Keep People Housed is a homelessness prevention program that provides emergency financial assistance, supportive services, and care coordination to residents in Oakland, Contra Costa County, Solano County, and Sonoma County who are at risk of losing their housing and succumbing to homelessness. The program is designed to stabilize households long-term by addressing both the immediate financial crisis and the underlying factors contributing to housing instability.

Eligibility varies slightly by county, but in general, applicants must:

• Live in one of the covered service areas (Oakland, Contra Costa, Solano, or Sonoma)

• Have a household income below 30% or 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI)

• Be currently experiencing a housing crisis (e.g., past-due rent, lease violation, or need for move-in assistance)

• Demonstrate a high risk of becoming homeless without intervention

No. While we aim to serve as many households as possible, our resources are extremely limited. Meeting eligibility criteria does not guarantee that you will receive financial assistance. All applications are reviewed based on urgency, vulnerability level, and available funding.

KPH’s budget is intentionally designed to provide both direct assistance and long-term stabilization. It includes:

• 62% for direct financial assistance to help with rent, move-in costs, and utilities

• 28% for operations, including staffing, outreach, housing navigation, care coordination, legal aid, and program infrastructure

• 10% for overhead, such as administrative compliance and data reporting

We fund a robust subgrantee network that includes:

• Legal aid partners who help residents with eviction defense

• Community-based organizations that conduct culturally competent outreach

• Case managers and care coordinators who help residents create housing stability plans

• Eviction defense is a reactive strategy. It involves legal services, as well as financial support provided to tenants already facing court proceedings for eviction.

• Homelessness prevention is proactive. It intervenes before a household is formally evicted, ideally when they first fall behind on rent or face a financial shock. Prevention may involve financial support, care coordination, housing navigation, employment support, and referrals to other wraparound services.

You can apply directly through the Homelessness Prevention Platform (HPP), which is mobile-friendly and available in multiple languages. You can also contact one of our partner organizations or dial 2-1-1 for support.

Yes. Immigration status is not a barrier to accessing assistance through KPH. Many of our outreach and subgrantee partners specialize in serving undocumented households with culturally responsive care.

• We use a data-driven, equity-centered approach to prioritize households based on factors such as:

• Disability or chronic health conditions

• Recent experience of homelessness

• Living in neighborhoods with high rates of displacement

• Presence of children, seniors, or other vulnerable household members

• This ensures limited resources go to those most statistically likely to fall into homelessness without intervention.

Once your application is submitted, it is reviewed by care coordinators who may reach out for documentation or further information. If approved, you will be paired with a care coordinator to develop a housing stability plan and determine the appropriate intervention.

KPH supports clients with:

• Budgeting and financial planning

• Employment support and workforce development referrals

• Legal assistance

• Housemate matching and downsizing support

• Referrals to CalAIM services for eligible Medi-Cal recipients

Unlike emergency response programs like the COVID-19 ERA Program, KPH is a long-term infrastructure focused on prevention. It includes care coordination and supportive services, not just one-time payments.

Depending on geography, KPH is funded through a blend of public and philanthropic sources, including contributions from the City, County, and private funders. Philanthropic support has reduced our average cost per household by up to 28%, helping us serve more people efficiently.

We welcome support from the community, whether it’s through advocacy, donations, or spreading awareness. If you are interested in supporting our work, please contact us directly or join our advocacy efforts with local city councils and county leaders.