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Requirements
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Requirement
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Limit/Condition
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PA 4043,
DPSS CalWORKs Housing Programs Brochure
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All applicants/participants, who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness, are to be provided with the PA 4043. The PA 4043 provides information about the various DPSS administered housing programs available to applicants/participants who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. The PA 4043 will be provided to the applicant/participant in their preferred written DPSS threshold language, when the form is not available in the preferred language of the applicant/participant, the form will be verbally translated by staff.
Specific eligibility requirements for each program are found within the following Administrative Releases (ARs):
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44-211.51 DPSS Housing Program;
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44-211.52 Temporary Homeless Assistance;
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44-211.53 Permanent Homeless Assistance;
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44-211.54 Permanent Homeless Assistance Arrearages;
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44-211.552 Moving Assistance Program;
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44-211.553 Temporary Homeless Assistance Program+14;
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44-211.554 4-Month Rental Assistance Program; and
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44-211.555 Housing Relocation Program.
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PA 6036, Referral to Homeless Case Manager
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Applicants/Participants, who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness, are to be referred to the CalWORKs Homeless Case Management Program via the PA 6036. The Homeless Case Management Program is voluntary, and facilitates applicants’/participants’ access to services, referrals to needed resources, and permanent housing. The services include crisis intervention, short-term stabilization, needs assessment, employment services, advocacy, and an individualized housing plan.
For further information on the Homeless Case Management Program, refer to AR:
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44-211.56 Homeless Services – General; and
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44-211.561 Homeless Case Management Program.
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PA 4012, Referral to Housing Resource Eligibility Worker
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Applicants/Participants who declare homelessness and request homeless benefits are to be referred to the Housing Resource Eligibility Worker (HREW) via the PA 4012 when the CalWORKs case is approved. The referral can also be completed by the Customer Service Representative and/or other CalWORKs Eligibility staff to refer a family to the HREW.
A referral to the HREW is not required when CalWORKs Approved Eligibility Workers (EWs) are issuing homeless/housing benefit requests based on district operational needs. In addition, a referral to the HREW is not made for cases assigned to a Specialized Supportive Services (SSS) EW file.
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Eligible population
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The following population is eligible to receive funds under the EAPE Program:
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Participants who are working or enrolled in the GAIN Program/Cal-Learn activities;
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Time-limited adults who are employed or participating in Post-Time Limit (PTL) Services; and
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Ongoing CalWORKs time-limited adults with a Maximum Family Grant child and a zero CalWORKs grant, who are employed or participating in PTL Services.
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Ineligible population
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Persons convicted of welfare fraud (e.g., Intentional Program Violation) are not eligible to receive funds under the EAPE Program.
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PA 2124, Emergency Assistance to Prevent Eviction Program Application
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The applicant/participant must complete the PA 2124, when applying for the EAPE Program. The PA 2124 will be provided to the applicant/participant in their preferred written DPSS threshold language, when the form is not available in the preferred language of the applicant/participant, the form will be verbally translated by staff.
In efforts to minimize in-person contact as a result of health concerns associated to COVID-19, as of March 18, 2020, the following changes are in effect until further notice:
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CalWORKs staff (e.g. Eligibility staff, Homeless Case Managers, Customer Service Center staff) may complete the PA 2124 on behalf of the applicant’s/participant’s based on information obtained over the phone.
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CalWORKs staff will review the contents of the application with the applicant/participant, obtain their concurrence with its submission and write “verbal signature” on the signature line.
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Eligibility
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To be eligible for the EAPE Program payment, the CalWORKs WtW family must:
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Be CalWORKs approved;
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Have exhausted or not be eligible to the Permanent HA Arrearages payment (unless the participant needs to access the EAPE Program in conjunction with the Permanent HA Arrearages payment, to pay for past due utilities only);
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Include an Assistance Unit (AU) member who is employed full-time or employed part-time and is concurrently participating in WtW/PTL Services, or unemployed and participating in WtW/PTL Services, or has been granted Good Cause from GAIN participation due to COVID-19;
Note: Homeless participants who are not currently actively participating in GAIN are granted Good Cause. As a result, Eligibility staff will not need to verify the family’s GAIN status prior to issuing homeless benefits to the family. Until further notice, Good Cause will be accepted in lieu of the WtW requirement for the EAPE Program.
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Be at-risk of homelessness and/or at risk of having their utilities turned off due to nonpayment of rent and/or utilities, as a result of a financial hardship;
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Provide proof of a valid financial hardship;
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Provide proof of back due rent and/or utilities;
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Provide a rental/lease agreement; and
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Agree to pay part of the past due rent and/or utilities.
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It is not a condition of eligibility, under the EAPE Program, that the monthly rent is within 80 percent of the Total Monthly Household Income (TMHI). However, if the current rent exceeds 80 percent of the TMHI, the participant must be referred to the Homeless Case Manager in the district office for assistance with locating affordable permanent housing in order to prevent the family from becoming homeless in the future.
Note: Since the participant must agree to pay part of the past due rent/utilities to be eligible for the EAPE Program, the EW must explore with the participant, up to what amount of the past due rent/utilities the participant is able to pay.
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EAPE
Program
payment and limit
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Funds under the EAPE Program are limited to a once-in-a-lifetime maximum issuance totaling up to $5,000 per family to pay for past due rent and utilities arrears. Participants may continue to apply for the EAPE Program every month or intermittently if the same financial hardship persists provided the financial hardship requirement is met, but only until the $5,000 limit has been exhausted.
Note: Each EAPE request is equivalent to one EAPE Program payment, regardless of the payment amount. As such, EAPE requests cannot exceed four consecutive months of EAPE Program requests/payments.
Once the $5,000 limit has been exhausted, there is no exception to access the EAPE Program again.
Note: The $5,000 once-in-a-lifetime limit for the EAPE Program applies to CalWORKs WtW families who are first-time EAPE Program applicants, effective October 1, 2020.
The EAPE payment issuance limits are noted below:
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Threshold Limit
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Effective Date
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Condition
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$2,000
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April 1, 2004 – May 8, 2016
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EAPE applicants who applied during this period, can only receive payments not to exceed $2,000 even though the current threshold limit was increased to $5,000.
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$3,000
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May 9, 2016 – September 30, 2020
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EAPE applicants who applied during this period, can only receive payments not to exceed $3,000 even though the current threshold limit was increased to $5,000.
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$5,000
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October 1, 2020
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The $5,000 once-in-a-lifetime limit for the EAPE Program applies to CalWORKs WtW families who are first-time EAPE Program applicants, effective October 1, 2020.
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For past due utility bills, if the payment request includes multiple billing periods, each of the utility bills from those periods must be provided as supporting documentation. Collateral contacts are required to verify if any amounts were already paid.
If the utility bills are under a different name from the applicant/participant, a PA 853, Affidavit, must be completed by the applicant/participant with an explanation as to why the bill(s) is/are under a different name. The PA 853 will be provided to the applicant/participant in their preferred written DPSS threshold language, when the form is not available in the preferred language of the applicant/participant, the form will be verbally translated by staff.
Note: Funds under the EAPE Program may be used to pay for late rent fees. However, a landlord can only request this fee if the rental/lease agreement contains a late rent fee provision. In addition, EAPE funds can also pay for utility reconnection fees, if the applicant’s/participant’s utilities have already been shut off.
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Requests that exceed the $5,000 limit
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When the total amount of the past due rent and/or utilities exceeds the $5,000 limit allowed under the EAPE Program, the remaining total of the funds can be issued only if the applicant/participant provides proof that arrangements have been made with the landlord and/or utility companies to pay the overage in installments. However, the balance is the sole responsibility of the participant and they must provide a written explanation as to how the balance will be paid. Otherwise, the request is to be denied.
Note: Participants are not required to provide proof that their balance has been paid as a condition of receiving an EAPE Program payment for rent and/or utilities.
Payment of arrearages under the EAPE Program must be a reasonable condition of preventing eviction; otherwise, the application is to be denied.
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EAPE Program
exclusions
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The EAPE Program cannot be used to:
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Pay for a delinquent mortgage payment; and
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Reimburse late rent/utilities already paid for by the applicant/participant (all payment amounts must be verified before the EAPE Program payment is issued).
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Requests for current month’s rent/utilities
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When an applicant/participant requests assistance under the EAPE Program to cover the rent for the same month as the application, the EW is to:
1. Explore if the applicant/participant has already received an eviction notice, three-day notice to pay or quit, or a letter prepared by the property owner, landlord, property manager, or other agent acting in a similar capacity verifying the past due rent.
2. Process the application if the applicant/participant has provided an eviction notice, three-day notice to pay or quit, or a letter prepared by the property owner, landlord, property manager, or other agent acting in a similar capacity verifying the past due rent.
3. The EW must determine if the applicant/participant has a financial hardship that was the direct cause for nonpayment of rent.
Note: The eviction notice or three-day notice to pay or quit is not in itself proof of the financial hardship.
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If…
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Then the application…
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A financial hardship exists
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Must be processed because a financial crisis was the direct cause for nonpayment of rent and if assistance is not given, the family could end up homeless. Proof of the financial hardship is required.
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No financial hardship exists
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Must be denied since a financial hardship was not the direct cause for nonpayment of rent.
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4-Month Rental Assistance (RA) Program
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A CalWORKs WtW family, who demonstrates experiencing a valid financial hardship and receives the EAPE Program payment for back due rent to prevent the family’s eviction, may also be eligible for a once-in-a-lifetime rental subsidy for up to four consecutive months, and possibly up to eight months of rental subsidy payments if the family is participating in Family Stabilization.
Note: The family may only receive rental assistance once after receiving an EAPE Program payment. If the family receives a subsequent EAPE Program payment to prevent eviction, the family will not be eligible to receive any further rental assistance subsidy benefits.
If the family receives the EAPE Program payment, the EW must:
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Assess if the family is potentially eligible to the 4-Month RA Program and offer the 4-Month RA Program rental subsidy to the family if eligible;
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Document whether the family accepted or declined receiving 4-Month RA Program subsidy payments on the PA 6011, 4-Month Rental Assistance Program Agreement; and
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Document the case Journal in the system.
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Refer to AR 44-211.554 4-Month Rental Assistance Program for further details.
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Financial hardship
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Families must demonstrate that they are experiencing a financial hardship that could result in homelessness or are having their utilities turned off to be eligible for the EAPE Program payment. Proof of the financial hardship is required.
Examples of expenses that might place the family in a financial hardship situation include, but are not limited to:
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Reduction of CalWORKs benefits or termination due to time limits;
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Job loss;
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Income level reduced;
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Increase in rent;
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Medically necessary expenses that are not covered by Medi-Cal or other insurance (e.g., prescription drugs, dental care, eye care, etc.);
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Unexpected emergencies (e.g., funeral expenses for a spouse or a child, payment of back taxes, etc.);
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Automobile repairs;
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Tuition for parents and/or child; and
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Victim of crime.
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Situations that might not be considered resulting from extraordinary circumstances beyond the AU’s control include, but are not limited to the following:
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Loss of income due to the purchase of nonessential household goods, gambling debts, parties, or vacations;
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Failure to budget appropriately; and
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Paying off regular credit card debts.
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The EW is responsible for verifying all documentation/receipts provided by the participant to prove the financial hardship for the EAPE Program. The Eligibility Supervisor (ES) and the Deputy District Director (DDD) must verify all EAPE Program applications, including supporting documentation to ensure accurate evaluation for EAPE Program benefits. Additionally, the EW and ES must verify all receipts submitted by the participant to ensure EAPE funds were used for the intended purpose.
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Once-in-a-lifetime rule
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Funds under the EAPE Program are limited to a once-in-a-lifetime maximum issuance totaling up to $5,000 per CalWORKs WtW family to pay for past due rent and utilities arrears. The $5,000 once-in-a-lifetime limit for the EAPE Program applies to CalWORKs WtW families who are first-time EAPE Program applicants, effective October 1, 2020.
Once the once-in-a-lifetime limit for the EAPE Program has been exhausted, there is no exception to access the EAPE Program again.
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Review for prior
EAPE Program issuances
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Before the family can receive the EAPE Program payment, the system, the Point of Service Image List page, and the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), must be reviewed to assess whether the family already exhausted eligibility to the EAPE Program.
Note: Since participants may continue to receive funds under the EAPE Program until the $5,000 maximum limit has been exhausted, it is critical that a thorough review for past EAPE Program payments is completed prior to issuing a payment. This must be done to ensure that the family does not exceed the $5,000 once-in-a-lifetime limit, which would result in an overpayment.
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Processing
EAPE Program requests
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Requests for the EAPE Program cannot be screened out or withdrawn. In addition, EAPE Program applications cannot be verbally denied.
Processing the EAPE Program Requests:
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EAPE Program payments are to be authorized for issuance within one workday after receipt of all required verification/documentation. In emergent situations, funds are to be available for the applicant’s/participant’s access on the same day.
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The EW will allow the participant up to ten workdays to provide required documentation. However, if the participant needs/requests additional time in order to provide the documentation, the EW may allow additional time, but not to exceed 30 calendar days from the date of the request. If the documentation is not provided within the time frame specified by the EW, the EAPE Program request is to be denied.
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EAPE Program request approval/denial notifications are to be sent to the participant via the NA 290-46 HP, Notice of Approval/Denial Emergency Assistance to Prevent Eviction (EAPE)/Moving Assistance (MA) (Welfare-to-Work) Notice of Action (NOA).
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EAPE Program
overpayment
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Participant Does Not Provide Verification of Expenses Paid
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Participants who receive EAPE Program funds are required to provide verification that issued funds were used for their intended purpose, within ten calendar days from the issuance of the EAPE Program payment.
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If the participant fails to provide verification requested by the EW, such as rent receipts, utility receipts, etc., the participant will be subject to overpayment and collection procedures.
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Client Error Overpayment
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If the applicant/participant receives the EAPE Program payment and the participant was not eligible to the payment, the entire amount issued is considered an overpayment and is collectable.
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If the applicant/participant receives the EAPE Program payment and it is subsequently determined the AU was ineligible to CalWORKs during the period of the EAPE Program issuance, the entire amount of the CalWORKs grant, including the EAPE Program payment is considered an overpayment and is collectable.
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EAPE Program Issuance Limits - Administrative Overpayment
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EAPE Program payments must be within the payment limits. Amounts issued that exceed the payment limits are an administrative overpayment and subject to collection.
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Contact with landlord/
property manager
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The EW is required to inform the applicant/participant that the Department is required to contact the landlord/property manager to verify rental/lease information when processing requests for EAPE Program payments. The EW is to obtain the applicant’s/participant’s consent to contact the landlord/property manager by using the ABCDM 228, Applicant’s Authorization for Release of Information. The ABCDM 228 will be provided to the applicant/participant in their preferred written DPSS threshold language, when the form is not available in the preferred language of the applicant/participant, the form will be verbally translated by staff.
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Verification Documents
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Category
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Acceptable Documents
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At-risk of homelessness
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Notice of pending eviction (eviction cannot be due to severe property damage, violent behavior, or illegal activities);
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Three-day notice to pay or quit (cannot be due to severe property damage, violent behavior, or illegal activities);
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Letter prepared by the property owner, landlord, property manager, or other agent acting in a similar capacity; and
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Proof that the family is experiencing a valid financial hardship that could render the family homeless if benefits are not provided.
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Financial hardship
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Reduction of CalWORKs Benefits or Termination Due to Time Limits
Job Loss
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Letter from former employer (must be signed and dated on letterhead and indicate last day of employment);
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Verification of Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB); and/or
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Verification from the GAIN Services Worker (GSW) or SAR 7, Eligibility Status Report.
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Income Level Reduced
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No longer employed (letter from employer);
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Income reduction (pay stub or letter from employer);
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Roommate or other sharing rent moved out (verification from landlord);
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Termination of UIB (Employment Development Department printout); or
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Verification from the GSW, or SAR 7.
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Increase in Rent
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New rental agreement (indicating the previous rent amount, the new rent amount, and the date the new rent takes effect); or
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Verification from the landlord.
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Medically Necessary Expenses Not Covered by Medi-Cal or Other Insurance Plans (e.g., prescription drugs, dental care, eye care, etc.)
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Receipt of the medical expense indicating that the full amount has been paid (must include a narrative description regarding the nature of the medical expense).
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Unexpected Emergencies (e.g., funeral expenses for a spouse or a child, cost required to visit an ill or dying relative or to attend a funeral, repair of household appliances not otherwise covered by CalWORKs non-recurring special needs, high utility bills resulting from unforeseen circumstances, such as weather extremes, or loss of wages due to illness of self or family members, etc.)
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Receipt of the expenses indicating that the full amount has been paid or the monthly amount being paid (must include a narrative description regarding the nature of the expense).
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Automobile Repairs
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Receipt of the expenses indicating that the full amount has been paid or the monthly amount being paid (must include a narrative description regarding the nature of the expense).
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Victim of a Crime
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Police report substantiating the financial hardship.
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Permanent housing
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To receive the EAPE Program payment, the participant must provide a rental/lease agreement prepared by the property owner, landlord, property manager, or other agent acting in a similar capacity. The participant’s name must be included on the rental/lease agreement; otherwise the EAPE Program application is to be denied.
Upon receipt of a rental/lease agreement, the EW must obtain the participant’s written consent, via the ABCDM 228, to call the landlord/property manager and submit an inquiry to the Property Services Unit. Inquiries to the Property Services Unit can be submitted via email, phone, and fax as follows:
When faxing, all faxes must include a ‘Confidential Fax’ cover. If emailing, staff must ensure that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is not exchanged via email unless the email is encrypted. Refer to 23-810 District Advocate Liaison System for additional information on exchange of PII.
If there is a discrepancy between the rental/lease agreement and the Property Services information, the EW must present the information to the participant for clarification. If the participant maintains the accuracy of the information presented, the EW (after obtaining the participant’s written consent via the ABCDM 228) is to contact the landlord/owner by telephone to resolve the items in question.
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Past due rent
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The amount of past due rent (i.e., arrearages) must be verified. Verification may be:
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Notice of pending eviction;
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Three-day notice to pay or quit; or
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Letter prepared by the property owner, landlord, property manager, or other agent acting in a similar capacity.
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Past due utilities
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The amount of past due utility requests for gas, electricity, and water, must be verified. Verification may be a written statement/bill from the utility company or through EW contact (with written consent from the participant) with the utility company.
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Permanent housing
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Fully executed rental/lease agreement with AU included in the agreement.
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