The 2026-27 Budget: Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) Program

Mar 3, 2026 - The SSI/SSP caseload grew at a rate of less than 1  percent each year between 2011-12 and 2014-15. Beginning in 2015-16, however, SSI/SSP caseload began to decline slowly at an average rate of 1.7  percent each year.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5148

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - Center for Excellence $750,000 ongoing beginning in 2022 ‑23. Emergency Response Augmentation $50 million one ‑time in 2021 ‑22 and again in 2022 ‑23, expendable for four years (through June 30, 2026 for the later allocation).
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

The 2026-27 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 18, 2026 - Currently, 50  percent of administrative costs are covered by the federal government, 35  percent by the state, and 15  percent by counties. Payment Error Rate Measures Accuracy of Benefit Calculations.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5126

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - Overestimates led to a large amount of unspent TANF —$767  million —estimated to be available to reduce state spending in CalWORKs in 2022-23. Similarly, $664  million in unspent TANF funds was estimated to be available in 2024-25.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122

The 2026-27 Budget: Streamlining California’s Affordable Housing Funding System

Mar 6, 2026 - This split, in turn, is based on SGC ’s practice of awarding up to $35   million per project (70   percent) for affordable housing and up to $15   million (30   percent) for transportation. Yet, there is no inherent policy rationale for that 70/30 split.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5154

The 2026-27 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 18, 2026 - As part of the 2012 IHSS MOE, beginning in 2012 ‑13, all counties were required to maintain their 2011 ‑12 expenditure levels for IHSS, to which an annual growth factor of 3.5  percent was applied beginning in 2014 ‑15.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5166

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - Since 2022, all counties have been required to provide wraparound services to foster youth transitioning out of congregate care placements for at least six months. This state requirement aligns with federal requirements under FFPSA, as described more in the nearby box.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106