CalWORKs Summary Program Services & Utilization Housing and Homelessness

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. 

Housing instability and homelessness is a pervasive, multifaceted problem that is a barrier to self-sufficiency. It affects the health and economic opportunities of families throughout the state. Research shows that housing instability and homelessness contribute to children experiencing higher rates of mental, emotional, and behavioral impairments and interferes with learning and the ability to develop social relationships.

In recognition that housing is a critical component of self-sufficiency, the California Legislature created the CalWORKs HSP in 2014. HSP provides an array of housing support services including but not limited to rental assistance, housing navigation, and housing case management for families in the CalWORKs program, outlined in the All County Welfare Directors Letter (ACWDL) December 13, 2021, Attachment One. This guidance also recommends coordination with other CalWORKs services, including the CalWORKs HA Program. HSP assists families in stabilizing as they move into permanent housing and work toward self-sufficiency while also improving overall child well-being. 

HSP expanded service delivery significantly across the State as a result of the historic, one-time funding of $190 million received in each FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23 (in addition to the annual $95 million in ongoing funding).

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.

The first two visualizations show the trends in the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance (HA) program for requests for temporary shelter assistance (Temporary HA) and permanent housing assistance (Permanent HA). Totals include both regular HA as well as HA benefits provided as an exception to the once-every-twelve-month rule. Guidance for these exceptions can be found in All County Information Notice I-44-22.  During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (FY 2020-21), the HA program had a drop in requests for temporary and permanent housing assistance, detailed in the 2023 CalWORKs Annual Summary Report. Since then, requests for both temporary and permanent HA have increased significantly. 

The expenditures tab shows the annual HA program net expenditures for Temporary HA and Permanent HA beginning in 2017-18 when HA became an annual benefit instead of once in a lifetime.  Expenditures for both categories have increased over time. Permanent HA expenditures reflect a larger proportion of total expenditures in the past two years.

Temporary HA provides a payment of $85 per day for a family of four or fewer, and an additional $15 for each additional family member, not to exceed $145 per day.  Temporary HA is provided for up to 16 days annually, while the family is actively searching for permanent housing, with certain exceptions established in statute.

Permanent HA helps families secure housing by providing security deposit costs, including last month’s rent, or helps families maintain permanent housing and prevent eviction by providing up to two months of rent arrearages. The monthly rent cannot exceed 80 percent of the total monthly household income.

Housing instability and homelessness is a pervasive, multifaceted problem that is a barrier to self-sufficiency. It affects the health and economic opportunities of families throughout the state.  Research shows that housing instability and homelessness contribute to children experiencing higher rates of mental, emotional, and behavioral impairments and interferes with learning and the ability to develop social relationships. The CalWORKs HA program serves eligible CalWORKs participants, or apparently eligible CalWORKs applicants, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with immediate homeless assistance.  

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 filtered 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), each year, CDSS surveys 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.

The results are presented in the charts above.

Homelessness is a pervasive, multifaceted problem that is a barrier to self-sufficiency. It affects the health and economic opportunities of families throughout the nation. Research shows housing instability and homelessness contribute to children experiencing higher rates of mental, emotional, and behavioral impairments and interferes with learning and the ability to develop social relationships. The CalWORKs HA program serves eligible CalWORKs participants, or apparently eligible CalWORKs applicants, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with immediate homeless assistance.

This is the second year counties have responded to this survey and the first year this survey merged with the AB 236 and AB 557 HA exemption surveys. Details were shared with counties in All County Information Notice No. I-49-24.

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

This column chart displays the reported best practices for transitioning families from temporary to permanent housing from the survey responses. The best practices are displayed in order of most frequently reported and include the following categories: referrals to the Housing Support Program, utilization of case management services to support a transition to permanent housing, engaging and referring families to community partners, referring families for Permanent HA, other miscellaneous strategies, referring families to the Family Stabilization Program (FSP) and utilizing landlord engagement strategies to support transition to permanent housing.

The distribution of promising practices reported by counties can be seen in the charts above.

Homelessness is a pervasive, multifaceted problem that is a barrier to self-sufficiency. It affects the health and economic opportunities of families throughout the nation. Research shows housing instability and homelessness contribute to children experiencing higher rates of mental, emotional, and behavioral impairments and interferes with learning and the ability to develop social relationships. The CalWORKs HA program serves eligible CalWORKs participants, or apparently eligible CalWORKs applicants, who are experiencing homelessness, or are at risk of homelessness, with immediate homeless assistance.

Details on the most recent survey were shared with counties in All County Information Notice No. I-49-24.