Lost CalFresh benefits after reporting roommate moved in - now facing eviction in 2 weeks!

First, I'm really sorry you're going through this. For immediate help, try calling 211 in LA county - they can connect you with emergency housing resources. When your roommate moved in, that changed your household size and income calculation for CalFresh, which explains the benefit drop. But there are a few things you should know: 1. Your roommate should be able to apply for their own CalFresh if they meet the income requirements 2. If you purchase and prepare food separately, you can request to be considered separate households for CalFresh purposes 3. LA has several rental assistance programs you might qualify for For the eviction issue - check if you received a formal eviction notice or just a verbal warning. California law requires proper written notice and a court process.

i had this SAME EXACT PROBLEM last yr!!!! omg the county totally screwed up my case when my cousin moved in. they counted her income but she buys her own food completely separate from me!!! took me 3 MONTHS to get it fixed 😠😠😠

You need to submit a Statement of Separate Purchase and Prepare to your county office ASAP. This form (CF 88) verifies that although you live together, you buy and prepare meals separately. If approved, they'll recalculate your benefits as a household of 1 again. Regarding housing: Look into the LA County Housing Resource Center at housing.lacounty.gov or call 211 as suggested. There's also the Prevention and Diversion program through LAHSA specifically for people at risk of homelessness. The 14-day notice seems unusual - standard notices are typically 3-day pay or quit, or 30/60 day termination. I'd recommend contacting Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (lafla.org) for free legal help with your housing situation.

When this happened to me last year I tried calling the CalFresh office for 3 days straight and kept getting disconnected or put on eternal hold. Finally I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com - they got me through to an actual case worker in like 20 minutes! They have a demo video here https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 showing how it works. Totally worth it because the worker was able to mark my case as urgent and fix my household composition issue within days instead of months. With your housing situation being so urgent, you need to get through to someone ASAP.

u need to check if ur under the income reporting threshold (IRT) too. if ur roommate doesnt have income maybe u can get emergency calfresh benefits increased until they find work. also for housing try the emergency section 8 vouchers. my sister got one last year when she almost got evicted with her kids

Your landlord might be violating eviction laws with only a 14-day notice. In Los Angeles County, they need to provide a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit first, then file an unlawful detainer lawsuit if you don't pay. They can't just kick you out after 14 days - that's an illegal eviction. As others mentioned, contact LAFLA immediately at 800-399-4529. They can help stop the eviction while you work on getting your CalFresh benefits corrected. For the CalFresh issue, you need to submit both the CF 88 form AND a Mid-Period Report (SAR 3) explaining your change in circumstances. Make sure to clearly state that your roommate buys and prepares food separately from you.

wait im confused why would your calfresh benefits change just bc someone moved in? my boyfriend moved in with me last month and i didnt report it cuz we buy our own food separately. should i have told them??

UPDATE: I used Claimyr to get through to a real person at the county office and explained my situation. They're sending me the CF 88 form and told me to fill out a SAR 3 form for mid-period reporting. The worker said once they process these forms (hopefully within 10 days), I might get my full benefits back since my roommate and I don't share food. I also talked to LAFLA and they said the 14-day notice isn't a legal eviction notice in California, so that buys me more time. They're connecting me with their housing department to explore emergency rental assistance options too. Thank you all SO MUCH for the help and specific resources. I was panicking yesterday but feel like I at least have a plan now.

I'm so relieved to see your update! This is exactly why communities like this are so valuable - you got practical advice that actually worked. For anyone else reading this thread, your situation is a perfect example of why it's important to understand the difference between household composition and food purchasing units for CalFresh. One additional tip: when you submit those forms, ask your caseworker about expedited processing since you're facing housing instability. Some counties can fast-track cases with urgent circumstances like yours. Also, once your benefits are restored, you might want to look into local food pantries as a backup - places like LA Regional Food Bank have locations throughout South LA that can supplement your CalFresh benefits during tight months. Wishing you the best with getting everything sorted out! 🙏