Governor Signs AB 2765 (Ahrens) to Maintain CalFresh Food Benefits for Current and Former Foster Youth Who Are Working or Have Medical Conditions

On Friday, September 18, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2765, authored by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (D-Silicon Valley). Taking immediate effect with an urgency clause, the legislation aims to maintain CalFresh food benefits for current and former foster youth by streamlining verification of compliance with or exemption from newly enforced federal work requirements. The new law also benefits other vulnerable populations with known medical conditions. CalFresh is California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

Research shows that one in three young people who transition out of extended foster care in California face food insecurity. Recent federal changes enacted by H.R. 1 (P.L. 119-21) threaten the loss of benefits among an estimated 3,000 or more current and former foster youth. H.R. 1 newly enforces the requirement that Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents work at least 80 hours per month to keep their food benefits, stripping away previous waivers that protected entire states and counties, and special exemptions that protected current and former foster youth and individuals experiencing homelessness.

Instead of forcing young people to go through a complicated paperwork process to prove they are compliant or qualify for an exemption, AB 2765 automates the system. The state will use existing records, including nonminor dependent case plan data and Medi-Cal data, to automatically verify who qualifies. Identified youth will be included in monthly files shared with county eligibility workers.

AB 2765 was cosponsored by John Burton Advocates for Youth, SEIU California, and End Child Poverty in California. To learn more about AB 2765, view the implementation fact sheet. 

LA County Study on Recipients of Homeless Services Finds Higher Employment Rates Among Families and Transition-Age Youth Than Single Adults Over Age 24 

The California Policy Lab recently released a report on recipients of homeless services, finding that families and young adults ages 18-24 have higher employment rates than single adults over age 24. The publication builds upon a prior brief and examines data for Los Angeles County residents who enrolled in homeless services between January 2019 and July 2022.

The report finds that young adults earned an average annual income of $9,424 two years before enrollment in homeless services and $14,688 two years after enrollment. These findings represent the report’s lowest pre-enrollment earnings, yet the largest gains after enrollment in homeless services. Young adults’ post-enrollment earnings fall below what is needed to maintain housing stability in Los Angeles County, where the median income is $86,911.

The report challenges the common perception that homelessness is tied to long-term detachment from the labor market, emphasizing that roughly four out of five residents worked before enrolling in homeless services. California Policy Lab points to this as an opportunity for targeted workforce interventions to help people experiencing homelessness secure and maintain employment and stable housing.

New Resource Hub Helps School District Liaisons Meet 10 Federal Duties for Students Experiencing Homelessness

SchoolHouse Connection recently launched a free resource hub designed to help school district staff identify and better support students experiencing homelessness.

Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, every local educational agency (LEA) must designate a liaison for students experiencing homelessness. These liaisons play a critical role in ensuring that eligible students are identified and receive the support they need to enroll, attend, and fully participate in school.

The hub organizes resources around the 10 duties federal law assigns to liaisons. These include student identification, enrollment, transportation, community referrals, professional development, and support for unaccompanied youth. It also provides practical recommendations for implementing these requirements, such as connecting with district and community partners, reviewing their legal duties, and examining recent student homelessness data.

The hub also addresses preparing students for higher education. This includes establishing procedures to support college readiness and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion. For example, the hub offers a template for providing homelessness determinations to unaccompanied youth for financial aid purposes. The resource hub is available through the SchoolHouse Connection website.

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