Housing discrimination: nonprofit home-sharing program: eligibility for public social services.

Assembly Member Ward's proposal to modify California's housing discrimination laws and public benefits eligibility aims to expand home-sharing opportunities, particularly for older adults and individuals with disabilities. The legislation allows property owners to rent to up to two tenants in owner-occupied single-family homes while maintaining protections against discriminatory practices.

The bill creates a new exemption for income earned through qualified nonprofit home-sharing programs when calculating eligibility for public assistance programs like CalFresh and SSI/SSP. To qualify, these programs must be administered by nonprofits or government entities, provide free matching and support services, require minimum 30-day lease terms, and offer ongoing case management. The State Department of Social Services would need to obtain federal approval to implement these income exclusions.

The legislation responds to demographic and housing market pressures identified in the bill's findings, including that 80% of extremely low-income older renters spend over half their income on housing, while SSI payments cover only 40% of basic living costs for seniors living alone. The text notes California has approximately 40,000 homeless individuals over age 55, with a 138% increase in older adults accessing homeless services between 2017 and 2021. The bill's provisions aim to leverage existing housing stock, as the findings indicate California has enough vacant bedrooms to address its estimated shortage of 1.3 million affordable units.