Can homeowners qualify for CalFresh? Just bought a house but struggling to feed family of 6

yes u can totally get calfresh even if u own a house! owning a home doesnt automatically make u not eligible its all about income and household size. my sister owns her condo and still gets benefits for her and her kids

Homeownership is NOT a disqualifier for CalFresh eligibility. CalFresh is primarily based on your household income and size, not assets like homes or vehicles. For a family of 6 in 2025, the gross monthly income limit is approximately $5,425 and net income limit around $4,175. What matters most is: - Your current household income - Number of people in your household - Monthly expenses (mortgage, utilities, childcare) In fact, you can deduct certain housing costs including your mortgage payment and property taxes when calculating your net income, which might actually help you qualify for more benefits. Don't hesitate to apply - with 4 children, you could be eligible for significant assistance.

When I bought my house last year I was SURE I wouldn't qualify anymore, but I was wrong!! They actually take your housing costs into account when figuring out your benefit amount. For a family of 6 you might get a pretty decent amount of food assistance. Just make sure you report ALL your income and expenses accurately on the application. And be prepared to provide proof of everything - they asked me for mortgage statements, utility bills, paystubs, etc.

congrats on the house! thats huge! but yeah food is crazy expensive now especially with 4 kids, i get it. apply for sure, worst they can say is no right?

It's a common misconception that homeowners don't qualify for CalFresh. The program doesn't have an asset test, so owning a home doesn't disqualify you. What matters is your income relative to your household size and expenses. For a family of 6, you could receive up to $1,450/month in CalFresh benefits in 2025 if you qualify for the maximum amount. Make sure to report: • All earned and unearned income • Your mortgage payment and property taxes • Utility costs (ask about the Standard Utility Allowance) • Any childcare expenses • Medical expenses for elderly or disabled household members All these deductions help increase your potential benefit amount. Apply through BenefitsCal.com or your local county office.

I don't know why people think owning a house means ur rich lol. We own our home and still struggle every month!! The mortgage is KILLING US. CalFresh has been a huge help for our family. Just make sure you send in all your documents quickly so it doesn't delay your application.

I work for a community resource center and help people apply for benefits all the time. I can confirm that homeownership is NOT a factor in CalFresh eligibility. However, be prepared for potential delays in the application process. The county offices are severely understaffed right now and many of my clients are experiencing long wait times. If you need to speak with a worker about your application status or have urgent questions, I recommend using Claimyr.com to get through to a live person faster. They have a service that helps you bypass the hold queues. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 Might save you hours of frustration, especially if you're trying to get benefits started quickly for your family.

FAIR WARNING - make sure you keep ALL your approval paperwork and benefit statements!!! When I got CalFresh after buying my house, they miscalculated my benefits 6 months in and tried to say I owed them $900 in overpayments. Had to fight with them for weeks to prove I reported everything correctly. The system is a mess sometimes.

doesnt ur mortgage payment count as a deduction or something? my cousin said that actually helped her get more benefits bc housing is so expensive now

UPDATE: I submitted our application online yesterday through BenefitsCal and just got a call for an interview scheduled next week! The worker I spoke with confirmed that owning our home isn't an issue at all. She actually seemed surprised I was worried about that. Thanks everyone for the encouragement and advice. Will update again after the interview!

So glad to see you got the interview scheduled! Just want to add that having all your kids' information ready is super important too - birth certificates, social security cards, school enrollment records, etc. They need to verify everyone in your household. Also, if any of your kids get free lunch at school, mention that during the interview as it can sometimes help with the application process. You're doing great advocating for your family - homeownership should never be a barrier to getting the food assistance you need!