Rental assistance and down payment assistance are key to eviction and foreclosure prevention. The Housing Support Program (HSP) through CalWORKS provides consistent rental assistance to eligible families; Community Development (CDBG) funding, HOME funding, and Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) provide rental and down payment assistance through Housing and Community Services (HCS) when funds are available. CalWORKS delivers rental assistance through AMI as a contracted partner. Also key to preventing eviction and foreclosure is to quickly identify those in need through the coordinated entry system and to be able to quickly refer those individuals and families to the best program for their needs.
The heart of a diversion strategy is quickly identifying and referring people to the best program to assist their housing needs. Currently, the Continuum of Care (CoC) focuses on high vulnerability people: those that are chronically homeless, have substance use disorders or behavioral health disorders, or are medically vulnerable. Supporting lower vulnerability individuals, such as those that may need some temporary rental assistance, or additional support with CalWORKS or CalFresh to prevent homelessness, is a gap in the homeless response system.