Housing Support Program

Overview

Housing Support Program

The CalWORKs Housing Support Program was created by the Legislature and Governor Brown as part of the 2014-15 State Budget and assists homeless CalWORKs families by helping them obtain and keep permanent housing. In the first year, 20 counties were funded and closely worked with community partners to house more than 3,000 families. In 2015-16, 42 counties are funded to find safe, stable homes for homeless families.

Article

Father & Kids Gets Another Chance at Life Together Thanks to Butte County HSP
In less than a year, formerly incarcerated man gains custody of kids, finds job and a safe home.

After three years of incarceration, 27-year-old Steve was determined to turn his life around for good. A single father, he immediately began the process of regaining custody of his two children who had been in foster care. Within just a few months, he had full care and custody of his children.

Article

Agency and Landord Work Together to Find Orange County Family a Permanent Home
Homeless just before Christmas due to overcrowding in their small room, family turns to HSP for help.

The small room was overcrowded and not what they wanted for their family. But it’s what Jorge and Diana could afford for them and their two children, ages 8 and 2, on their limited income in Orange County, where safe, affordable housing is hard to find for struggling families. Just before Christmas, they were told they had to leave their room; their home. The overcrowding was a problem. With nowhere to go, the family contacted the County of Orange Social Services Agency’s CalWORKs Program for assistance. The county worked with Mercy House to provide the family temporary shelter.

Article

Team of People Finds Family a Home – HSP in Placer County

For 10 years, Kelcie supported her family working for a cleaning service in Placer County. When the cleaning service closed down in 2013 and she lost her job, she tried to support her husband, who is on disability, and their daughter through small jobs. But they struggled to make ends meet. They moved in with a family member in exchange for being the family member’s caregiver and sublet their rental home. But the arrangement did not work out and Kelcie and her family lost their rental home and their $1,500 deposit. Suddenly, the family was unemployed and homeless.

Article

Lifeline to a Secure Future – CalWORKs HSP in Santa Clara County

A survivor of domestic violence, single mother Marquita spent her night fearfully sleeping in her car, the last safe haven she and her daughter could find. When she reached out to the Santa Clara County Social Services Agency’s CalWORKs program for help, she was immediately referred to the Family Services Unit for specialized support in her time of need.

Article

23 Formerly Homeless Families Moved into Permanent Housing in Humboldt County
CalWORKs Housing Support Program uses rapid rehousing model

Since the beginning of the year, 23 formerly homeless families have moved into housing thanks to a CalWORKs grant announced late last year, the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services announced.

Article CWDA Staff

Year Two of Successful Housing Support Program Underway

County human services agencies are offering an array of supportive services and working with community-based housing organizations to move families into permanent housing in the coming months. It’s part of a statewide program known as the CalWORKs Housing Support Program, now in year two thanks to funding provided in the 2015-16 State Budget.

Online Resource

CalWORKs Housing Support Program Resources

This resource page is part of the California Department of Social Services website and provides HSP-specific training materials and information, as well as links to additional information on Rapid Re-housing.

View the CDSS resource page.

Online Resource

Helpful Resources on Rapid Re-housing for California County Human Services Departments

This resource page was developed for California’s Housing Support Program, HSP, by the national experts at the National Alliance to End Homelessness. It provides a variety of links to information that may be useful to HSP counties.

View resource page.

Training

CalWORKs Housing Support Seminar

This seminar, held September 24, 2014, was designed for Housing Support Program counties to learn about the concepts of rapid re-housing,  including screening and assessment, housing identification, determination of subsidies, landlord engagement, and data collection.  

Training

CalWORKs Housing Support Webinar

Developed for the newly launched CalWORKs Housing Support Program counties, this webinar held on August 6, 2014 provided a review of the core components of rapid re-housing, an overview of best practices in program design, and lessons learned across the country from HUD’s Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.