The county made most of the improvements to the General Relief program throughout the duration of the lawsuit, including allowing homeless applicants the full General Relief allowance instead of denying the portion that goes to housing assistance; issuing aid from the date of application rather than the date of approval; eliminating monthly and quarterly re-verification for relief recipients, in favor of an annual re-verification process; considering vehicles used as a principal residence as real property instead of as a vehicle; providing a pre-termination notice and an opportunity to appeal before ending someone’s benefits; and decreasing job search requirements from 20 contacts a week to 10, among other changes.

As part of the settlement agreement, relevant county staff will also receive training on these changes, and the changes will remain in effect until at least December 2028.

“This is an incredible victory for people in San Bernardino County,” Melissa Morris, staff attorney at Public Interest Law Project, said. “We expect these changes to have a noteworthy impact on the neediest residents locally, and we appreciate the county’s willingness to work with us to make these improvements. Together, we hope these changes make a difference in building a better San Bernardino County.”

Read the full story by IE Community News here.

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