Homelessness: housing status data.

Under existing law, various agencies administer programs for the support of homeless persons. Existing law also provides for public social services programs, such as the CalWORKs program, the Medi-Cal program, and CalFresh. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Social Services to inquire in both paper applications and electronic applications, as prescribed, into the housing status of persons who apply for Medi-Cal and CalFresh benefits to determine whether the beneficiary or applicant is homeless. This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to refine the Medi-Cal application questions only when there is another reason to revise the application, and would require the State Department of Social Services to refine the CalFresh application questions at the next scheduled revision of the application. This bill, commencing at the end of the first fiscal year following the application changes required pursuant to these provisions, would require each department to begin including in its relevant reports to the budget committees of the Legislature specified information relating to homeless beneficiaries and households, as applicable.