per WIC section 11450(i), in late 2023, CDSS surveyed counties on the average cost of nightly shelter for an eligible family with at most four members and the average cost of nightly shelter for an eligible family with more than four members for the past fiscal year. Thirty-three of the fifty-eight counties responded. 

The results are presented in the charts above. 

Average Nightly Cost

According to the results, the most frequently cited average actual cost for an eligible family of at most four members is between $101 and $125, while the most frequently cited average actual cost of temporary nightly shelter for an eligible family of more than four members was between $125 to $150 or greater. According to the respondents, the true costs may be much higher since larger families may require more than two rooms.

Shelter Type 

Eleven of the 33 counties (33%) that responded to the survey reported motel/hotel was the only temporary shelter type used by eligible families in receipt of HA. All other counties reported eligible families they serve use more than one type of shelter in addition to hotels/motels for temporary shelter. These included shared housing, emergency shelter, and “other” types, which included temporary transitional shelters, and campgrounds. The distribution of types of shelter eligible families use is shown in the bar graph “Shelter Type.”

Counties that reported costs at or lower than the maximum amount ($85 for families of four or under and $145 for families of five or greater), indicated eligible families utilized short term shared housing agreements, emergency shelters and other types of shelter, including campgrounds. Ten counties reported that the current allowable amounts were not sufficient to house families in their communities.

When comparing shelter costs for families up to four people to fair market rent (FMR) for a one-bedroom apartment in the same county, there was wide variation between housing costs and nightly shelter costs. The most expensive housing markets were not always in the counties that reported the highest nightly shelter costs, suggesting that other factors like the type of temporary shelter used and hotel/motel supply might be affecting nightly shelter costs. 

This bar chart displays the best practices for transitioning families from temporary to permanent housing. The charts are categorized by HSP Coordination, Case Management, Continuum of Care, Other, Landlord Engagement and Community Partners.

To better understand best practices for transitioning families from temporary shelter to permanent housing per WIC 11450(i), counties were asked to complete a survey in late 2023.

The distribution of promising practices reported by counties can be seen in the chart Promising Practices.

• Just over half (52%, n=17) of the 33 respondents reported that the most promising practice to transition families from temporary to permanent housing was by linking temporary housing assistance participants with the CalWORKs Housing Support Program (HSP). This helps families with housing navigation, rent and move-in assistance, in line with rapid rehousing (RRH) best practices. 
• Five counties identified using intensive case management to help families in receipt of temporary HA achieve permanent housing goals. Intensive case management focuses on helping families stabilize in  housing by resolving common barriers to housing retention and helping create community support systems. This is based on active, trauma-informed engagement of participants so that supports are effective and align with RRH best practices.  
• Three counties cited linking families in receipt of temporary HA with the local Coordinated Entry System to access more expansive permanent housing resources through community partners as a best practice. These linkages assist with housing identification, identifying family needs and preferences, facilitating applications, and providing tenant rights/landlord responsibilities resources and align with RRH best practices.    
• Two counties reported developing linkages to local community partners as a best practice. These linkages assist with many RRH best practices, depending on the partner and what services they offer.
• Two counties reported the use of landlord incentives as a best practice, which also align with the housing identification best practices recommended by RRH best practices.