DPSS ePolicy

To convert existing policy to new writing style only - No concept changes 

Homeless or at-risk of homelessness status is identified when a participant self-declares homelessness to Eligibility staff or a GAIN Services Worker (GSW)/Contracted Case Manager (CCM), meets the definition of homeless or at-risk of homelessness, and verification is provided.

Homeless families are identified in the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) using the district office as their physical address.

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Homeless

A California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) family is considered homeless when:

• It lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence; 
• It shares a residence with family and friends on a temporary basis;
• It has a primary nighttime residence that is a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations;
• It resides in a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
• It has a need for housing in a commercial establishment (e.g., hotel/motel), shelter, publicly funded transitional housing, or from a person or establishment with whom the Assistance Unit (AU) has a valid lease, sublease, or shared housing agreement; or
• A Domestic Violence (DV) applicant who is fleeing from the abuser even if the applicant has not yet spent a night homeless.

At-Risk of Homelessness

A CalWORKs family is at-risk of homelessness if the family:

• Received a notice-to pay rent or quit or notice of pending eviction caused by a financial hardship due to circumstances out of the family's control (excludes evictions due to lease/contract violations); or 
• Is experiencing a valid financial hardship that could render the family homeless if benefits are not provided.

Homeless Case Management (HCM) Program

A voluntary program for families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

Services provided are:

• Crisis Intervention; 
• Short-term stabilization;
• Assistance with locating a hotel/motel when the participant needs emergency housing;
• Needs assessment;
• Assistance with resolving non-compliance or sanctions;
• An individualized housing plan;
• Assistance with application and receipt of Specialized Supportive Services (SSS);
• Assistance with participation in GAIN when an at-risk or homeless family is requesting benefits from any of the CalWORKs Housing Programs that require Welfare-to-Work (WtW) participation, such as Temporary Homeless Assistance Program+ 14, Moving Assistance, Emergency Assistance to Prevent Eviction, and/or 4-Month Rental Assistance Program; and 
• An expedited, next business day appointment into GAIN.

Homeless Case Manager (HCM)

The HCM is a GSW assigned to a CalWORKs District Office to assess/case manage homeless and at-risk of homelessness families applying for/or already receiving CalWORKs.

Homeless Supportive Services (HSS) GSW/CCM

The HSS GSW/CCM is part of the SSS unit at the GAIN Regional Offices. The HSS GSW/CCM works closely with the HCM to provide services to homeless participants volunteering in the HCM Program. 

The HSS GSW/CCM provides intensive case management to participants until their housing situation is stable. 

Note: SSS Refugees Case Managers (RCMs) in Refugee Employment Program (REP) offices assist homeless REP participants and collaborate with HCMs. HSS CCMs is inclusive of SSS RCMs throughout this policy.

HCM Program

The participant may choose to participate or decline to participate in the HCM Program once the participant meets with the HCM at the District Office. 

Expedited into GAIN

Participants who, request CalWORKs Housing Program benefits that require participation in WtW, are not already in GAIN, and choose to participate in the HCM Program will be referred to the HSS GSW/CCM by the HCM and expedited into GAIN to facilitate the participant's access to services, referrals to needed resources, and secured housing.

The HSS/CCM will assist participants with the following:

• Coordinating and expediting the (next business day) Appraisal appointment into GAIN; 
  
• Assessing the participant's ability to participate in GAIN; 
• Assigning participants to WtW activities, as appropriate;
• Evaluating for Exemptions and Good Cause, if appropriate; and
• Issuing supportive services identified by the HCM and requested by the participant. 

Homeless Good Cause

Participants experiencing homelessness can be granted Good Cause (GC) for 90 days up to a total of nine months. The nine-month limit only applies to the participant's current homeless instance and is not a lifetime limit. The GSW/CCM must exert efforts to contact participants and encourage them to participate in a WtW/REP activity before granting GC. Contact efforts must be made every 30 days during the 90-day GC period, which should include telephone calls and scheduling an appointment to attempt to engage the participant in WtW/REP activities. 

Non-Compliance/Sanction

Participants identified as homeless or at risk-of homelessness will have:

• Open non-compliances cancelled; 
  
• Future sanctions closed/denied; and 
• Sanctions ended immediately.

Note: Non-compliance may be initiated after the nine months of Good Cause have been exhausted for the current homeless instance, and the participant does not show to the scheduled GAIN appointment. 

PA 1815, Important Notice About a Mailing Address

GSWs/CCMs will provide and review the information on the PA 1815 (11/23) with participants who report homelessness. The PA 1815 documents homeless participants' understanding of the importance of a mailing address and their responsibilities when using the district office address as their mailing address. On the PA 1815, participants are required to initial in the appropriate sections confirming that they understand and agree with their responsibilities. The GSW/CCM can review and complete the PA 1815 electronically on behalf of the participant and obtain a telephonic signature when participant declares homelessness via telephone. 

If homeless participants have a mailing address, their correspondence will be forwarded to the mailing address provided on the PA 1815.  Participants may choose to have their Notices of Action (NOAs) or other correspondence mailed to a relative or friend's address, P.O. Box, or private mailing address. Participants are allowed to use the case-carrying office address as their mailing address as needed due to homelessness and they must agree to report to the district office at least once a week to pick up their mail. DPSS-related mail will be printed and given to them. In addition, the PA 1815 informs the homeless participants that NOAs and other notices are also available to view and print on BenefitsCal.

Note: Participants cannot use a Customer Service Center (CSC) as their mailing address because CSCs are not open to the public. 

DPSS accepts mail on behalf of homeless participants and holds it for 60 calendar days when they use the district office address as their mailing address:

• If the mail is directly related to eligibility for DPSS-administered benefits.
• From agencies listed on the PA 1815 within the Homeless Mail -  Acceptable applicants/participants.

Note: After 60 calendar days, mail received from agencies listed on the PA 1815 is marked as "Return to Sender" and mailed back to the agency.

PA 6036, Referral to Homeless Case Manager Form

Review Images for the PA 6036. The PA 6036 identifies the case as homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

Eligibility staff use the PA 6036 to refer all CalWORKs homeless or at-risk of homelessness AUs to an HCM for homeless case management services.

Note: GSWs/CCMs must review the physical address in the Address Detail page, as instructed previously, to identify homeless families.

Contact Eligibility staff for clarification if the physical address in the Address Detail page does not identify the family as homeless, but a PA 6036 is on file for a current instance of homelessness. 

Homelessness

The following documents are acceptable verification of homelessness or at-risk of homelessness:

• Living on the street (GEN 853, Sworn Statement, signed and dated by the participant); 
  
• In a shelter (signed and dated verification from the shelter on letterhead indicating the last day at the shelter); 
• Evicted by a friend or family member (signed and dated letter from friend or family member indicating the reason for eviction and last day at the residence);
• Leaving an institution (release documents from the institution indicating the last day there);
• Residing in a motel/hotel (motel/hotel receipts accompanied with a collateral contact with the motel/hotel staff);
• Third-party verification from a governmental or private agency;
• Notice to vacate received from a landlord;
• An eviction lawsuit filed by the landlord;
• A judgment from an eviction lawsuit ordering a move-out date; or
• A lock-out notice from the Sheriff’s Department.

Note: If the participant cannot obtain verification because it does not exist, the participant’s sworn statement on a GEN 853 is sufficient to verify homelessness, provided there is no other conflicting evidence. There may be other forms of acceptable documents which are not included on the list. 

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