Benefits Advocacy

At the heart of the Homeless Action Center’s services is our legal advocacy designed to assist homeless and disabled people to receive the public benefits to which they are entitled. Through in-person visits at our offices, telephone calls, and digital means, we specialize in helping clients move from receiving General Assistance (GA) to higher quality benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

GA is a county program that provides a mere $336 per month for individuals to live on, while SSI is a federal program that, as of 2024, provides $1,182 monthly and automatically qualifies the client for Medi-Cal insurance, which includes Denti-Cal as well. Once we are able to help a client qualify for SSI, the three-fold increase in income may provide the stability needed to secure permanent affordable housing. 

In addition to representing clients in their SSI claims, we help clients with disabilities apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). While those application processes go forward we help clients obtain and retain CalFresh (also known as food stamps), GA, Medi-Cal, and CalWORKs (for low-income people with minor children). Our focus is on helping clients secure the resources they need.