A Community Guide to Helping Migrants Who Are Homeless
California’s homeless crisis is vast and deeply complex, and immigrant communities are among those hit hardest. Many face barriers that go beyond a lack of shelter—language differences, legal uncertainty, limited access to healthcare, and fewer social safety nets make their path to stability even harder. The resources gathered here are meant for anyone who cares about making a difference, not just trained professionals. Whether you’re a neighbor, volunteer, faith leader, student, or advocate, these organizations, toolkits, and guides can help you connect someone in need to life-changing support. They range from housing and food assistance to legal aid, to education access for immigrant youth.
By sharing these resources with friends, coworkers, and community groups, you can help ensure they reach the people who need them most. Even a single referral—to the right housing program, legal clinic, or community support center—can open the door to stability for a family or individual. You don’t need a social work degree to make a difference; you just need to know where to send someone for help. The links below are a starting point for building a stronger, more compassionate network of support for homeless immigrants across California—and for empowering everyday people to be part of the solution.
Resources and Services
California Department of Social Services – Refugees & Housing Programs
Offers CalWORKs Homeless Assistance for families, plus refugee-specific support like Mercy Housing partnerships and advocacy materials for newcomers.
CHIRLA – Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) & General Relief
Provides state-level cash aid for low-income non-citizen seniors, refugees, asylees, and disabled immigrants, along with county General Relief access.
Public Counsel (Los Angeles)
The largest pro bono legal firm in the U.S., offering legal help on immigration, homelessness prevention, and related civil matters.
Weingart Center (Los Angeles)
Supports undocumented immigrants with emergency housing, wraparound care, health services, legal referrals, and case management.
Opening Doors (Sacramento)
A nonprofit serving refugees, immigrants, and trafficking survivors with housing aid, legal help, crisis assistance, and stabilization services.
La Raza Community Resource Center (San Francisco)
Offers bilingual legal and family reunification services, deportation defense, DACA renewals, and food assistance.
Immigrants Are LA / Rapid Response Networks
A coalition offering immediate legal aid during ICE-related activity, hotlines (e.g., LA: 888‑624‑4755), DACA and public-at-risk support.
Health Initiative of the Americas (Berkeley & statewide)
UC Berkeley program addressing Latino immigrant health disparities, offering community clinics, education, and public‑health outreach.
Thai Community Development Center (Los Angeles)
Provides culturally sensitive support—affordable housing, health access, financial and legal guidance—for Thai and other immigrant groups.
Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND, Pacoima – LA County)
Offers food, clothing, hygiene/shower services, case management, ESL classes, and health clinics for homeless immigrants.
Additional Statewide Services
California Homeless Education Technical Assistance Center (HETAC)
Links homeless immigrant students to educational support and stability programs via local education offices.
LA County Pathway Home
Coordination hub offering interim housing, health care, benefits enrollment, and supportive services—including for undocumented or migrant individuals.
How to Access Help
| Service Type | How to Get It |
| Legal Aid | Contact Public Counsel or La Raza online or walk-in |
| Housing/Shelter | Reach out to Weingart Center or Opening Doors |
| Cash Assistance | Apply for CAPI or General Relief via local county office |
| Health Care | Use clinics coordinated by Health Initiative of the Americas or MEND |
| Emergency Response | Call Rapid Response Networks (LA Immigration hotline) |
| Education Access | Connect through HETAC via local school district |
Next Steps
- Identify your county (e.g., LA, SF, Sacramento) to narrow down specific local offices and intake programs.
- Contact relevant organizations directly—many offer walk-in help, phone hotlines, or virtual intake.
- Gather available documentation (even informal: proof of presence, refugee/asylee documentation, tribal ID).
- Ask about integration services like ESL or job training while securing stable housing.
Scholarly Articles & Reports
Stemming the Rise of Latino Homelessness (Flaming et al., UCLA Latino Policy Lab, 2019)
Explores why Latinos—often immigrants—are more likely to become homeless in Los Angeles and examines systemic factors behind rising rates.
The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH) (UCSF Benioff Homelessness & Housing Initiative, 2023)
Surveys ~3,200 adults statewide, including immigrants, detailing causes, barriers, and exit pathways from homelessness.
Asylum Seekers and the Rise in Homelessness (Chicago BFI Working Paper, 2025)
National study estimating that asylum seekers accounted for about 60 % of increased shelter populations between 2022–2024—relevant for CA’s immigrant-served shelters
How Housing Insecurity Drives Latino Immigrant Children’s Labor in California (Canizales, UCLA, 2025)
Policy brief based on interviews in California showing unstable housing pushes unaccompanied Latino immigrant youth into exploitative labor.
Unveiling Latino Housing Insecurity in California (UCLA Lewis Center, 2025)
Examines housing precarity among California Latinos—68 % are housing insecure, nearly eight times state homelessness estimates.
Addressing Kern County’s Latino Immigrant Homelessness Crisis (Cal State thesis, ~6 years ago)
Focused research on Kern County identifying lack of affordable housing, shelters, and undercounted immigrant homelessness.
The Homeless as Urban Immigrants (Tandfonline, 2019)
Conceptual article framing homeless individuals in U.S. cities, many immigrants, as “urban immigrants” with overlapping aspirations and struggles.
Health Disparities Among Illegal Immigrants and the Homeless (International J. of Social Gen Healthcare, 2023)
Investigates barriers undocumented, homeless immigrants face accessing healthcare and offers policy interventions.
A Broken Dream: Homelessness & Immigrants (Seattle University Law Review, 2016)
Legal analysis on immigrant homelessness and rights, including access to shelter and public benefits.
Podcasts
Latino USA – “Undocumented and Unhoused”
An episode from Futuro Media’s flagship show exploring how undocumented Latinos and Latinas in the Bay Area faced homelessness during the pandemic—covering evictions, survival strategies, and community resilience.
The Victor Davis Hanson Show – “Homeless, Illegal Immigrant Policy Failures”
A 2024 episode dissecting how California’s homelessness crisis intersects with immigration policies, featuring debates on budget impact and service provisions.
CalMatters’ “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast”
Select episodes address homelessness broadly, with segments on Los Angeles encampments—often involving immigrant families and their struggles:
- “Homeless veterans in Los Angeles offer statewide insights” (Feb 2023)
- “Why Many Unhoused Californians Can’t Access Healthcare” (Dec 2022)
CapRadio Insight – “California Study of Homelessness” (UCSF)
Podcast episode featuring Dr. Margot Kushel discussing major homelessness studies across California—highlighting immigrant and unsheltered populations.
Imperfect Paradise – “Home is Life” (LAist Studios)
A miniseries diving into homelessness and housing insecurity in Orange County—where immigrant workers are heavily represented in encampment demographics.
California Insider Podcast – “Homeless Encampments”
Hosted by Senator Catherine Blakespear, this episode discusses policy approaches to encampments; although broad, it includes elements of immigrant population outreach.
Videos
Surge in migrants compounding California’s homelessness problem
A local news piece showing how increased migrant arrivals strain California’s already overwhelmed homeless services—highlighting impacts in shelters, clinics, and community aid programs.
Lost Angeles: City of Homeless – FOX‑11 SoCal documentary
A sobering deep dive into Southern California’s homelessness crisis, spotlighting migrant and immigrant encampments and the broader systemic failures fueling it.
More migrants becoming homeless in San Diego
A recent report focusing on migrant families in San Diego, highlighting rising homelessness and the lack of permanent shelter or services.
Avoiding Homelessness as an Immigrant in San Francisco
San Francisco–centric documentary following immigrant individuals navigating housing crisis, guest shelters, and legal barriers to stability.
Forgotten | Social Issues Documentary | LA Homeless
Personal storytelling from LA’s street, including immigrant voices describing their struggles with homelessness and support systems.
California Homeless: Billions in Aid, But No One Gets a Home!
A travel-documentary style report on how large aid dollars still fail to house migrant and immigrant populations amid bureaucracy and scarcity.
Went To Every Single Homeless Camp In Los Angeles
Vlogger walks through dozens of LA encampments, many hosting immigrants, exposing dire living conditions and overlooked human stories.
LA leaders call SoCal ICE raids ‘unconstitutional’
Coverage of ICE raids’ impacts on homeless immigrant communities; includes criticism from local leaders and testimony from displaced families.
California’s homeless encampment crackdown draws criticism
News coverage on Gov. Newsom’s latest enforcement on encampments affecting undocumented homeless—raising legal and ethical concerns.
California Homelessness – Closer Look at State’s Response
Documentary analyzing California’s homeless response policies, including effects on immigrant encampments and service access.
ICE raids push Latino communities into hiding
Fox‑11 report on ICE enforcement tactics driving Latino immigrant families—some already homeless—into deeper fear and invisibility.
Resources for Community Workers
California CDSS Refugee & Housing Programs
Guidance on CalWORKs Homeless Assistance, refugee-specific housing, and shelter aid—essential for social workers linking immigrant families to state.
Youth Law Center – McKinney‑Vento Toolkit for Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth
A detailed PDF toolkit for school liaisons and social workers to help unaccompanied homeless immigrant youth access educational rights under federal law.
CA HCD ESG Equity Toolkit
Best practices manual for integrating racial equity into Emergency Solutions Grant-funded programs—a critical resource for culturally competent service delivery.
San Diego Rapid Response Toolkit for Migrants
Designed for community providers and social workers to quickly connect newly arrived migrants to housing, healthcare, legal, and support services in SD.
California Homeless Education Technical Assistance Center (HETAC)
Provides training, resources, and network connections for supporting immigrant and homeless students statewide—especially valuable for school-based social work.
NASW Child Migrant Protection Toolkit
Produced by the National Association of Social Workers, offering guidance, sample letters, and expert contacts to protect unaccompanied homeless children and youth.
Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN)
Although healthcare-focused, MCN trains professionals (including social workers) on migrant health, trauma-informed care, emergency preparedness, and holistic case management.
Asian Law Caucus
SF‑based legal service organization offering direct legal representation, training, and advocacy on housing and immigrant rights—ideal for social workers seeking legal partnerships.
Bet Tzedek Legal Services
Los Angeles agency providing trauma-informed legal aid, medical-legal partnerships, and housing advocacy for undocumented and homeless clients.
Compass Family Services (San Francisco)
Offers emergency shelter, transitional housing, family counseling, and intake coordination—includes expertise in working with immigrant and refugee families.