Media Contact:
John Takhtalian, Deputy City Manager
JTakhtalian@Glendaleca.gov
Phone: (818) 548-4844
Project Contacts:
Mike Fortney, Principal Housing Project Manager
MFortney@Glendaleca.gov
(818) 548-3723
Michelle Shahnazarians, Housing Analyst
MShahnazarians@Glendaleca.gov
(818) 550-4505
Glendale City Council and Housing Authority Approve Additional Affordable Housing Developments
Glendale, CA - In response to the financial hardships brought on by the California Housing crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Glendale, acting in their joint role as the Glendale Housing Authority, authorized the execution of an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with Linc Housing / National CORE for the development of 340 affordable housing units for extremely low, very low, and low-income seniors and families on a 2.8-acre site in Glendale.
The City Council and Housing Authority have been dedicating time and resources to provide affordable housing options for the community. Over the past year, the City has acquired three properties, totaling 4.4 acres of land that were offered for sale on the open market, by committing $25.5 million in locally generated Measure S sale tax and former redevelopment funding slated for affordable housing development. The City then initiated the Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the development of these properties. Council’s authorization of the ENA with Linc Housing / CORE concludes a one-year planning process which awarded three different qualified developers rights to develop three separate projects totaling over 500 units. These acquisitions, and subsequent projects, represent the most significant and largest investment the City has made to date for affordable housing.
Housing Authority Chair Paula Devine stated, “We’re thrilled to once again partner with Linc Housing / National CORE to expand the supply of affordable units in Glendale. In a time when our state faces an affordable housing crisis, the City of Glendale, Linc Housing, and National CORE will work collaboratively to provide even more housing opportunities that will help seniors and families thrive.”
The ENA award to Linc Housing / National CORE follows the ENA awarded to Meta Housing Corporation in November 2020, to develop a new construction, 127-unit affordable senior development at 900 E. Broadway. An ENA was also issued in December 2020 to partner with Abode Communities for the historic preservation and adaptive reuse of the Harrower Labs campus at 912-920 E. Broadway into a 40-unit affordable housing project for seniors.
Within the last month, the City of Glendale also initiated and approved two innovative and exciting affordable housing programs. The first program is the Low Income Student Rental Assistance Program (LISRAP). LISRAP is made possible in partnership with Glendale Community College’s Fresh Success Program. In early February, Council and the Housing Authority approved $1.3 million of Measure S funding to LISRAP, which takes significant actions to make a long-lasting positive impact on local students in need by providing rental housing assistance to very low-income, Glendale-resident, GCC students living alone or with family. The program will be operated by Glendale Community College’s recently approved Fresh Success Program, which provides a comprehensive and tailored system of ongoing case management and wraparound supportive services for high-risk students who face insecurities related to food, housing, and education.
The second program is the Low Income Family Employment & Rental Assistance Program (LIFERAP), a $1.32 million program to be operated by the Verdugo Jobs Center. This affordable housing program will provide housing and employment assistance to low-income working families for a 12-month period. LIFERAP aims to support employment training, education activities, or any other goals identified and set by the family and case manager for adults in working families to facilitate income progression. Upon successful completion of LIFERAP, families will have the necessary tools to obtain self-sufficiency.
Glendale Mayor Vrej Agajanian stated, “I am so proud that the City of Glendale has approved two new housing programs and now has over 500 units of affordable housing in development. These units will significantly increase the total number of affordable housing units throughout the City. Affordable housing has always been a need for our community, and these unprecedented times have further highlighted the importance of delivering such units and programs.”
Glendale has always been a regional leader in developing affordable housing options. First established in 1978, the Glendale Housing Authority has been responsible for the development of over 1,200 new construction affordable units – 600 of which were developed since 2006. Additionally, Glendale has completed over 1,800 single and multi-family rehabilitation loan projects, provided more than 300 first-time homebuyer loans, and created hundreds of unique programs and projects for special needs populations such as seniors, developmentally disabled individuals, veterans, artists, and victims of domestic violence. Complimenting these programs, the City also operates one of the largest and most effective Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher programs in Los Angeles County, as evidenced by its ranking as a “High Performer” agency for the last 16 years.
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