Community Homeless Court

• Homeless Court can address infractions only. No misdemeanors, felonies, parking tickets or DUIs.

• Infractions can include certain traffic tickets or citations, moving violations, or other “quality of life” infractions such as unauthorized removal of a shopping cart, sleeping on a sidewalk or bench, etc.

• Tickets/Infractions must originate from Contra Costa County, and must be in the court system, to be addressed.

• For misdemeanors or offenses not eligible for Homeless Court; we encourage participants to seek assistance from the Contra Costa Public Defender’s Re-Entry / Clean Slate Program.

Participants who are currently homeless OR were homeless at the time the citation was issued, and meet the following criteria:

• Have been receiving services from a public or community agency to help them become self-sufficient (i.e. Case management from Homeless Service Providers, substance abuse counseling, transitional living program, independent living skills program, etc.) for at least 90 days at the time of the referral.

• Are currently sober / substance-free / in recovery. If the participant is active in addiction or substance abuse, the court asks that referring agencies wait to submit a Homeless Court Referral. A person active in addiction / substance abuse may be more likely to participate in behaviors that could lead to further tickets/citations, such as driving unsafely, and participants may only be eligible for Homeless Court one time.

If the client was seen at a Homeless Court in another county but still has tickets in Contra Costa County, they may request that county’s Homeless Court program to submit an inter-county referral so that their cases can be addressed in this county. If you a participant has tickets in other counties, in addition to Contra Costa, it is very important that this is mentioned on the referral form

Referrals are accepted from Homeless Service Providers, or any other Community / Public Agency that provides relevant social / behavioral services to their participants. The agency should be able to verify the participants Homeless Status and / or History.

• Only the agency at which the participant has been receiving supportive services may refer the participant.

• A participant cannot refer him/herself to Homeless Court.

• Email homelesscourt@cchealth.org to receive a Homeless Court Referral Form

Follow the steps below and submit the identified documents:

1. Completed homeless court referral form
2. Signed letter on an agency letterhead from referring staff
   • This letter should specify how long the participant has been enrolled in the program, the goals of the program, and details on the participants engagement in the program such as: how many hours the client has spent working towards overcoming homelessness, including classes, volunteering at the shelter, providing child care, etc, or anything else the case manager is able to mention about the participant’s circumstances, progress toward overcoming barriers, or positive changes in their situations.
3. Signed letter from participant
   • This letter should explain their circumstances, why they would like their infractions resolved by the court, and what steps they have made to overcome homelessness or other barriers they have faced.
   • If there are multiple or frequent infractions, explain what circumstances led to them and how they will drive differently or prevent themselves from continuing to participate in behaviors that break the law or lead to infractions.
   • Listing of any classes or programs they have participated in or completed, such as substance abuse treatment, employment readiness programs, parenting classes, case management participation, volunteering, etc.
   • If they have mental or medical diagnosis that impacted their ability to drive, clarification on participation in mental health or other health treatment.
   • If the participant currently cares for a family member, child, parent, or other.
   • Any other relevant information about their situation they'd like to share
4. Other supporting documentation
   • May include copies of all certificates, programs, and trainings, if applicable, or anything else that can demonstrate to the court how they have undergone change or made efforts to overcome their situation.

What happens after I have submitted a completed referral to homelesscourt@cchealth.org?

Depending on volume of referrals received, the waitlist for homeless court can be anywhere from 1-3 months.

The Homeless Court Coordinator will notify the referring case manager (not the participant) via email that their participant is scheduled for Homeless Court. The notification will include the date, time, and ZOOM link for the Homeless Court Session.

Case Managers / referring staff are then responsible for providing this information to the participant. If the case manager has NOT been notified, the participant is NOT scheduled. Please do not instruct a participant to appear without receiving proper notification from the Homeless Court Coordinator that they are scheduled. 

Referring staff will receive a response from the Homeless Court Coordinator within 5 business days from submitting a referral.

How will a participant be NOTIFIED that they are scheduled for Homeless Court?

The Homeless Court Coordinator will notify the referring case manager (not the participant) via email that their participant is scheduled for Homeless Court. Notification will be given at least 2 weeks prior to the participants schedule Homeless Court date. The notification will include the date, time, and ZOOM link for the Homeless Court Session; Case Managers / referring staff are then responsible for providing this information to the participant.

If the case manager has NOT been notified, the participant is NOT scheduled. Please do not instruct a participant to appear without receiving proper notification from the Homeless Court Coordinator that they are scheduled.