The 2025-26 California Spending Plan

Human Services

Department of Social Services Housing and Homelessness Programs

The Department of Social Services (DSS) Housing and Homelessness Division oversees a number of locally administered programs aimed at providing housing and homelessness assistance and supportive services to specific populations served by various DSS programs.

Program Overviews

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Housing Support Program (HSP). CalWORKs HSP was established in 2014 to provide resources and housing supports to CalWORKs families who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. CalWORKs HSP services are intended to utilize evidence-based models including those established in the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program. CalWORKs HSP assistance can be used by participating families for rental assistance, security deposits, utility payments, motel and hotel vouchers, and moving costs. Housing stabilization and relocation efforts also include outreach and engagement, landlord recruitment, case management, housing search and placement, legal services, and credit repair.

Bringing Families Home Program (BFH). The BFH Program was established by Chapter 25 of 2016 (AB 1603, Committee on Budget) with the aim of reducing the number of families in the child welfare system experiencing or at risk of homelessness, increasing family reunifications, and preventing foster care placement. BFH provides housing (either rapid rehousing or permanent supportive housing) and case management services to eligible families.

Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP). HDAP, also established by AB 1603, helps individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness apply for disability benefits they may be eligible to receive. HDAP provides outreach, case management, advocacy, and housing support services to program recipients.

Home Safe Program. The Home Safe program was established by Chapter 35 of 2018 (AB 1811, Committee on Budget) to serve Adult Protective Services (APS) clients who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness due to elder or dependent adult abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. Home Safe provides homelessness prevention and housing interventions to support safety and housing stability for individuals served by the local APS agency.

2025-26 DSS Housing and Homelessness Spending Plan

Makes One-Time Augmentations. As part of the 2025-26 spending plan, the Legislature provided significant one-time augmentations for all of the programs described above except CalWORKs HSP. Some of the programs (HSP and HDAP) receive ongoing funding, while others (BFH and Home Safe) have been funded through a number of one-time appropriations. For the programs that have been funded on a one-time basis, without new augmentations, the programs’ funding would have expired in the next few years, with some counties already having spent their full allocations. The new one-time augmentations provided in 2025-26 are available for encumbrance or expenditure for three years, through June 30, 2028. The nearby figure summarizes the 2025-26 augmentations for these programs, along with ongoing funding amounts where relevant.

Exempts BFH and Home Safe from Local Match. For some previous rounds of funding provided for BFH and Home Safe, local jurisdictions were required to provide one dollar of matching funding from a local source for every one dollar of state General Fund provided for the program. Budget trailer bill language (Chapter 79, 2025 [SB 119, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review]) exempts local grantees from the match requirement on an indefinite basis.

Establishes Due Process Procedures and Housing Plan Requirements. Budget trailer bill language (Chapter 107, 2025 [SB 146, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review]) states legislative intent to promote the fair and expeditious resolution of disputes related to HSP, BFH, HDAP, and Home Safe through the creation of complaint resolution processes. Counties that opt to participate in these DSS housing and homelessness programs will be required to create a local complaint resolution process and to provide individual housing plans and other information to program recipients. Complaint resolution processes and housing plans will vary by county, but must be in line with minimum standards that will be provided by DSS through forthcoming guidance. SB 146 specifies that the forthcoming guidance from DSS will include certain elements, such as:

• Counties will notify all program participants in writing at the time of their enrollment and discontinuance from the program of the complaint process.

• Decisions regarding complaints will be made by an objective decision maker who has knowledge of county programs and procedures but is not directly involved in administering the program.

• Recipients dissatisfied with a decision issued pursuant to the county-level complaint resolution process will have the right to file a request to DSS for a state administrative hearing conducted by an administrative law judge.

• Individual housing plans will be developed in coordination with recipients, consistent with the requirements of Housing First (as specified in Welfare & Institutions Code 8255), and describe the start and end dates of specific services.

• Counties will establish a formal process for discontinuing recipients from a program, including due to program expiration or caseload reduction.

• Program recipients will be notified and provided an explanation if their recurring housing-related direct financial assistance is being reduced or discontinued. Notification will include information about alternative housing supports and services.