Facing homelessness after hotel rate increase - can CalFresh or CalWORKs help my family?

Check with your county immediately for the Housing Support Program through CalWORKs. They can sometimes help families facing homelessness. Call them ASAP and explain your situation as an emergency. There's also Homeless Assistance which can provide temporary shelter payments if you qualify for CalWORKs.

I went thru this last year. You need to apply for CalWORKs if your not already on it. They have something called Homeless Assistance that can help with deposit and maybe first months rent, or they might be able to pay for motel for a short time while you find something. But theres usually a waiting list for anything good. Also try calling 211 they have other resources sometimes.

Definitely apply for CalWORKs immediately. Since you mentioned you both work part-time, you might qualify for cash aid depending on your income levels. For a family of 4 in 2025, the income limit is around $4,860 gross monthly income. The Housing Support Program (HSP) and Homeless Assistance Program can help with: - Temporary shelter payments - Security deposits - Utility deposits - Moving expenses - Temporary rental assistance Make sure to specifically tell them you're at imminent risk of homelessness due to the hotel rate increase. Bring documentation of the rate change if possible. They prioritize families with children.

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME calling the regular numbers!!!!! I was in a similar situation last year and spent DAYS trying to reach someone in the emergency housing department. The regular workers don't know anything about the emergency programs and just transfer you around in circles. You need to talk to a HOMELESS ASSISTANCE specialist directly and they never answer their phones!!!!

Sorry about your situation. Have you tried Claimyr? I was in a similar spot last year trying to get emergency benefits and was getting nowhere with the regular county phone lines. Claimyr helped me get through to an actual person at CalWORKs in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 and the website is claimyr.com. It was the only way I could actually talk to a specialist who knew about the emergency housing programs.

Regarding your question about applying for just the housing part - unfortunately no, the Housing Support Program and Homeless Assistance are benefits tied to CalWORKs eligibility. BUT, apply for CalWORKs right away and make sure to check the box indicating you're homeless or at risk of homelessness. This should fast-track your application. Also, ask specifically about Emergency Assistance - some counties can process emergency applications in as little as 3 days when there's imminent homelessness with children involved.

Not sure if this helps but when my sister got evicted she went to a place called Family Resource Center and they helped her get emergency housing while waiting for her CalWORKs to be approved. Maybe check if there's one in your area?

Just want to mention - make sure when you apply that you report your EXACT income correctly. If you estimate wrong or leave anything out they'll deny you and you'll have to start over. Also bring your kids birth certificates and ID for everyone if you go in person. They're super strict about documentation.

Also, while you're figuring out the CalWORKs side, if your income is low enough you might qualify for an increase in your CalFresh benefits. $580 seems low for a family of 4 if you're both only working part-time. When was your last recertification? Any change in income should be reported and could potentially get you more food benefits, which would free up some money for housing.

Yes, absolutely report the decrease in your husband's hours! If it's a change of more than $100/month, you should report it mid-period (even outside your SAR7 cycle) because it could increase your benefits. This is called a "Voluntary Mid-Period Report" and it can only help you, never reduce your benefits. Regarding everyone's advice about emergency housing - I'd also recommend documenting everything about your current situation. Take pictures of any notices about the rate increase, save text messages, emails, etc. The more documentation you have showing the emergency nature of your situation, the better your chances of getting expedited help.

the whole system is designed to wear you down so you give up. they make it impossible to reach anyone and when you finally do they tell you that you filled out the wrong form or are missing some obscure document. i waited 11 WEEKS to get approved for emergency assistance and by then i'd already had to sleep in my car with my kid for a month. hate to be negative but prepare yourself for a battle

UPDATE: I wanted to let everyone know what's happened. I tried calling the county office all morning yesterday with no luck. Finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned, and they got me through to an Emergency Response worker! The worker took all our info and said we qualify for temporary housing assistance while our full CalWORKs application is processed. They're sending us paperwork today and said we might be able to get help with the hotel for up to 16 days while we look for something permanent. They're also connecting us with a housing navigator who can help us find an apartment that will work with our budget. I'm still stressed but at least feel like we have some options now. Thank you all for your advice!