Los Angeles County Board Chair Hilda Solis Monday announced a $500,000 investment to help RÃo Hondo College students facing housing and food insecurity remain enrolled and complete their education.
Solis presented the funding to the Whittier-based college to expand programs that provide housing assistance, meal support and other basic needs services for students experiencing financial hardship.
“No student should be forced to sleep in their car, skip meals, or risk dropping out because they cannot afford basic necessities,” Solis said in a statement. “Access to dignity, stability, and support should be a given, not a barrier to education.”
The funding will support a range of initiatives aimed at stabilizing students’ living situations and improving access to food, officials said.
Among the allocations are $100,000 for emergency rental assistance to help students facing eviction, $165,000 in housing subsidies through a partnership program with Whittier College and $25,000 for move-in kits that include basic household and hygiene supplies.
Additional funding includes about $68,850 for meal plans, $50,000 to support the campus food pantry and $48,000 in meal vouchers for students experiencing food insecurity.
“This funding represents a powerful partnership demonstrating a shared commitment to equity, opportunity and student success,” RÃo Hondo College President Teresa Dreyfuss said. “By addressing students’ basic needs, we are helping remove barriers that can prevent students from completing their educational goals.”
College officials said the investment will bolster the school’s ability to respond to increasing demand for assistance as rising living costs and reductions in federal support continue to strain students’ finances.