SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Mayor London Breed’s office announced today that San Francisco will provide an additional $9.8 million through the 2020-2021 fiscal year for 4,700 low-income adults.

Through the County Adult Assistance Program, administered by the San Francisco Human Services Agency, adults without dependent children, that are homeless, have disabilities, or need help finding work will receive the assistance.

“In a city as expensive as San Francisco, every dollar counts. This increased cash assistance can make the difference between someone having enough to eat or going hungry,” said Mayor Breed. “I’m glad that we’re able to increase this funding so that people can afford everyday things like food, toiletries, and medications, while we also connect them with the services they need, like housing placements, education, and jobs.”

The purchasing power of both California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids, a state and federally funded program, and CAAP benefits has eroded over time, so the State and San Francisco recently implemented cost-of-living adjustments that increased cash grants by 23% to ensure that participants’ incomes are above 50% of the federal poverty level by 2020-21.

CAAP and HSH provide adults seeking employment with training, work experience, education, housing and supportive services with the goal of moving them to self-sufficiency.

Currently, 16% of CAAP recipients were experiencing homelessness at the time of enrollment in the program.

The budget also funds five new positions to connect clients at the new and expanded HSH Navigation and Shelter Access for Everyone centers to Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CAAP benefits on-site.

“Supporting our most vulnerable San Franciscans to afford the skyrocketing costs of basic needs like food and housing is simply the right thing to do,” said Trent Rhorer, Executive Director of the San Francisco Human Services Agency. “Helping people get back on their feet with temporary cash assistance allows us to connect them with a lifetime of better opportunities through education, employment training, and job placement.”