LA County rental assistance timeline with 3-day pay or quit notice - can CalFresh office help?

The county DPSS can sometimes help with emergency housing funds, but honestly the timeline is usually pretty slow. When I was facing eviction last year, they took almost 2 weeks to process my request. You might want to look into local non-profits in LA County that specifically handle emergency rental assistance - they're often faster than the county. The DPSS office is mainly focused on CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal administration, not emergency housing funds. Did they specifically tell you they offer rental assistance?

Hi there - I work at a legal aid office in LA County. You need to understand that uploading your 3-day notice to BenefitsCal doesn't automatically trigger rental assistance. If you only receive CalFresh and not CalWORKs, there's no direct rental assistance program through DPSS for you. Here's what you should do immediately: 1. Contact LA County's emergency rental assistance program at 888-694-0040 or visit https://housing.lacounty.gov 2. Call 211 LA County for immediate referrals to emergency rental assistance programs 3. Contact your local legal aid office for help responding to the eviction notice Don't wait for DPSS to call you back - they likely can't help unless you qualify for CalWORKs. The 3-day timeline is serious and you need to act immediately.

hey i was in ur same situation last yr... the 3 day notice is scary but actually u have more time than that bc they cant actually kick u out that fast. after 3 days they can FILE for eviction but then theres a whole court process that takes weeks. but dont wait!!! call 211 like the other person said thats wat helped me

Also, if you're struggling financially right now, make sure you report your reduced income to CalFresh! If your hours got cut, you might qualify for increased food benefits. You can report income changes anytime (not just at your SAR7 or recertification) if it might increase your benefits. Every little bit helps when you're trying to catch up on rent.

I HAD SAME PROBLEM with eviction notice but LA county took FOREVER to help!!! By the time they got back to me the sheriff was already scheduled. The whole system is BROKEN!!!! They tell you they'll help but then they have "processing delays" 🙄 Call EVERY non-profit you can find and don't rely on the county!!!

I tried calling LA County DPSS about rental assistance last month and kept getting disconnected or waiting on hold forever. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person in about 20 minutes. They have this system that waits on hold for you and calls when a real person answers. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 But yeah, like others said, DPSS mainly handles CalFresh and CalWORKs benefits, not emergency rental assistance directly. So make sure you're calling the right department!

Hi there! I work with housing clients in LA County. Many people confuse DPSS (which handles CalFresh/CalWORKs) with housing assistance programs. They're separate systems. Here's what you need to know about the 3-day notice: 1. It's a legal requirement before filing an eviction lawsuit 2. After the 3 days, landlord can file an Unlawful Detainer (UD) in court 3. You'd then have 5 days to respond to the UD 4. Only after a court judgment can sheriff enforce eviction (usually 2-3 weeks minimum) For immediate help in LA, contact: - Stay Housed LA: stayhousedla.org - LA County Emergency Rental Assistance: housing.lacounty.gov - Legal Aid Foundation of LA: lafla.org These can help MUCH faster than going through DPSS.

btw make sure u bring ur calfresh approval letter to any rental assistance place u go to... they usually want proof of all ur benefits and income when u apply for rent help

Just checking back - were you able to get help from any of the resources people suggested? Hope things are working out for you and your family.

That's such great news! I'm so glad Stay Housed LA was able to help you quickly and that your landlord was willing to work with you once you showed proof of applying for assistance. The extra $218/month in CalFresh benefits will definitely help stretch your budget too. It's a perfect example of why it's so important to report income changes right away - many people don't realize they can do that outside of their regular reporting periods. Thanks for updating us on how things turned out - this thread will probably help other people in similar situations know exactly where to go for help!

Welcome to the community, CosmicCaptain! I'm glad you found this thread helpful. You're absolutely right about how confusing the system can be - I think most of us have been there trying to figure out which agency does what. The good news is this community is really great about sharing experiences and resources. If you're dealing with financial stress, definitely don't hesitate to post your own questions. People here are super supportive and knowledgeable about navigating California's benefit programs. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you're getting all the benefits you qualify for - sometimes there are programs people don't know about that could help. Hope things get better for you!

Hey everyone! I'm new here but have been following this thread closely. As someone who works in nonprofit social services in the Bay Area, I wanted to add that this is such a great example of how important it is to understand the different systems and agencies. Ellie's experience really highlights how DPSS/CalFresh offices get calls about housing issues all the time, but their staff often aren't fully trained on what other resources are available outside their programs. It's not that they don't want to help - they're just focused on their specific benefits. One tip I always give clients: when you call ANY agency, always ask them "If you can't help me with this specific issue, can you transfer me to someone who might know what resources ARE available?" Sometimes the person answering the phone knows about other programs or can connect you to a social worker who has broader knowledge. Really glad this worked out for you, Ellie!