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Committee approves HSA request to hire staff as state expands CalFresh eligibility for SSI recipients
Summary
The committee approved supplemental staffing requests for the Human Services Agency after HSA described a June state law change that will make many SSI recipients eligible for CalFresh; HSA estimates about 12,600 new eligible individuals in San Francisco and asked for 33 positions (11 FTE this year), citing a 40% projected caseload increase and 85% state/federal funding leverage.
The Budget & Finance Committee voted to forward a supplemental appropriation request from the Human Services Agency aimed at handling a significant policy change: state law now allows many Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients to access CalFresh benefits beginning next summer.
Trent Rohrer, executive director of HSA, told the committee that "SSI recipients beginning, this coming summer, June through August, will become eligible, for CalFresh benefits." Rohrer said San Francisco has roughly 43,000 SSI recipients and, using the state's projected 29% eligibility rate applied locally, estimated about 12,600 individuals could qualify — a change that could raise the local CalFresh caseload by roughly 40%.
To prepare, HSA requested 33 new positions to process applications, perform interviews and manage ongoing recertification. Rohrer said the request equates to about an 11‑FTE cost in the current fiscal year because hiring will begin in March, and emphasized the leveraging of state and federal funding: "These positions come with 85% federal and state funding. City and County of San Francisco is responsible for 15%."
Budget analysts reviewed the request and recommended a reduced package (recommending 28 of 33 CalFresh positions and most home‑visiting program positions) based on vacancy analysis and efficiency considerations, noting the current supplemental appropriation was about $2.6 million in FY18‑19 and would annualize higher in FY19‑20. Analysts highlighted that, if HSA does not match state allocations, the city could be required to return some state/federal funds.
Supervisors pressed HSA on operational impacts and timelines. Rohrer described a service‑center model in which eligibility workers can serve many clients efficiently and said that local outreach and partnerships could raise uptake beyond the state's conservative estimate. The committee approved and will send the supplemental appropriation to the full Board with a positive recommendation.
What's next: The items will be taken up by the Board of Supervisors; HSA will begin recruitment and training to meet the expected eligibility surge when the state change takes effect next summer.
