RIVERSIDE - (INT) - Riverside County is among 20 counties in the state to receive funding to assist homeless families with immediate housing needs while they participate in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program, known as CalWORKs.

The county’s Department of Public Social Services received $1 million of the $20 million available through new funding in the 2014-15 state budget for CalWORKs.

In Riverside County, nearly 32,000 families receive assistance through the CalWORKs program each year. Of these, about 3,500 were identified as being homeless.

Finding affordable housing is a significant barrier for many CalWORKs families. It is difficult for families to focus on finding jobs when they don’t have a roof over their heads and must struggle to provide basic necessities for their children.

According to the latest figures from the Public Policy Institute of California child poverty in Riverside County is 22.1 percent, which is significantly higher than the state’s 16.9 percent rate.

The goal for the CalWORKs Housing Support Program is to place 180 families in permanent housing by June 30.

Story Date: May 5, 2015