Report: One million Riverside County residents received health, housing, human services in FY 20-21

Riverside County’s Department of Public Social Services administered more than $1.2 billion in benefits to nearly one million county residents in fiscal year 2020-2021, according to the department's recent report. There are nearly 2.5 million residents in the county, according to Census.gov.

A comparison to fiscal year 2019-2020 was not available by The Desert Sun's print deadline.

The department provides a number of services to working individuals and families who are struggling with low income, such as those for foster care and adoption, family support, housing assistance and care for disabled adults and seniors. The COVID-19 pandemic made its resources even more crucial to many.

"The global COVID-19 pandemic reinforced our critical mission to improve the health, safety, independence and well-being of our community," said Sayori Baldwin, MPA, assistant county executive officer, in the report.

In fiscal year 2020-2021, the monthly average of people served through CalFresh, or California food stamps, was 201,990, compared to 197,983 in fiscal year 2019-2020. There was an upward trend of recipients between March 2020 and June 2020, but numbers have been gradually trending down since July 2020.

Among 375,572 safety net CalFresh customers, 41% were children, 8% were seniors and 6% were disabled in fiscal year 2020-2021, according to the report.

There was also a monthly average of 749,001 people who received Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid health care program, in fiscal year 2020-2021, up from 685,304 in the previous fiscal year. The monthly average of those served has been on a constant upward trend since February 2020. The report states this is also a caseload trend observed in the past decade as part of California’s broad expansion of health coverage to vulnerable populations, and enrollment is expected to continue to increase.

Among 857,011 safety net Medi-Cal recipients, 38% were children, 6% were seniors and 3% were disabled in fiscal year 2020-2021.

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The pandemic led to a growing population of homeless seniors in Riverside County, according to the report. A specific number was not provided, but the report said there are hundreds, and it is expected to grow each year. But through emergency funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and funding from California’s Home Safe Program, Riverside County received nearly $2 million, which was used for various senior programs.

Highlights from the report include:

• Since March 2020, more than 260 seniors received Section 8 vouchers for housing.

• Through Project RoomKey funds — a statewide program launched last year to temporarily house thousands of people in hotel rooms across California to prevent high-risk homeless individuals from contracting COVID-19 — the county helped more than 100 seniors find emergency housing.

• In late 2019, the state issued the 100-Day Challenge Initiative for California Cities & Counties to Fight Homelessness. In the first 100 days, Riverside County, one of four counties selected to participate, housed 74 seniors in permanent housing and issued a total of 120 housing vouchers to seniors preparing for this transition.

The report also states that Riverside County’s 60-plus population is expected to grow by 250% in coming decades, making it one of the five "grayest" counties in California.

The Internal Services Unit and Adult Services teams also collaborated with the Office on Aging to deliver food to low-income seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 1.8 million meals were delivered, and Internal Services secured 55 contracts with restaurants countywide.

“This program was a lifeline to hundreds of vulnerable seniors whose food security had been interrupted by this unprecedented event,” said Marianna Sarmiento, assistant director of Administrative Services, in the report.

In fiscal year 2020-2021, 6,845 children were served in the county through Children's Services. There were 58,032 Children's Services hotline calls received, and Child Protective Services received 25,044 referrals.

Further data from Child Protective Services show that 13% of investigations had at least one confirmed finding, and 86% of substantiated allegations involved issues of neglect.

The county said in the report it has expanded hours for the the specialized Command Post teams in mid-county and desert communities between Cabazon and Mecca as a way to "respond more efficiently to our emergency referrals in these underserved communities,” said Regional Manager Dana Young. By the end of the year, the Command Post is on track to become a 24-hour hour operation, with two additional units of 10 to 12 social workers.

The report added that nearly 400 adoptions were finalized in 2020 and 2021. In calendar year 2019, more than 400 children were adopted.

Among individuals who received services from the Department of Public Social Services in fiscal year 2020-2021, 56% were Hispanic, 18% were white and 7% were Black. Race was missing or unknown for 13% of recipients. More women — 54% — were served compared to men, and 56% of recipients were 5 to 11 years old and 35 to 64 years old.

Looking ahead, Baldwin said in the report that collaboration with public partners is important to strengthen and expand services. The department's focus will remain on "prevention and early intervention, reducing barriers, and increasing resources for vulnerable and impoverished populations."

"Along with our local and statewide partners we strive to expand access to health insurance, employment training, food assistance, childcare services, and housing support," Baldwin added. "We plan to further strengthen our system-wide partnerships to effectively provide comprehensive services that empower families to thrive and be self-sufficient."

Ema Sasic covers health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: DPSS administered $1.2B in benefits to nearly 1 million residents