GCC and the city of Glendale have agreed to spend $1.3 million in rental assistance for low-income students living in Glendale who are affected by the California Housing crisis and COVID-19 pandemic.

The city plans to use local City Measure S funds to administer the Low Income Student Rental Assistance Program (LISRAP) and provide rental housing assistance to very-low-income GCC students residing in Glendale.  The assistance would be paid to the landlord on behalf of the student household, which may include students living alone or with family.

The rent aid will complement  GCC’s Fresh Success program, in partnership with the Foundation for California Community Colleges and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide support for financially insecure students who receive CalFresh. This support aims to improve basic skills, literacy, and employability of CalFresh recipients, and will now also provide housing support in the form of emergency rental assistance or subsidized rent.

Fresh Success seeks to enroll up to 250 financially insecure students in its first year, and plans to expand the program to 400 students by the third year.

Manifa Baghomian can be reached at [email protected].