Housing Help in California

Written by: Jeneli Almonte; Lead Care Manager
Last updated: October 10, 2026
Read time: 6 min

Key points

Every Medi-Cal plan in all 58 counties helps members find a home, pay a deposit and stay housed. A June 2026 list from California's Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) shows this.
Since January 1, 2026, every Medi-Cal plan must cover up to six months of rent for some members. They must be homeless or at risk, qualify for county mental health or substance use care, and meet other rules.
If eviction court papers are handed to you, you have 10 court days to file an Answer, the California courts say. Weekends and court holidays don't count.
State law caps most rent increases at 5% plus inflation, and never more than 10%, in 12 months.

If you're new to this, start with how housing help works.

Your Medi-Cal plan can help you find and keep a home. A landlord's notice is frightening, especially on a fixed income. State law sets the eviction steps and deadlines, and legal aid can help you meet them.

You may qualify for Medi-Cal housing help if

You have full Medi-Cal through a Medi-Cal health plan.
You're homeless, or at risk of losing your home.
You have a serious long-term health problem, a disability, or a mental health or substance use need.

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, because your plan makes the call and it can take your word about your housing. If you would rather not do it alone, a Pair Team advocate can call your plan with you.

California housing help at a glance

Help	Who it is for	What it does
Housing Transition Navigation Services (Medi-Cal)	Members who are homeless or at risk and have a qualifying health need	Help finding, applying for and moving into a home, including help with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and voucher applications
Housing Deposits (Medi-Cal)	The same members	Security deposit, first and last month's rent, utility set-up, and items like a heater or hospital bed
Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services (Medi-Cal)	Members who need help keeping a home	Help with landlord problems, yearly housing paperwork and staying out of eviction
Transitional Rent (Medi-Cal)	Some members who are homeless or at risk. Every plan must cover people who qualify for county mental health or substance use care.	Up to six months of rent
Recuperative Care (Medi-Cal)	Members with no stable home who leave the hospital but still need to heal	A short stay with a bed, meals and care
Home Safe, from county Adult Protective Services (APS)	Adults 60 and older, or adults 18 to 59 with a disability, at risk of homelessness because of abuse, neglect, self-neglect or someone taking their money	Case management, money for housing, deep cleaning, landlord mediation and eviction prevention
211	Anyone	Shelter, rent help and coordinated entry referrals
Legal aid	Tenants with low incomes	Free help with notices and eviction cases

How do I ask for Medi-Cal housing help?

To ask for housing help, call the member services number on your Medi-Cal plan card. Ask for Community Supports for housing by name: housing navigation, housing deposits or tenancy support. If the plan says no, ask for the answer in writing, then call the Medi-Cal Managed Care Ombudsman at 1-888-452-8609.

Some of this may change in 2027. The federal approval behind these services, called the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) waiver, is set to end December 31, 2026. The state has asked to renew it, and Short-Term Post-Hospitalization Housing is set to end as its own service on that date.

What is Home Safe?

Home Safe is a county program for people working with Adult Protective Services (APS). It helps those who could lose their home to abuse, neglect, self-neglect or someone taking their money. APS serves people 60 and older, and adults 18 to 59 with a disability, at no cost. To start, call the statewide APS line at 1-833-401-0832 and enter your ZIP code. Of the people who left Home Safe through June 2025, 68% moved into a permanent home. That's according to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).

What happens after an eviction notice in California?

Getting from an eviction notice to a judge's decision can take 30 to 45 days or longer, the California courts say.

A notice is not a court form. A 3-day notice to pay rent or move doesn't count weekends or court holidays.
If the landlord files a case, you get court papers: a Summons (form SUM-130) and a Complaint (form UD-100).
File an Answer (form UD-105) within 10 court days if the papers were handed to you. If you miss the deadline, the judge can rule without you.
If you filed an Answer, you get a trial.
If you lose, the sheriff gives you a Notice to Vacate, with 5 days to move. You can ask the court for more time, but you'll owe rent for each extra day.

Only the sheriff can remove you, and only after the court case. Lockouts, shutting off your utilities, or taking your things to force you out are illegal, the Attorney General says.

What tenant rights apply everywhere in California?

Rent increases are capped at 5% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower, over 12 months.
A reason to evict. After 12 months in your home, the landlord needs a reason the law lists, like unpaid rent or an owner moving in.
You get notice of a rent increase: 30 days for 10% or less, and 90 days for more.
Deposits are capped at one month's rent for most rentals.
A landlord cannot try to evict you because you asked for repairs.

Some homes are left out, like many single-family homes and buildings under 15 years old, so ask legal aid about yours.

Where do I start if I am homeless or about to be?

Start by calling 211, or text your ZIP code to 898211 where it's offered. If you're outside your home county, call 866-346-3211. Ask about a bed tonight and how to get into your area's coordinated entry system, which matches people to housing. If you're in the hospital with nowhere to go, ask the social worker about Recuperative Care through your Medi-Cal plan. See leaving the hospital.

What a Pair Team advocate does

In California, a call about rent often turns into a call to a Medi-Cal plan. This is what we do:

Call your Medi-Cal plan with you and ask for housing navigation, deposits or Transitional Rent.
Find legal aid fast when a notice or court papers come, and keep track of the deadlines.
Help you reach APS and Home Safe when an older adult is being neglected or exploited.
Help with what usually comes with it: CalFresh, energy bills, Medi-Cal paperwork and rides.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

Your Social Security is exempt, even if a judge says you owe money and the landlord tries to collect. If money is taken from your bank, file a Claim of Exemption (form EJ-160).

Does Medi-Cal pay rent?

Medi-Cal pays up to six months of rent for some members, through Transitional Rent. Today it's mainly for people who qualify for county mental health or substance use care. They also must be leaving a hospital, jail or shelter, or living outside. Ask your plan if you qualify.

Can a landlord refuse my Section 8 voucher?

No, California landlords cannot turn you away because of your source of income, including a Section 8 voucher, the Attorney General says. If one does, call legal aid.

I missed my court date. Is it too late?

If you had an emergency, it may not be too late to ask for a do-over (a set aside), the courts say. Call legal aid or a court self-help center right away.

Where can I find free legal help?

LawHelpCA.org lists free legal aid offices by county, and court self-help centers help with eviction forms.

Sources

About the author

Jeneli Almonte

Lead Care Manager

Jeneli Almonte is a Lead Care Manager at Pair Team. Since 2022, she has helped patients with benefits, housing and food.

Read bio