The 2026-27 Budget: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation

Mar 5, 2026 - In particular, DSS developed a revised CalFresh administration budgeting methodology, implemented starting in 2023 ‑24, that relies on estimates of unit costs for various mandated eligibility administration activities, based on a county survey.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - Flexible Family Supports and Home ‑Based Foster Care Funding Program $50 million one ‑time in 2022 ‑23 and again in 2023 ‑24, expendable for three years (through June 30, 2026 for the later allocation).
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

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

Mar 6, 2026 - We find that designating the vast majority of private activity bonds for this purpose, as CDLAC has done, is consistent with good public policy given (1)  the state ’s priority to support more affordable housing and that (2)  doing so unlocks federal funding via the 4   percent tax credits.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5154

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

Mar 3, 2026 - SSP Grants Were Increased in 2016-17, 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24.  Since the Great Recession, as seen in Figure  2, grants for individuals and couples have been increased four times —in 2016-17 (by 2.76  percent), 2021-22 (by 23.95  percent), 2022-23 (by 10.3  percent), and 2023-24 (by 9.2  percent).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5148

Implementing California’s Child Welfare Prevention Services Program

Jan 28, 2026 - Does not meet criteria Programs that do not meet any of the other rating thresholds upon review of all studies are rated as not currently meeting criteria. There are a few advantages to states choosing well ‑supported programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5106

The 2026-27 Budget: CalWORKs

Feb 18, 2026 - We do not recommend any adjustments to the proposed budget related to unspent TANF funds at this time. Federal TANF Program Provides Flexible Funding. Federal law gives states significant flexibility in how they use TANF block grant funds and related MOE expenditures.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5122

The 2026-27 Budget: Food Assistance Programs

Feb 18, 2026 - California ’s most recent payment error rate, for federal fiscal year 2023-24, is about 11  percent. (The comparable national error rate is similarly about 11  percent.) Payment error rates in California and nationally have risen in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5126