DPSS ePolicy

To reinforce policy

The purpose of this release is to reinforce policy and procedures regarding CalWORKs Housing/Homeless Programs as a result of a recent audit by the Auditor- Controller (A-C).

The Department administers multiple CalWORKs Housing/Homeless Programs that provide homeless families and families at-risk of homelessness with financial assistance. The programs are listed below and are intended to reduce and prevent homelessness.

• Homeless Assistance (HA) (including Temporary HA, Permanent HA and Permanent HA Arrearages);
• Emergency Assistance to Prevent Eviction (EAPE);
• Moving Assistance (MA);
• Temporary Homeless Assistance Program (THAP)+14; and
• 4-Month Rental Assistance (RA).

A recent review by the A-C of the CalWORKs Housing/Homeless Programs cited deficiencies in the following areas:

• Required forms and supporting documentation to support the program issuance were not available;
• Issuances to applicants/participants ineligible to the program;
• Issuances of incorrect benefit amounts;
• Issuances posted to the incorrect program payment code; and
• Issuances not authorized by both the Eligibility Supervisor (ES) and Deputy District Director (DDD).

N/A

As a result of the A-C’s findings, eligibility staff is reminded to ensure the following key areas are followed when processing housing/homeless program payments:

Documentation

• Documentation needed to determine the participant’s eligibility to the benefit must be requested;
• Receipts must be requested from the participant to verify that issued funds were used for their intended purpose (e.g., rental/lease agreement, receipts etc.); and
• Case must be properly documented with details about each benefit issuance.

Hyland

All required forms and supporting documentation needed to determine the participant’s eligibility to the program must be imaged into Hyland.

Program Application

• The program application must be fully completed, signed, and dated by the participant; and
• The County Use Only section of the application must be fully completed, signed, and dated by the Eligibility Worker (EW).

Eligibility Determination

• The participant’s eligibility to the program benefit must be accurately determined and the applicable Notice of Action (NOA) must be issued to the participant;
• The benefit payment history within the system must be thoroughly reviewed and the Medi-Cal Eligibility Data System (MEDS) reviewed for Temporary HA, Permanent HA and Permanent HA Arrearages;
• Electronically stored documents within CalSAWS Imaging Solution must be reviewed for prior housing/homeless program issuances; and
• The correct payment amount (within the program limits for each program benefit) must be issued when the participant is eligible to the program benefit.

Levels of Approval

• At least two levels of approval are required to issue any of the program benefit payments; and
• The ES and DDD must approve the program benefit payment.

Program Payment Codes

The correct payment code must be selected when the benefit payment is issued for EAPE, MA, THAP+14, and 4-Month RA. 

Contact with Property Services Section and Landlord/Management Company

When processing requests for payments under the Permanent HA, Permanent HA Arrearages, EAPE, MA, and 4-Month RA Programs, the EW must:

• Contact the Property Services Section to verify the accuracy and the consistency of the property information;
• Obtain the participant’s consent to contact the landlord/management company via the ABCDM 228;
• Contact the landlord/property manager to verify rental/lease information prior to issuing the benefit payment; and
• Follow up with contact attempts to the landlord/management company if required.
  

 Two-Party Checks

• The EW must issue a two-party check, as appropriate, as required by the specific program policy.

Overpayments

• The EW must establish overpayments, as appropriate, when required by the specific program policy.

Management Information and Evaluation (MIE) Section and CalWORKs Program Reviews

MIE

As part of the Department’s Corrective Action Plan to the A-C’s findings, MIE was tasked with conducting Quarterly CalWORKs Housing Focus Case reviews to ensure staff is following departmental policies and procedures when processing CalWORKs housing/homeless benefits.

CalWORKs Program

In addition to the MIE quarterly reviews, the CalWORKs Program Section conducts monthly reviews of randomly selected program payments issued by CalWORKs district offices to ensure eligibility staff is in compliance with the policy and procedures for processing housing/homeless program requests.  Findings are shared with the DDD and District Director via the CalWORKs Housing Program Sample Transaction Review Chart.

N/A