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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview.................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Components of the Plan....................................................................................................................................... 3

Promoting Equitable Outcomes...................................................................................................................... 5

Community Engagement ................................................................................................................................13

Labor Practices ..................................................................................................................................................13

Use of Evidence .................................................................................................................................................14

Table of Allocations by Expenditure Category ............................................................................................ 15

Project Inventory.....................................................................................................................................................16

Vaccine Incentives............................................................................................................................................18

Vaccine Management and Coordination...................................................................................................19

Expand Access to Behavioral Health Services.............................................................................................20

Youth Behavioral Health Grants......................................................................................................................21

Foodbank Assistance........................................................................................................................................22

Relief for Water and Utility Arrearages...........................................................................................................22

Legal Services for Eviction Prevention and Housing Stability.....................................................................23

Expand Job Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults............................................................................. 24 

Education and Training Grants for Displaced Workers............................................................................... 25 

Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants...........................................................................................................26

Revitalize California Tourism.............................................................................................................................27

Economic Support for Ports..............................................................................................................................27

Community Economic Resilience...................................................................................................................28

College Service Program for COVID-19 Recovery ......................................................................................28

Child Savings Accounts to Address Equity Gaps and Increase Higher Education 

Opportunities......................................................................................................................................................29

Emergency Financial Aid for Community College Students .....................................................................29

Community Care Expansion............................................................................................................................30

Accelerate Affordable Housing Production................................................................................................. 30

Affordable Housing Preservation ....................................................................................................................31

Unlocking State Land for Affordable Housing ..............................................................................................31
Homekey: Solutions for the Homeless Crisis...................................................................................................32

Accelerate Housing Production to Promote Equitable Communities .....................................................33

Affordable Housing through Accessory Dwelling Unit Grants ...................................................................34

Expand Broadband Service to Unserved Communities.............................................................................34

Expand Broadband Infrastructure..................................................................................................................35

Tracking and Oversight of Federal COVID-19 Funds...................................................................................36

Project Outcomes..............................................................................................................................................37

Appendix ................................................................................................................................................................. 38

End Notes................................................................................................................................................................. 39
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 1

Overview 

he COVID-19 Pandemic has caused a global economic crisis which has had 

a profound impact on California. It has caused business closures, job losses, 

and has driven millions of Californians to seek unemployment benefits and 

other assistance. Necessary efforts to contain the virus and to address its effects 

have increased costs for the state and its local governments.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides $27.017 billion Coronavirus State 

Fiscal Recovery Funds to the State of California to mitigate the fiscal effects 

stemming from the COVID-19 public health emergency on communities, residents, 

and businesses. Because the state unemployment rate (7.6 percent) in July 2021 

was more than 2.0 percentage points above the pre-pandemic low of 4.3 

percent, the state received these funds in a single payment. While this represents 

a significant improvement compared to the record-high unemployment rate of 

16 percent in April 2020, the state had 1.1 million fewer people employed and 

505,500 fewer people in the labor force in July 2021 compared to February 2020. 

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2 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

With the State Fiscal Recovery Funds, California is implementing a comprehensive set 

of programs to support the state’s continued response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, 

address the significant economic impacts of the pandemic, and promote a broadbased and equitable recovery through programs that address the disproportionate 

impacts of the pandemic in California’s communities. These programs build upon 

investments made at the beginning of 2021 when the state adopted a package of 

additional relief for individuals, families, and businesses that experienced the most 

significant hardships due to the pandemic and its unequal impacts on certain 

populations.

These programs will expand opportunities for all Californians and complement state 

investments to improve educational outcomes, increase college affordability, 

confront homelessness and the housing affordability crisis, and reduce poverty. The 

combination of state funds and federal relief funds (including the $27 billion in State 

Fiscal Recovery Funds), gives California the opportunity to make once-in-ageneration investments in a more equitable future for the state, and address 

disproportionate impacts among low-income communities and workers, that were 

exacerbated by the pandemic’s negative economic impacts.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 3

Components of the Plan 

he majority of the State Fiscal Recovery Funds ($12.7 billion) are intended to address 

the negative economic impacts ($5.2 billion) of the COVID-19 Pandemic, especially 

for those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and economic downturn

($7.5 billion). About one-third ($8.9 billion) reflects estimated revenue losses using the 

formula outlined in federal guidance and will support a variety of critical government 

services. Nearly 15 percent ($3.8 billion) will be used to expand access to high-speed 

internet, as the pandemic has underscored the importance of making broadband more 

accessible for educational, employment, and health purposes. Approximately 5 percent 

($1.3 billion) will partially offset costs related to the state’s emergency response activities 

and expand the availability of behavioral health services. 

Through the state budget process, California identified these funding priorities in early 

August. Therefore, many of these programs are still being developed and will continue to 

be refined. The state will provide additional details on the projects in future reports. In 

addition, about $330 million has not yet been allocated and may be used to address 

changing conditions related to COVID-19 or to support additional audit and oversight of 

the funds. The components of California’s current Recovery Plan include:

Address Public Health Impacts ($1.3 billion)—Includes support for the state’s emergency 

response to COVID-19, including vaccine incentives. These funds will also help address 

emotional and behavioral health issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic on 

California’s adults, as well as effects on children and youth stemming from quarantine 

requirements and distance learning.

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4 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

Address Negative Economic Impacts ($5.2 billion)—Includes funds to address various 

negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on households, individuals, 

businesses, and industry. Specifically, the Recovery Plan:

• Provides boxes of nutritious food to individuals in need, supplementing their access

to food throughout the month.

• Provides funds to water systems, wastewater treatment providers, and energy

utilities to help households and businesses that have incurred water and energy

utility arrearages.

• Provides grants to small businesses, as well as economic support for the tourism

industry and ports.

• Provides funds to communities to support economic resilience.

• Provides grants to cities and counties to expand youth employment and workstudy opportunities.

• Provides education and training grants to workers displaced by the pandemic.

• Provides legal aid to renters and homeowners facing eviction or foreclosure.

Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities ($7.5 billion)—Includes funds to 

address various disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on households, individuals, 

businesses, and industry. Specifically, the Recovery Plan:

• Addresses housing shortages and homelessness exacerbated by the pandemic.

• Reduces barriers to accessing higher education by addressing equity gaps among

low-income children and families, including homeless youth and children in foster

care.

• Provides emergency financial aid to community college students.

• Increases capacity in residential care facilities through the Community Care

Expansion program.

Broadband Infrastructure ($3.8 billion)—Promotes access to, and affordability of, 

broadband by funding middle mile and last mile infrastructure projects, which are critical 

to the state’s economy, education, and basic health and well-being, and will serve as a 

key component of the state’s long-term equitable recovery, vitality, and resilience.

Revenue Replacement ($8.9 billion)—Reflects estimated state revenue losses due to the 

COVID-19 public health emergency using the formula outlined in federal guidance. These 

funds will support a variety of critical government services.

These investments will allow California to build back a stronger, more equitable economy 

and address the disproportionate negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic 

on low-wage sectors.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 5

PROMOTING EQUITABLE OUTCOMES

The COVID-19 Recession ended the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. It caused 

business closures, massive job losses, and resulting drops in personal and business income. 

The COVID-19 Pandemic has amplified wage disparity that existed before the pandemic 

and has intensified economic and racial inequality. In response, in April 2020, Governor 

Newsom convened a Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery—a diverse group of 

leaders from business, government, labor, and the non-profit sector—to develop 

actionable recommendations and advise the state on how economic recovery can be 

expedited and address the effects of wage disparity exacerbated by the COVID-19 

Pandemic. 

As part of its response to the pandemic and the subsequent recession, California enacted 

a package of programs in early 2021 to speed needed relief to individuals, families, and 

businesses suffering the most significant economic hardships due to the pandemic. In 

addition, the state’s Budget, enacted in summer 2021, provides historic investments in 

children and youth, which will improve educational outcomes for the next generation of 

Californians. A few highlights of state programs that further promote equity:

• Golden State Stimulus—Provides stimulus payments to low- to middle-income

families and individuals, including those unable to obtain grants in federal

programs. These funds were the fastest, most effective way to provide relief to

households and many of the state’s essential workers who helped meet the daily

needs of communities. This includes staff at hospitals, nursing homes, grocery

stores, restaurants, farms, food production facilities, child care centers,

warehouses, and delivery/transportation businesses.

• Earned Income Tax Credit—Expands relief to economically disadvantaged

individuals and families.

• Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program—Provides grants to certain small

businesses affected by the pandemic, including those unable to obtain grants in

federal programs.

• California for All Kids Plan—Invests in universal transitional kindergarten, offers yearround access to enrichment and extended-day supplemental education

programs in low-income communities, and increases access to school-based

nutrition for all students.

• College Affordability—Increases funding to state colleges and universities and

expands the Cal Grant financial aid program to increase equity, access, and

affordability, including additional student housing to defray a significant cost of

attending college.
6 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

While California began to lay the foundation for its equitable recovery in January 2021, the 

infusion of flexible federal funding for states in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will 

allow California to significantly build upon this foundation. Leveraging and expanding 

existing programs, the state will implement a portfolio of new programs designed with an 

equitable recovery in mind. Together, state and federal funds will allow the state to make 

additional investments to support all sectors of the state, and improve the lives of all 

Californians.

Equity is the cornerstone of California’s economic recovery plan to support economically 

disadvantaged individuals and families, small businesses in underserved and 

disadvantaged communities, and other individuals who have historically experienced 

barriers to accessing services, including those with behavioral concerns, through a 

comprehensive package of programs. 

Many programs include strong community engagement components and/or public 

outreach campaigns to increase awareness of the targeted services. While the details of 

many of these components are still being developed, California intends to emphasize 

education and awareness of available resources, services, and assistance so that 

targeted individuals and communities can access opportunities that close these gaps.

While the administrative requirements for most programs are still being developed, 

program goals specifically include addressing systemic inequities that have historically 

resulted in a disparity in the ability to compete for funds or meet eligibility criteria.

Information on specific programmatic outcomes will be provided in subsequent reports. 

However, due to the focus on an equitable recovery, California will include specific 

outcomes to address closing gaps in access and services wherever possible.

California’s Recovery Plan is designed to promote equitable recovery for all Californians 

and improve:

• Access to housing

• Educational opportunities

• Access to high-quality jobs

• Behavioral health outcomes

• Financial stability of families and businesses

• Access to broadband
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 7

These programs collectively provide additional support for the most vulnerable 

Californians who were disproportionately and negatively impacted by the pandemic, and 

are historically and systemically excluded from economic recovery. These groups include 

individuals experiencing behavioral health concerns or economic challenges, and small 

businesses.

ACCESS TO HOUSING

California continues to face a housing crisis as increasing numbers of people struggle to 

afford housing and are experiencing homelessness. Even before the pandemic, more 

than half of all California renters and over one-third of homeowners with mortgages faced 

high housing cost burdens with 28.8 percent of renters and 16.8 percent of homeowners 

spending more than half of their incomes on housing1. 

California has and will continue to make significant investments in projects that have the 

primary goal of maintaining and expanding the supply of affordable housing and 

reducing homelessness. The lack of sufficient affordable housing is a growing problem in 

California and the nation at large. Numerous studies have recommended that 

investments in new affordable housing and preservation of existing affordable homes are 

needed to address this crisis. A recent Brookings report on Strategies for Increasing 

Affordable Housing Amid the COVID-19 Economic Crisis noted that “Policymakers should 

make more serious efforts to reduce the number of households who lack affordable, 

stable, decent-quality housing, and focus on three goals: 

• Increase the amount of long-term affordable rental housing, especially in

high-opportunity communities.

• Protect existing affordable rental housing from physical deterioration and

financial insecurity.

• Support affordable housing projects currently in the pipeline that face

financial obstacles due to the pandemic.”

These recommendations are encapsulated in a package of housing and homelessness 

proposals included in the state’s 2021 Budget Act providing combined state and federal 

funding (including nearly $4.9 billion in State Fiscal Recovery Funds) totalling $10 billion. 

These programs are designed to build stronger neighborhoods, increase access to stable 

housing, and increase inclusivity in regional planning. Specifically, these programs address 

the inventory of affordable units by preserving and maintaining existing affordable units, 

accelerating shovel-ready infill projects in under-resourced communities, and supporting 

utility and other pre-construction activities to make excess state-owned land housing- 
8 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

ready. The portfolio also includes an expansion of California’s landmark housing 

assistance program, Homekey, which supports housing for individuals and families who are 

experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

These programs encourage infrastructure to both support additional housing in high 

resource communities, near jobs and transit, and infuse community development 

investments into lower resource communities and concentrated areas of poverty to 

promote equitable outcomes through a place-based investing approach. 

California’s housing initiatives, taken together, will:

• Prevent eviction and other housing loss for low-income Californians.

• Obtain and preserve access to housing for low-income Californians.

• Enforce rights to fair treatment and safe and habitable housing for tenants.

• Increase awareness of housing rights for low-income Californians including hotline

access and educational workshops.

• Obtain housing for unhoused persons.

California will work specifically to ready sites in high opportunity areas. These are areas 

from which low-income populations may have been historically excluded or where there 

are few affordable housing options. 

California’s plan also will specifically advance equity for seniors who are receiving 

Supplemental Security Income, who are experiencing homelessness, or who are at risk of 

becoming homeless through the preservation and expansion of adult and senior care 

facilities.

These programs will help California and its citizens recover from the economic challenges 

imposed by the pandemic, which exacerbated a long-standing housing shortage, 

intensified a statewide affordability crisis, and provoked additional housing instability, and 

will provide significant resources to protect vulnerable Californians who were 

disproportionately and negatively impacted by COVID-19 economic losses.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

California’s Recovery Plan includes targeted assistance to historically underserved and 

economically disadvantaged students. Students can experience economic hardship that 

can lead to their withdrawal from college; such hardships were more pronounced during 

the pandemic. Over half of California community college students experienced 

decreased income with 22 percent of those being laid off from their employment. 

California’s Recovery Plan includes emergency financial assistance for these community 

college students who experienced immediate economic challenges to remaining in 
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 9

school such as job loss, homelessness, and food insecurity. This assistance is intended to 

keep students in school or help them return. Furthering their education will ultimately 

improve their job prospects and income potential. Broadband infrastructure programs are 

also included to address the digital divide exposed by the mass migration to distance 

learning necessitated by stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements to 

prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

A unique program aims to provide students with financial support in exchange for serving 

their local communities and addressing critical COVID-19 recovery needs such as tutoring, 

food insecurity, and physical and mental wellbeing. This will help build civic engagement 

and service among college students, mitigate student financial loss and college debt, 

and develop relationships and networks with nonprofits and local government to facilitate

post-pandemic recovery in communities heavily impacted by the pandemic.

Taken together, California’s programs aim to:

• Decrease the number of low-income or disproportionately impacted students who

withdraw from community colleges due to financial hardship associated with the

COVID-19 Pandemic.

• Decrease the number of low-income or disproportionately impacted community

college students who report basic housing and food insecurities as a result of the

COVID-19 Pandemic.

• Increase the number of low-income individuals who enroll in college training

programs.

• Improve the education and earnings of low-skilled adults.

• Decrease the number of low-income or disproportionately impacted students who

report lack of access to reliable internet service and digital devices.

ADDRESSING INEQUITY IN WAGES AND ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY JOBS

Despite marked improvements in recent months, the pandemic has negatively impacted 

the state’s labor market—especially for certain sectors and populations. Further, the 

pandemic has highlighted the inequities many workers face. To address these inequities,

California’s Recovery Plan includes investments in targeted workforce development 

programs and helps strengthen the link between education, training, and industry. Getting 

Californians back to work is key to a broad-based and equitable labor market recovery. 

Particularly at risk are those at the edge of the labor market, such as young adults and 

those with barriers to employment. 
10 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

These groups are typically the first to experience the effects of an economic downturn 

and the last to recover. California’s programs will include partnerships with community 

organizations to reach marginalized groups and families and provide assistance to help 

them access available financial aid and training grants.

Goals of these programs include:

• Increase wages per geographic unit (regions and sub regions).

• Increase the number of minority-owned small businesses.

• Provide grants to support displaced workers and provide job opportunities in

occupational, vocational, and technical careers.

• Support critical workforce development programs aimed at youth who have

suffered financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.

ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

The COVID-19 public health emergency has impacted every aspect of life as social 

distancing became a necessity, businesses closed, schools transitioned to remote 

education, and millions of Americans lost their jobs. The pandemic increased social 

isolation, financial insecurity and housing insecurity. The effects of these losses on 

behavioral health, including the toll of pandemic-related stress, have increased the 

severity and frequency of mental health crises and substance use. The pandemic has 

increased the need to build and expand capacity in the continuum of behavioral health 

treatment resources.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 11

California’s Recovery Plan aims to reduce homelessness, incarceration, unnecessary 

hospitalizations, and inpatient days. The plan will improve outcomes for people with 

behavioral health conditions by expanding access to community-based treatment. 

Programs include investments in infrastructure and capacity-building for a continuum of 

treatment levels, including short-term crisis stabilization, acute and sub-acute care, crisis 

residential care, community-based mental health residential treatment, substance use 

disorder residential treatment, mobile crisis, and community and outpatient behavioral 

health services.

California’s funding plan also includes partnership grants between county behavioral 

health and schools to support mental health programs for children and youth who are 

economically disadvantaged and identified with social-emotional, behavioral, and 

academic needs. Without adequate mental health programs, students have difficulty 

concentrating and accessing learning. The COVID-19 Pandemic exacerbated the need 

for mental health services for students and laid bare existing inequities in access to these 

services. 

Increased access to behavioral health services will be accomplished by:

• Increasing stable housing opportunities for individuals needing behavioral health

treatment services.

• Increasing inpatient psychiatric bed capacity.

• Providing grants to counties and local educational agencies to enter into

partnerships to create programs that include targeted interventions in

economically disadvantaged communities that are also within a qualified census

tract.

ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES

California’s Recovery Plan includes programs to pay energy and water utility arrearages. 

The energy arrearages program will prioritize those residential consumers at greatest risk of 

service disconnection. Resources will be broadly targeted to households facing 

immediate energy utility service disconnection. The allocation methodology for the water 

arrearages program is still being developed; however, California is committed to 

prioritizing equitable recovery, and it is anticipated that customers in the greatest need will 

be prioritized. 

In addition to arrearages programs to mitigate disconnection of critical utilities, California 

has a robust foodbanks support network and will expand support to these organizations. 
12 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

The Recovery Plan also provides direct grant funds to small businesses and nonprofits 

highly impacted by COVID-19, including underserved and disadvantaged small businesses 

that have historically faced barriers to capital. 

MITIGATING INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC LOSSES

The pandemic has had a profound impact on all industries and a disproportionate impact 

on the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry (generally known as leisure and hospitality). 

California ports were also uniquely affected by the pandemic, including loss of travel and 

tourism, closure of related businesses that provide a key source of revenue within the ports, 

and supply chain disruptions. As shown in the following chart, almost half of the workers in 

the leisure and hospitality industry lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

California’s leisure and hospitality industry is one of the largest economic drivers for the state.

Many jobs in these industries are filled by those in underserved and disproportionately 

impacted communities. By encouraging the recovery of the travel and tourism industry, 

the state will be able to re-employ hundreds of thousands of displaced travel and 

hospitality workers. 

California’s Recovery Plan includes programs with a wide geographic and demographic 

distribution. Subsequent reports will provide more details regarding specific programs.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 13

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The programs within California’s Recovery Plan were enacted through the state budget 

process. This process includes many meetings with stakeholders, a series of public 

hearings, and ultimately must be approved by locally-elected representatives in both 

houses of California’s Legislature. This process has many opportunities for community 

engagement. Stakeholders, including local government associations, advocacy groups, 

and community-based organizations, are well-versed in these opportunities and provide 

written and oral comments, and participate in briefings, roundtables, and listening sessions 

that are all part of building the annual state budget.

In addition to the opportunities built in to the budget process, many programs in 

California’s Recovery Plan include specific community-engagement processes so that 

programs can be best tailored to those they are intended to serve. Outreach in some 

communities, especially those that have been historically marginalized, can be 

challenging. Creating awareness of available resources within these communities will be 

critical to the success of the programs. Strategies will include providing opportunities for 

meaningful verbal and written comments from local community-based organizations and 

community members, with feedback informing program changes, and leveraging existing 

local and culturally relevant expertise by collaborating with local community groups and 

organizations, especially those with prior experience and existing strong community 

connections. This will include technical assistance to providers and other supporting 

organizations, to quickly engage and support the intended beneficiaries. 

More information, including specific strategies and approaches, will be available in 

subsequent reports.

LABOR PRACTICES

California has a long history of strong labor standards. California’s labor practices ensure 

the delivery of high quality infrastructure through the use of a skilled and trained workforce 

on publicly funded projects. California’s prevailing wage laws require contractors and 

subcontractors who work on publicly funded construction and maintenance projects to 

pay their workers minimum prevailing wage rates and generally requires the hiring of 

apprentices. The California Department of Industrial Relations determines these rates twice 

a year based on the type of work and geographic area. While California law does not 

require Project Labor Agreements, these agreements are common on public works 

projects and the prevailing wage rates are usually based on rates specified in collective 
14 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

bargaining agreements. The payment of a competitive wage ensures that the workforce 

has the necessary skillset to efficiently and effectively complete publicly funded 

infrastructure projects. 

California has allocated State Fiscal Recovery Funds to two broadband infrastructure 

projects in Expenditure Category 5; however, no funding has been contractually 

obligated as of July 31, 2021. When contracts are awarded for these projects, they will 

follow all applicable state laws. Additional information will be reported, as required, in the 

quarterly project and expenditure report or the annual recovery plan performance report.

USE OF EVIDENCE

A number of California’s projects rely on evidenced-based models to inform program 

design and implementation. In many cases, State Fiscal Recovery Funds are being used to 

expand existing state programs that have been modeled after successful strategies and 

adapted over the years through lessons learned. California will continue to measure 

outcomes for these projects and refine strategies to maximize the effectiveness of the 

funding available. For example, two existing programs expanded with State Fiscal 

Recovery Funds incorporate evidenced-based strategies. The first provides legal 

representation to persons facing eviction and the second establishes partnerships 

between schools and local mental health services agencies. These programs are also 

regularly assessed to determine where interventions are most successful and identify 

where improvements can be made.

California has allocated a significant amount of State Fiscal Recovery Funds to 

evidenced-based projects with established outcomes. However, no funding has been 

obligated for these projects as of July 31, 2021. Once grants and contracts are awarded, 

California will provide additional details related to the projects that use or are modeled 

after evidenced-based interventions. Additional information regarding project outcomes 

and outputs anticipated from these evidence-based approaches will be relayed in 

subsequent reports.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 15

TABLE OF ALLOCATIONS BY EXPENDITURE CATEGORY

 Allocations by 

Category 

 Cumulative 

Expenditures to 

Date 

1

1.1 COVID-19 Vaccination $208,729,000 $120,045,391

1.10 Mental Health Serv ices 630,000,000

1.X Other Disaster Response Costs - TBD 486,108,000

2

2.1 Household Assistance: Food Programs 30,000,000 30,000,000

2.2 Household Assistance: Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Aid 2,000,000,000

2.5 Household Assistance: Ev iction Prev ention 80,000,000

2.7 Job Training Assistance, Subsidized Employment, 

Employment Supports or Incentiv es 657,500,000

2.9 Small Business Economic Assistance 1,500,000,000

2.11 Aid to Tourism, Trav el, or Hospitality 95,000,000

2.12 Aid to Other Impacted Industries 250,000,000

2.13 Other Economic Support 600,000,000

3

3.5 Education Assistance: Other 2,155,413,000

3.10 Housing Support: Affordable Housing 2,545,000,000

3.11 Housing Support: Serv ices for Unhoused Persons 2,200,000,000

3.12 Housing Support: Other Housing Assistance 581,000,000

5

5.16 Broadband: “Last Mile” projects 522,397,000

5.17 Broadband: Other projects 3,250,000,000

6

6.1 Prov ision of Gov ernment Serv ices 8,864,544,000

7

7.1 Administrativ e Expenses 10,916,000

7.X Administrativ e Reserv e for Audit/Ov ersight 18,641,000 

7.4 Transfers to Nonentitlement Units 1,218,261,277 609,130,638

Expenditure Category: Administrative and Other

Category

Expenditure Category: Public Health

Expenditure Category: Negative Economic Impacts

Expenditure Category: Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities

Expenditure Category: Infrastructure

Expenditure Category: Revenue Replacement
16 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

Project Inventory 

he California Recovery Plan outlines 26 projects, in 21 state departments, that reflect 

the diversity of the nation’s most populous state. The projects were identified to 

continue to support efforts to lift up individuals, families, businesses, and communities 

that have been hard hit by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Many of the effects of the 

pandemic, including business closures, rapid increases in unemployment, shifts to distance 

learning, and fears of contracting the coronavirus, will be felt for years to come. Given the 

long-lasting impacts on the lives of Californians, the state’s Recovery Plan outlines 

comprehensive solutions that address the inequities exposed and exacerbated by the 

COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Relative to the rest of the nation, California had a significantly higher proportion of social 

vulnerability prior to the pandemic, based on the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index2. The 

following chart shows that over one-third of California’s population is concentrated in 

areas that represent the highest levels of social vulnerability, taking into account various 

factors such as poverty, lack of vehicle access, and crowded housing, reflecting data 

from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey. (See the Appendix for a map of counties

ranked by social vulnerability.)

T
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 17

The Recovery Plan will result in once-in-a-generation opportunities to make meaningful 

changes resulting in a more equitable and broad-based recovery. These projects 

consider, and will continue to consider, the needs of communities throughout the state 

and will promote equitable access to these resources, which will address wage disparities, 

economic inequality, and inconsistent access to critical services and opportunities.

The chart below lists each of the projects by expenditure category in the state’s Recovery 

Plan based on funding priorities identified in early August. These programs will continue to 

be refined and changes will be detailed in future reports. An over of each project, goals, 

and preliminary timelines are also provided in this section.

(Chart continued on following page)
18 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

VACCINE INCENTIVES

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

10120001 1.1 – COVID-19 Vaccination $122 million

Project Overview

Vaccination represents one of the best tools to help California and the nation to combat 

the spread of the coronavirus, which has threatened lives and livelihoods for over 18 

months. Increasing the vaccination rate will stop the spread of the virus, better protect 

children not yet eligible for the vaccine, prevent serious illness and death, keep our health 

systems from being overwhelmed, keep our communities safe, and allow our economy to 

thrive.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 19

Despite abundant supply of the vaccine, widespread geographic availability of vaccines, 

and ability to easily make appointments, millions of Californians remained unvaccinated in 

late May 2021. California implemented an incentive program to motivate people to get 

vaccinated (including second doses), set a deadline to drive action in the community as 

the state was set to relax restrictions based on historically low infection rates, and 

generate publicity to get people talking about vaccination. The vaccination incentive 

program provided a $50 gift card for use at specified grocery stores to two million 

Californians to begin their COVID-19 vaccination process. In addition, the state 

implemented a lottery for all Californians with at least one vaccine dose with cash prizes 

of $50,000 to 30 people and grand prizes of $1.5 million each to 10 Californians. All prizes 

were awarded after completion of the vaccination regimen. 

VACCINE MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

10120003 1.1 – COVID-19 Vaccination $86.7 million

Project Overview

The COVID-19 Pandemic has highlighted the disproportionate impact of the virus on 

certain populations and has made it imperative to focus interventions and resources to 

address the health of those disproportionately impacted. Equitable vaccine administration 

is a crucial tool to not only address disease burden, but to reopen safely and effectively. 

Through targeted outreach and mobile clinics, health equity metrics show that over 

56 percent of the least healthy communities (quartile 1), as measured by the Healthy 

Places Index3, are fully vaccinated in California. 

The state’s vaccination management system (myCAvax) is critical to providing efficient 

distribution and management of vaccines throughout the state. This project was initially 

funded in December 2020 with federal grant funds, and ongoing maintenance, 

operations, and enhancements to the system will use State Fiscal Recovery Funds for costs 

incurred after March 11, 2021. This system supports the enrollment of providers into the 

statewide vaccine program. Providers use the system to order vaccine supplies, and 

report vaccine inventory, including transfers, or storage and handling incidents. The 

MyTurn Clinic module supports the administration of vaccines at mass vaccination sites 

and supports providers, especially those serving low-income individuals. Extensive 

technical, program, and operational support has been provided to California’s 61 Local 

Health Jurisdictions and over 7,000 providers through outreach, training, and helpdesk 

support. 
20 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

To help all Californians gain access to vaccines, the state added the MyTurn Public 

module to myCAvax. As of late August 2021, the system has managed the administration 

of more than 44.4 million doses. Over 21.9 million Californians are fully vaccinated, 

representing about 66 percent of the population. The system also includes the option for 

Californians to register for a Digital Vaccination Record allowing individuals to provide 

proof of their COVID-19 vaccination. 

For more information about this system and its modules, visit: 

https://mycavax.cdph.ca.gov/s/ and https://myturn.ca.gov/. 

EXPAND ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

11080004 1.10 – Mental Health Services $530 million

Project Overview 

Prior to the pandemic, California’s rates of overdose deaths, suicides, mental illness and 

substance use disorder were steadily increasing, and the majority of Californians with 

behavioral health conditions self-reported they were not receiving treatment4. The 

pandemic accelerated these trends—social isolation, financial insecurity, housing 

insecurity, and inequitable losses. The pandemic also increased the severity and 

frequency of mental health crises with more than 33 percent of Californians surveyed5

reporting symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder compared to 30.7 percent of 

adults in the U.S. Concurrently, barriers to accessing needed care likely worsened given 

the focus on care and treatment of the coronavirus. 

This project provides competitive grants to qualified entities such as counties, tribal entities, 

non-profit entities, and for-profit entities to expand the community continuum of 

behavioral health treatment resources. Projects will support short-term crisis stabilization, 

acute and sub-acute care, crisis residential care, community-based mental health 

residential treatment, substance use disorder residential treatment, mobile crisis, and 

community and outpatient behavioral health services. Over half of the counties in 

California do not currently have crisis stabilization units, mental health rehabilitation 

centers, psychiatric health facilities or inpatient psychiatric hospitals. This expansion will 

increase the number of inpatient and outpatient treatment options as the pandemic has 

exacerbated the need to build and expand capacity throughout the system. These 

investments will result in better treatment outcomes and prevent the cycle of 

homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 21

YOUTH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GRANTS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

11021005 1.10 – Mental Health Services $100 million

Project Overview

COVID-19 and the resulting social isolation and economic disruption have impacted the 

mental health of Californians, including the state’s youth. With 15.2 percent of adolescents 

reported4 as having a major depressive episode in the past year, the need for mental 

health services has increased dramatically. The effects of mental health crises are evident 

on school campuses, and as students return to the classroom, reaching pupils in school 

settings is preferable as a first point of contact for mental and substance use disorder 

services for youth. Schools provide an opportunity for early identification and early 

intervention to address behavioral health issues that can undermine learning and healthy 

development. This project will help build stronger partnerships between county mental 

and behavioral health entities and local schools through a competitive grant program in 

economically disadvantaged communities or schools that serve a significant number of 

low-income students. In doing so, county mental or behavioral health departments can 

leverage resources and create programs that include targeted interventions to provide 

much needed services for economically disadvantaged students with identified social, 

emotional, behavioral health, and academic needs. Through these partnerships, county 

mental or behavioral health departments will be better equipped to successfully reach 

vulnerable children and youth, and their families, by providing mental health services in an 

environment where they are comfortable and that is accessible to students and their 

families. 

The primary goal of this program is to prevent mental illnesses from becoming severe and 

disabling by increasing access to evidence-based behavioral health services for children, 

especially those in underserved populations. A variety of behavioral health services will be 

provided with these funds, many of which have demonstrated successful outcomes 

including:

• An evaluation6 of the “Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in

Schools (HEARTS)” program in San Francisco found that children who

received HEARTS therapy showed an improvement in school

engagement, a decrease in behavioral problems, and a decrease in

trauma-related symptoms.

• A randomized trial7 assessing the implementation of school-wide positive

behavioral interventions and supports found that it resulted in

improvements in the proportion of third graders meeting or exceeding

state reading assessment standards and in the perceived safety of the

school setting.
22 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

• A study8 of the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs in schools

found that peer leaders were more likely to refer a suicidal friend to an

adult, and among students, increased the perception of adult support for

suicidal youths with the highest increase among students with a history of

suicidal ideation.

FOODBANK ASSISTANCE

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

20140006 2.1 – Household Assistance: Food Programs $30 million

Project Overview

Low-income individuals have historically faced barriers accessing high quality and 

nutritious food. High unemployment caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic exacerbated this 

issue as more individuals and families struggled to access nutritious food due to reduced 

income. This project provides boxes of nutritious food to individuals in need, 

supplementing their access to food throughout the month and therefore supporting their 

overall health and well-being. Approximately 1.1 million food boxes have been distributed 

by local food banks and distribution sites in all 58 counties of California.

Foodbank partnerships have been found to increase food security, dietary intake, and 

overall health9. Feeding America conducted a two-year, randomized controlled research 

trial to help low-income Americans better manage and control type 2 diabetes. The 

study10 concluded that foodbanks can significantly improve food security and dietary 

intake for people served. After six months, study participants in the intervention group had 

significant improvements in food security, fruit and vegetable intake, and food stability. 

RELIEF FOR WATER AND UTILITY ARREARAGES

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

20241007 2.2 – Household Assistance: Utility Aid $2 billion

Project Overview

Millions of Californians have fallen behind on their utility bills due to financial hardship 

related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. State mandated moratoriums on utility disconnection 

provided vital short-term protection for customers, and various federal programs to cover 

utility arrearages, while crucial, are largely targeted to limited income customers. When

moratoriums expire, many Californians will struggle to manage the financial burden of 

repaying past due balances and risk losing home water and utility services. This program 

will reimburse water and energy utilities for reported customer arrearages incurred during 
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 23

the COVID-19 Pandemic between March 4, 2020 and June 15, 2021 – with emphasis on 

paying arrearages for customers facing immediate risk of service loss due to nonpayment. 

If there are remaining funds after fully reimbursing water system arrearages, waste-water 

treatment providers may be reimbursed for wastewater arrearages. Water and energy 

utilities will apply the funds received to customer accounts in arrears through bill credits, 

preventing customers from losing services. These programs are anticipated to provide 

relief by the end of the year. 

For more information about this program, visit: https://csd.ca.gov/Pages/CAPP.aspx. 

LEGAL SERVICES FOR EVICTION PREVENTION AND HOUSING 

STABILITY

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

20530009 2.5 – Household Assistance – Eviction Prevention $80 million

Project Overview

Increased numbers of Californians are facing homelessness, largely because of 

pandemic-related income loss. This program provides funds to qualified legal services 

agencies and support centers to provide eviction defense, other tenant defense 

assistance in landlord-tenant rental disputes, and services to prevent foreclosures for 

homeowners. Services provided include pre-eviction and eviction legal services, 

counseling, advice and consultation, mediation, training, renter education and 

representation, and legal services. These services are designed to improve habitability, 

increase affordable housing, help Californians access existing programs that provide 

income or benefits to improve housing stability, prevent homelessness, and provide legal 

help for persons displaced because of domestic violence.

The primary goal of this project is to prevent eviction and housing loss for low-income 

Californians, which will be accomplished through a variety of strategies, including legal 

representation, counseling, and ensuring receipt of eligible income or benefits that would 

improve housing stability. The state will begin accepting applications in early fall 2021 and 

anticipates that all awards will be made by the end of the calendar year.

The National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel provides a compilation of reports11 on 

the impact of representation in eviction cases. There are three studies that are recognized 

as being well-designed and well-implemented experimental studies of the impact of full 

legal representation in eviction cases: 
24 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

• A study 12 of New York City’s Housing Court found that only 22 percent of

represented tenants had final judgments against them, compared with 51 percent

of tenants without legal representation. Similarly large advantages for tenants with

an attorney also were found in eviction orders and stipulations requiring the

landlord to provide rent abatement or repairs.

• An evaluation13 of the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act found that: (1) tenants with

full representation were more likely to retain possession of their unit (5 percent)

than the comparison group (1 percent), which was statistically significant,

(2) tenants with full representation had fewer orders to pay money judgments to

the landlord and the amount ordered was less than the comparison cases,

(3) tenants with full representation had almost two weeks longer to move out than

comparison cases, and (4) tenants with full representation were more likely to get

orders that the eviction proceeding not be reported to credit agencies, and that

the landlord provide neutral references.

• A randomized study14 in a Massachusetts District Court found that, at the

end of litigation, two-thirds of tenants who received full scope

representation stayed in their homes, whereas only one-third of the control

group retained possession of their unit.

EXPAND JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

20760010 2.7 – Job Training Assistance, Subsidized 

 Employment, Employment Supports or Incentives

$185 million

Project Overview

The COVID-19 Pandemic has exacerbated a lack of workforce opportunities for youth and 

young adults under 30 years of age across California. Prior to the pandemic, many lowincome youth and young adults in urban and rural counties and cities, were already 

struggling to make ends meet and pay for the basic costs of living like housing, food, and 

transportation. The pandemic forced employers to shut down operations, reduce hours, or 

lay off employees altogether to protect public health. Unfortunately, many of the 

individuals impacted by the pandemic were these low-income youth without much 

financial security and support. The Youth Jobs Program will help provide crucial economic 

support to these youth by giving cities and counties an opportunity to employ youth who 

have suffered financial hardship as a result of the pandemic in jobs that have been 

identified by counties and cities and other local stakeholders as critical priorities in their 

jurisdiction and in alignment with the needs of the community. The project will be 

coordinated with local community groups and organizations that work with low-income 
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 25

youth and other underrepresented groups to target outreach and engagement with 

these individuals.

The primary goal of this project is to increase employment among low-income youth by 

providing full-time, part-time, or summer jobs. Research indicates that involvement in youth 

job programs has a positive impact on employment later in life. Research conducted by 

the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program15 found that participation by low-income youth 

in a cooperative education, internship, apprenticeship or mentorship program in high 

school is related to higher subsequent job quality. This study also found that having a job 

as a teenager (ages 16-18) predicts higher job quality in adulthood, after controlling for 

education, work experience, and other characteristics. A literature review16 published by 

the National Bureau of Economic Research found that “workplace-based programs that 

teach non-cognitive skills appear to be effective remedial interventions for adolescents. 

They motivate acquisition of work relevant skills and provide for disadvantaged youth the 

discipline and guidance which is often missing in their homes or high schools.” Funding 

opportunities for these grants to cities and counties will launch this fall. 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANTS FOR DISPLACED WORKERS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

20760011 2.7 – Job Training Assistance, Subsidized 

 Employment, Employment Supports or Incentives

$472.5 million

Project Overview

From February through April 2020, the pandemic resulted in record unemployment rates 

and a substantial decrease in labor-force participation rates, particularly for those at the 

edge of the labor market, such as young adults and those with various barriers to 

employment. This grant program will support displaced workers who lost their jobs during 

the COVID-19 Pandemic in seeking reskilling and up-skilling opportunities, and through 

educational or vocational opportunities by providing a one-time educational grant of up 

to $2,500. These resources can be used to access educational training from either a 

California public higher education institution or a pre-screened workforce development 

program that has a demonstrated track record of placing the majority of its participants in 

jobs that pay a living wage. The grants will be used as an incentive to direct displaced 

workers to quality training program opportunities needed to re-enter the workforce and 

earn a living wage. Grant awards are prioritized and offered to participants with the 

highest economic need and at least half of the funding will support individuals who are 

caring for at least one dependent child under the age of 18. Applications for the 

Education and Training Grants are expected to open in spring 2022. Awards will increase 

the financial aid resources available for eligible displaced workers enrolling in a training 

program beginning in the 2022 summer term. 
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 26

SMALL BUSINESS COVID-19 RELIEF GRANTS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

20970012 2.9 – Small Business Economic Assistance $1.5 billion

Project Overview

Many small businesses, especially those owned by individuals from historically underserved 

and disadvantaged groups, face barriers to accessing traditional forms of capital, 

especially in the event of a disaster like the COVID-19 Pandemic. Small businesses make 

up 99.8 percent of California's businesses and represent nearly half of all jobs in the state. 

These businesses experienced significant declines in revenues due to COVID-19, and are 

at risk of their businesses shuttering without capital infusion. This program provides 

competitive micro grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to eligible small businesses and 

nonprofits affected by the pandemic and the related health and safety restrictions. These 

direct grant monies will allow small businesses to reopen and operate safely. The State 

Fiscal Recovery Funds are in addition to $2.5 billion in state funds that had already been 

allocated to provide immediate relief to 210,000 small businesses and nonprofit cultural 

institutions. Since this program’s inception, awards have been made on a rolling basis, and 

did not use a first-come, first served approach, accepting awards from all eligible 

businesses and prioritizing allocations to those that have been most impacted by COVID19, as demonstrated by their geography and industry. Another consideration is location in 

disadvantaged communities, which is tracked by socioeconomic indicators that may 

include, but are not limited to, low-to-moderate income, poverty rates, unemployment,

and education attainment that limit access to capital and other resources, such as the 

federal Paycheck Protection Program. As the demand has outpaced the available funds 

for these state and federal programs, and given the target applicants who are currently 

waitlisted, all grants are anticipated to be awarded in 2021.

The California Office of Small Business Advocate has a network of over 500 providers and 

program partners including underserved small business groups and community-based 

organizations to provide outreach, engagement, and technical assistance. These partners 

collaborate locally to encourage underserved businesses to apply, including those that 

are owned by women, minorities, veterans, or those that operate in rural, low-income, or 

low-wealth areas of the state.

For more information about this program, visit: https://careliefgrant.com/. 
27 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

REVITALIZE CALIFORNIA TOURISM

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

21171013 2.11 – Aid to Tourism, Travel, or Hospitality $95 million

Project Overview

Tourism revenue in California fell 55 percent due to COVID-19, and more than 600,000 

hospitality workers lost their jobs. This program will expedite the re-employment of

hundreds of thousands of displaced travel and hospitality workers, including those 

historically underserved who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This 

program will develop and deploy a multilayered marketing program encouraging travel 

to and within California. 

ECONOMIC SUPPORTS FOR PORTS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

21271014 2.12 – Aid to Other Impacted Industries $250 million

Project Overview

California ports were uniquely affected by the pandemic, especially those in travel and 

tourism, as cruise ships were no longer operating. When this industry returns to California 

ports, the ports will need to implement screening procedures for safe entry of cruise ship

passengers. In addition, pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions continue to impact the 

state’s ports. The Port of San Diego has reported a revenue decline of $98 million, nearly 

half of its annual operating budget, while the Port of San Francisco projected an $80 

million loss over the next two years, an amount accounting for over 30 percent of its twoyear annual budget. Without addressing these losses, ports will likely layoff personnel and 

continue to defer maintenance projects that had to be deferred over the past year.

The ports are a vital part of California’s economy, and manage California’s container 

shipping operations and maintain public infrastructure necessary for maritime commerce. 

Ports also provide public services like harbor police, fire response, parks, and visitor 

amenities that facilitate safe public enjoyment of, and access to, the waterfront. 

California’s public ports provide significant economic benefit to the state in terms of jobs, 

personal income, business revenue, and taxes. Other parts of the country rely on goods 

that move through California ports; over 30 percent of the nation’s container cargo—as 

measured by 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) moves through three of California’s largest 

ports. Ports also provide regional employment and will be critical to the recovery for local 

jurisdictions and the state. The State Lands Commission will disburse funds to Ports upon 

submission and review of applications from the Ports.
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC RESILIENCE

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

21371015 2.13 – Other Economic Support $600 million

Project Overview

The pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities in the workforce and worsened wage 

disparities, particularly in families already living paycheck to paycheck. This project will 

support and invest in partnerships that will help those individuals particularly 

disadvantaged by the pandemic close the equity gap by providing access to high-quality 

and broadly accessible jobs through activities that help California communities become 

more resilient to economic shocks and recessions and develop economic recovery plans 

that directly complement state and federal infrastructure investments. The program will 

focus on providing disadvantaged groups access to jobs and expand opportunities by 

assisting these underserved Californians with training and mentoring as they move from

entry level to more skilled positions. 

COLLEGE SERVICE PROGRAM FOR COVID-19 RECOVERY

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

30561016 3.5 – Education Assistance: Other $127.5 million

Project Overview 

COVID-19 caused unprecedented financial hardships and social disruptions for college 

students in California. Students continue to contend with the impact of job loss, lack of

community, distance learning, and elevated stress and anxiety. Many low-income college

students were already experiencing significant barriers to achieving their higher education

goals, and the COVID-19 Pandemic worsened these barriers. Many students struggled to

find adequate accommodations to continue their coursework, and returned to homes

that lacked the private space and internet access needed for successful remote learning.

Additionally, many students who relied on income from campus-based jobs lost those jobs 

due to campus closures. The state will work closely with stakeholders to gather and

incorporate diverse feedback and develop strategies to recruit and train low-income and

Pell Grant recipients to participate. This project will connect student volunteers with

community-based organizations working to address social, educational, physical, and

mental health impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is estimated that over 6,000 students 

will participate in this program. These students will receive up to $10,000 to help mitigate 

college expenses while contributing to the COVID-19 recovery effort in their community.

Currently, the first student cohort is expected to begin in fall 2022, with planning efforts and 

outreach to stakeholders conducted prior to the launch of this cohort. 

CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 28
29 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

CHILD SAVINGS ACCOUNTS TO ADDRESS EQUITY GAPS AND 

INCREASE HIGHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

30561017 3.5 – Education Assistance: Other $1.77 billion

Project Overview 

Programs supporting marginalized communities often focus on meeting basic needs, and 

not asset-building for achieving long-term goals and objectives. This project incorporates 

best practices in the asset-building space by providing a starting point to build savings for 

higher education, increase college access, promote savings, and promote equity for 

underserved populations. This project will focus on low-income public school students and 

will conduct outreach and awareness campaigns in rural communities and typically 

underserved populations, such as people of color and first-generation students, to inspire 

students to set and maintain goals to pursue higher education and minimize college debt. 

Academics have found that children with even $500 or less designated for college savings 

are three times more likely to enroll in college and nearly four times more likely to graduate 

than children with no savings17. Accounts for low-income participants will be established 

by June 30, 2022. Over 1.2 million current high-school students will be able to access higher 

education in the coming years under this program.

EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

30561018 3.5 – Education Assistance: Other $250 million

Project Overview 

Largely as a result of the pandemic, the California Community Colleges reported 

enrollment declines for fall 2020 of approximately 15 to 16 percent. Additionally, a 2020 

COVID-19 impact survey found that only 57 percent of all students reported basic needs 

security. 

This program provides emergency financial assistance grants to low-income students who 

were enrolled in community college courses and who have been disproportionately 

impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. These grants are targeted at 

helping students facing financial hardship to complete their educational goals and 

improve their economic mobility and financial security. The program is open to both credit 

and non-credit students who were enrolled at least part-time in the 2020-21 and/or 2021-

22 academic years and have a demonstrated financial need.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 30

COMMUNITY CARE EXPANSION

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

31081019 3.10 – Housing Support: Affordable Housing $450 million

Project Overview 

California currently has a shortage of adult and senior care facilities in many regions of the 

state. Since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, California has experienced a decline in 

the number of available beds as facilities’ resources were strained and closed as a result 

of the coronavirus. Without access to such facilities, aged, blind, and disabled recipients 

of Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/State Supplementary Payment (SSP) face a greater 

likelihood of becoming homeless. People experiencing homelessness are at greater risk 

from COVID-19 due to lack of access to safe shelter and higher rates of chronic health 

conditions that elevate risk of medical complications from coronavirus. This project will 

provide capital funding to qualified counties and tribal entities for the acquisition, 

construction, and rehabilitation of adult and senior care facilities that serve people who 

receive SSI/SSP and/or who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This will expand 

the state’s housing options and care continuum for seniors, adults with disabilities, and 

people with behavioral health conditions, resulting in better health outcomes, and 

preventing the cycle of homelessness, or unnecessary institutionalization. 

The Community Care Expansion program will preserve or create 7,000 adult and senior 

care beds to improve housing stability and health outcomes of seniors and adults with 

disabilities, including those who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. 

California will release a funding solicitation in early 2022, with funding made available to 

qualified grantees, including counties and tribes.

ACCELERATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

31081020 3.10 – Housing Support: Affordable Housing $1.75 billion

Project Overview 

California continues to face a housing crisis as increasing numbers of people pay larger 

shares of their income on housing or are experiencing homelessness. As noted in the 

Equitable Outcomes section, more than half of the renters in California face high housing 

cost burdens. Most state-funded multifamily housing projects rely on tax credits for 

construction and long-term financing. This project will provide development capital to 

shovel-ready projects to support the development of much needed new affordable 

housing, which are currently stalled due to the insufficient supply of tax credits and bonds 
31 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

to proceed to development. This investment will accelerate the development of 90 

affordable housing projects throughout the state—allowing much needed units to be 

available for occupancy and potentially serve over 15,000 individuals or households years 

earlier. These multi-family projects will serve economically disadvantaged households and 

individuals earning less than 60 percent of the area median income and help to relieve 

the negative impacts of homelessness, which has increased due to the pandemic. 

Geographically, eligible projects are located throughout the state of California, including

rural and urban locations.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVATION

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

31081021 3.10 – Housing Support: Affordable Housing $300 million

Project Overview 

As affordability covenants expire, previously state-funded affordable housing units risk 

becoming market-rate housing. This program will provide capital to legacy state-funded 

affordable housing projects, preventing them from converting to market-rate housing as 

their affordability requirements expire, thereby preserving these affordable housing units. 

This program will rehabilitate and maintain a portfolio of older, state-funded affordable 

housing projects in need of significant repairs. These projects received public funding 

decades ago and now need substantial rehabilitation to address health and safety issues. 

This program would preserve 850 to 1,200 affordable housing units for low-income 

Californians. Occupants of these housing projects are some of the state's most vulnerable 

populations who are at risk of being displaced if these sites converted to market-rate 

housing. Geographically, these projects are located throughout the state of California, in 

rural as well as urban locations.

UNLOCKING STATE LAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

31030022 3.10 – Housing Support: Affordable Housing $45 million

Project Overview 

The state's housing shortage and affordability pressures make low-income households 

disproportionately vulnerable to negative health outcomes. Using state-owned land for 

affordable housing expedites the development process, as local land use regulations do 

not apply. This project will improve the condition of excess state land, making it available 

for the development of affordable housing through low-cost, long-term ground leases.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 32

HOMEKEY: SOLUTIONS FOR THE HOMELESS CRISIS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

31131023 3.11 – Housing Support: Services for Unhoused 

Persons

$2.2 billion

Project Overview 

As of January 2020, California had an estimated 161,548 people experiencing 

homelessness on any given day, as reported by Continuums of Care to the 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of that total, 8,030 were 

family households, 11,401 were veterans, 12,172 were unaccompanied young adults 

(aged 18-24), and 51,785 were individuals experiencing chronic homelessness18. While HUD 

has not yet released data from the annual point-in-time count estimating the number of 

homeless at the outset of 2021, counts are expected to increase significantly due to the 

economic impacts of the pandemic. 

At the outset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, California acted quickly to prioritize the 

prevention of the spread of the virus in the homeless population. Project Roomkey is a 

multi-agency, state effort to provide safe isolation motel rooms for homeless individuals 

who were COVID-19 positive, exposed to those with the virus, and those most vulnerable 

to hospitalization or death as a result of COVID-19. Project Roomkey allowed for 

underutilized hotels and motels to provide temporary non-congregate shelter during the 

pandemic, consistent with public health guidance. 

The Homekey program provides a more permanent solution for Californians experiencing 

homelessness who are at high risk for serious illness and are impacted by COVID-19. The 

Homekey program partners with local entities to acquire and rehabilitate a variety of 

housing options, such as hotels, motels, and vacant apartment buildings. Using a 

combination of state and federal funds, the Homekey program has already acquired and 

rehabilitated over 5,900 units of permanent housing19 for at-risk individuals to avoid the 

spread of COVID-19. 

There continues to be strong local demand for Homekey sites, given the advantage of 

acquiring additional permanent housing units at a fraction of the time and cost of 

traditional new permanent housing for this vulnerable population. California’s Recovery 

Plan provides grant funding for local public entities, including cities, counties, or other local 

public entities, including housing authorities or federally recognized tribal governments 

within California. Grants will be used to purchase, rehabilitate, and convert hotels, motels, 

vacant apartment buildings, and other buildings into interim or permanent, long-term 

housing—producing over 10,000 such units over the next few years with a combination of 
33 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds ($2.2 billion) and state General Fund ($550 million). The 

$550 million in state General Fund is intended to supplement the acquisition of, and 

provide initial operating subsidies for, Homekey sites to promote project feasibility. 

ACCELERATE HOUSING PRODUCTION TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE 

COMMUNITIES

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

31230024 3.12 – Housing Support: Other Housing Assistance $500 million

Project Overview 

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the ensuing recession exacerbated a long-standing housing 

shortage, intensified a statewide affordability crisis, and provoked housing instability. 

Affordable housing production is a key component to California’s portfolio of housing 

solutions, but ultimately any housing production relies on local planning and zoning 

decisions. This project supports regional and local activities that accelerate infill housing 

production to promote housing mobility and choice, and invest in communities to address 

longstanding inequities, including negative health and economic outcomes. These types 

of projects often help achieve state and regional climate targets by speeding up housing 

approval/construction, zoning more land for affordable housing near jobs, transit, and 

resources, adding sewer/water infrastructure that supports housing density, and supporting 

sustainable transportation and community development to serve low-income families that 

benefit from additional affordable housing units. 

These activities have numerous co-benefits. This program can promote equitable 

outcomes through a mixture of a place-based and housing mobility investing approaches

and dramatically address the social determinants of health. Inclusive outreach to 

disadvantaged and under-resourced communities is also required by applicants before 

they apply to the program. And finally, these investments will help restore lost jobs and 

increase public sector capacity associated with housing and community development. 

Applicants may begin submitting advance applications in early 2022, with awards being 

distributed throughout 2022 and early 2023. 

For additional information about this program, visit: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grantsfunding/active-funding/reap.shtml. 
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 34

AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT 

GRANTS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

31230025 3.12 – Housing Support: Other Housing Assistance $81 million

Project Overview 

California’s housing crisis, deepened by the COVID-19 Recession, requires a multi-faceted 

approach. As one facet of the state’s Recovery Plan, Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) 

grants will be awarded to strengthen and stabilize communities impacted by the COVID19 Pandemic in two ways: (1) it provides low and moderate income homeowners with 

income-producing rental units on their property, helping them cover mortgage payments 

and enhancing their equity position, and (2) it helps address California's housing shortage 

by producing new, affordable residential units. The project will offer grants to low- and 

moderate- income homeowners who live in areas of concentrated poverty, or who live in 

other areas of the state but cannot get a home equity loan or home equity line of credit 

because of low equity or low income or both. This program includes federal funds as well 

as state General Fund resources. 

State Fiscal Recovery Funds will be used to finance assistance to households that are 

either low income, live in Qualified Census Tracts (QCT), or live in an area of concentrated 

poverty. Program recipients will either be low income, live in an area of concentrated 

poverty, or have low equity in their homes, which is correlated with negative 

intergenerational wealth-building opportunities. The project will also serve to stabilize the 

financial situation of homeowners by adding an income-producing ADU to their property. 

EXPAND BROADBAND SERVICE TO UNSERVED COMMUNITIES

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

51682026 5.16 – Broadband: “Last Mile” projects $522.4 million

Project Overview 

Universal access to high-speed Internet is critical to the state’s economy, education, and 

basic health and well-being, and will be a key component of the state’s long-term and 

equitable recovery, vitality, and resilience. California’s Broadband for All initiative, a plan 

to bridge the Digital Divide, provides a blueprint to guide coordinated actions to put 

California on a path toward complete broadband availability, reliability, and affordability. 
35 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

The plan, adopted in 2019, lays out three main goals for all Californians: (1) access to highperformance broadband at home, (2) access to affordable broadband and the devices 

necessary to access the Internet, and (3) access to training and support to enable digital 

inclusion.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has underscored the need for all Californians to have a robust 

connection that supports distance learning, telework, telehealth, and everyday needs. 

Long-standing inequities in internet availability, affordability, and quality have persisted. 

California’s connectivity needs and challenges are immense. More Californians are 

disconnected than any other state—more than 673,000 households do not have a highspeed broadband connection. Over a quarter of rural households in the state have no 

high-speed broadband. Tribal lands are also disproportionally impacted, with 25 percent 

of homes without access. 

The pandemic has underscored the importance of making broadband accessible and 

affordable for educational, employment, and health purposes. The Budget invests a 

combination of federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds and state funds (totaling $6 billion) 

over three years as part of a statewide plan to expand broadband infrastructure, increase 

affordability, and enhance access to broadband for all Californians. This project will 

provide broadband to unserved and underserved households, institutions, businesses, and 

areas using the $6 billion identified above to expand broadband infrastructure, increase 

affordability, and enhance access to broadband for all Californians. Of this amount, 

$2 billion will be used to construct last-mile infrastructure that connects to the statewide 

middle-mile project outlined below. The initiative will be designed around universal access 

to help the most unserved and underserved communities in California, to address market 

failure areas and historically marginalized communities, and provide service for lowincome households in a given area. 

EXPAND BROADBAND INFRASTUCTURE

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

51782027 5.17 – Broadband: Other projects $3.25 billion

Project Overview 

One key goal established by the California Broadband Council’s “Broadband for All 

Action Plan” is that “All Californians have high-performance broadband available at 

home, schools, libraries, and businesses”—because broadband access is essential to 

digital equity. This project addresses a technical reality behind the digital divide: the 

availability of middle-mile fiber, which is a prerequisite for last-mile deployment of 

broadband to those who currently lack access. Open and affordable middle-mile access 
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 36

is particularly scant on Tribal lands and in low-income urban and rural areas. The gaps in 

middle-mile greatly disadvantage marginalized communities. Bridging the middle-mile 

gap will make it more affordable for ISPs to serve these communities.

The state will identify those areas with no or with insufficient middle-mile broadband 

infrastructure to enable the completion of last-mile projects. The construction of the 

middle-mile network will prioritize projects that: (1) can be completed expediently, and 

(2) will maximize the potential for the deployment of new high-speed, last-mile internet

connections to homes, schools, libraries, and businesses. The middle-mile routes will be

designed around unserved and underserved communities to enable providers to deliver

last-mile service to unserved households and businesses at speeds sufficient to enable

users to generally meet household needs, including the ability to support work, education,

and health applications simultaneously. The network will also be sufficiently robust to meet

increasing household demands for bandwidth over time.

California is allocating State Fiscal Recovery Funds to expand broadband infrastructure by 

building a middle-mile network that would enable completion of last-mile projects. This 

statewide network will encourage providers to expand service to unserved and 

underserved areas by substantially reducing their upfront infrastructure costs, creating new 

opportunities for public fiber networks, and promoting affordability and increased options 

for consumers. This essential backbone is a foundational step toward access to high-speed 

broadband for all Californians. Moreover, these projects will create tens of thousands of 

quality jobs that help the state’s economy recover from the pandemic. 

TRACKING AND OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL COVID-19 FUNDS

Project ID Expenditure Category Funding Amount

70190029 7.1 – Administrative Expenses $10.9 million

Project Overview 

The level of federal funds provided to California brings significant tracking and oversight 

responsibilities. California’s Recovery Plan includes resources for dedicated staff to track 

the award and expenditure of federal relief and stimulus funds, monitor and oversee the 

use of the funds, establish a framework for data collection, and complete reporting and 

analysis of the State Fiscal Recovery Funds based on predefined outcome measures. 

These staff will help provide critical oversight, accountability, and transparency related to 

the implementation of new programs and the use of these funds. 

California has already conducted two training sessions related to the allowable use of 

these funds and has established a task force comprised of departments responsible for the 
37 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

day-to-day oversight of these funds. The team provides regular updates to departments 

on expenditure and tracking of federal stimulus funds consistent with applicable state laws 

and federal requirements. 

For more information about the state’s management and tracking of federal stimulus 

funds, visit: https://www.dof.ca.gov/budget/COVID-19/. A copy of this report will also be 

posted on this website as required by the Interim Final Rule.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

The state is defining requirements to develop a system to support tracking of project 

outcomes, outputs, and required performance indicators. Departments responsible for 

project implementation will further refine the project goals to incorporate feedback from 

communities and stakeholders. These project outcomes will influence the transformative 

changes necessary to build back a better and more resilient economy that supports

equitable outcomes for all Californians.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 38

APPENDIX
39 CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 

ENDNOTES

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California Budget & Policy Center. 12 Sept. 2017. 

<https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/californians-parts-state-pay-can-afford-housing/>. 

2 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index”. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

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3 The Public Health Alliance of Southern California. "The California Health Places Index (HPI)." 

California Healthy Places Index. <https://healthyplacesindex.org/>. 

4 California Health Care Almanac. “Mental Health in California: For Too Many, Care Not There”. 

March 2018. California Health Care Foundation. <https://www.chcf.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/03/MentalHealthCalifornia2018.pdf>. 

5 "Mental Health and Substance Use State Fact Sheets." Kaiser Family Foundation. 26 May 2021. 

<https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/>. 

6 Dorado, J.S., et al. “Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools (HEARTS): A WholeSchool, Multi-level, Prevention and Intervention Program for Creating Trauma-Informed, Safe 

and Supportive Schools.” School Mental Health 8, 163–176 (2016). 

<http://www.fixschooldiscipline.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/09/1.Healthy_Environments_and_Response_to_Trauma_in_Schools.2016>. 

7 Dorado, J.S., et al. “Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools (HEARTS): A WholeSchool, Multi-level, Prevention and Intervention Program for Creating Trauma-Informed, Safe 

and Supportive Schools.” School Mental Health 8, 163–176 (2016). < 

http://www.fixschooldiscipline.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/09/1.Healthy_Environments_and_Response_to_Trauma_in_Schools.2016> 

8 Wyman, Peter A., et al. "An Outcome Evaluation of the Sources of Strength Suicide Prevention 

Program Delivered by Adolescent Peer Leaders in High Schools." American Journal of Public 

Health. American Public Health Association, Sept. 2010. 

<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920978/>.

9 Bazerghi C., McKay F.H., Dunn M. “The Role of Food Banks in Addressing Food Insecurity: A 

Systematic Review. J Community Health. August 2016. Pp. 732-40. 

<https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26728281/>.

10 Seligman, H. K., Smith, M., Rosenmoss, S., Marshall, M. B., and Waxman, E. “Comprehensive 

Diabetes Self-Management Support From Food Banks: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” 

American Journal of Public Health 108, Pp. 1227-34. 

<https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304528>.

11 National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel. Comprehensive Bibliography Reports and Studies. 

<http://civilrighttocounsel.org/bibliography/sections/161>.
CALIFORNIA RECOVERY PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 40

12 Frankel, M., Seron, C., Ryzin, G. G., and Frankel, J. “The Impact of Legal Counsel on Outcomes for 

Poor Tenants in New York City's Housing Court: Results of a Randomized Experiment.” Law & 

Society Review 35 (2001): Pp. 419-34. <https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-impact-oflegal-counsel-on-outcomes-for-poor-in-SeronRyzin/72ffecdff009b6a1985148873820f532b02ee133?p2df>. 

13 Northwest Professional Consortium Research. “Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act Evaluation”. 

Report to the California State Legislature. June 2020. 

<https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/Shriver-Legislative-Report_June-30-2020.pdf>. 

14 Greiner, D. J., Pattanayak, C. W., and Hennessy, J. “The Limits of Unbundled Legal Assistance: A 

Randomized Study in a Massachusetts District Court and Prospects for the Future”. Harvard Law 

Review. Vol. 126. Pp. 901-89. <https://harvardlawreview.org/wpcontent/uploads/pdfs/vol126_%20greiner_wolos_pattanayak_hennessy.pdf>.

15 Ross, Martha, et al. “Pathways to High-Quality Jobs for Young Adults”. October 2018. Brookings 

Metropolitan Policy Program. <https://www.brookings.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2018/10/Brookings_Child-Trends_Pathways-for-High-Quality-Jobs-FINAL.pdf>.

16 Kautz, Tim, et al. “Fostering and Measuring Skills: Improving Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills to 

Promote Lifetime Success”. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 20749. 

December 2014. <https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w20749/w20749.pdf>.

17 Elliot, W., Song, H., and Nam, I. “Small-dollar Children’s Savings Accounts and Children’s College 

Outcomes by Income Level”. Children and Youth Services Review: Volume 35, Issue 3, March 

2013. Pp. 560-71. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190740912004379>.

18 United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. “California Homelessness Statistics”. 

<https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/ca>.

19 California Department of Housing and Community Development. “Homekey: A Journey Home”. 

April 1, 2021. Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. 

<https://www.hcd.ca.gov/policy-research/plansreports/docs/hcd100_homekeyreport_v18.pdf>.