ATTACHMENT 6: ADDENDUM TO REPORT ON PROGRAM
PROPOSALS FOR LOWER INCOME RENTAL/UTILITY
HOUSING ASSISTANCE
Subject: Updated Program Options for Use of Anticipated Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) Renter Protection and Homelessness Prevention (RPHP) Funding
Purpose
This addendum updates and refines the program models described in the original staff report on housing assistance program proposals. Following further discussions with LACAHSA staff and internal analysis of eligibility and compliance requirements, staff recommends that Council consider a modified program approach that better aligns with funding conditions and community needs.
Background
The original report outlined three primary concepts:
1. Housing Utility Assistance Program (in partnership with Glendale Water & Power)
2. Low-Income Family Employment Rental Assistance Program (LIFERAP)
3. Temporary Rental Assistance Program, with the option for a small-scale pilot Subsequent review of LACAHSA guidelines, including potential requirements for set- asides toward legal services and program administration, highlighted the need to focus the $2.1 million allocation more strategically.
Overview
Under LACAHSA’s funding framework, Glendale is projected to receive approximately $2.1 million in Renter Protection and Homelessness Prevention (RPHP) funding. Use of these funds is subject to specific requirements:
•20% Mandated for Legal Services: LACAHSA requires that jurisdictions dedicate 20% of the total allocation (approximately $420,000) to legal services/attorney support for eviction defense and housing stability cases. This set-aside is fixed and non-negotiable.
•Staffing and Administration: LACAHSA further requires that program staffing and administration costs be paid out of this RPHP allocation. For Glendale, this is projected to be approximately $300,000 or more, depending on program design and oversight needs.
•Remaining Balance for Direct Assistance: After these required carve-outs, an estimated $1.4 million remains available for direct rental assistance programming.
Updated Program Options
After accounting for LACAHSA’s required allocations for legal services (20%) and staffing/administration, approximately $1.4 million remains available for direct rental assistance programming. Within this flexible portion, staff have developed two structured program models for Council’s consideration.
Option A: Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP) $1.1M allocated to GRASP, plus $300K for continuation of LIFERAP.
This model provides a multi-path rental assistance program designed to prevent evictions and stabilize households, while also maintaining LIFERAP’s employment-focused support for working families with children.
Option B: Senior Rent Stability Program (SRSP)
$1.1M allocated to SRSP, plus $300K for continuation of LIFERAP.
This model mirrors the City’s prior Monthly Housing Subsidy Program by offering predictable monthly support exclusively for seniors, combined with ongoing LIFERAP funding.
PROGRAM OPTION A: GLENDALE RENTAL ASSISTANCE & STABILITY
PROGRAM
The Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP) is a layered rental subsidy model designed to address the different ways households in Glendale experience housing instability. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, GRASP provides three distinct but complementary arms of support, Emergency Assistance, Income-Support Assistance, and Special Assistance, which together stabilizes households during periods of financial strain, prevents eviction, and reduces homelessness risk.
The program is flexible by design, allowing the City Council to set priority participation targets (e.g., seniors, people with disabilities, extremely low-income renters) while ensuring funds reach households most at risk.
Program Structure
To qualify for assistance under the Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP), applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
1. Imminent Risk of Eviction or Displacement
•Households facing non-payment of rent or pending displacement, demonstrated by:
•Eviction notice or unlawful detainer filing,
•Active landlord mediation,
•Documented rent arrears, or
•Utility shutoff notice.
2. Documented Recent Hardship
•Households that have experienced a significant hardship within the past 6 months that threatens their housing stability, such as:
•Job loss or reduction in work hours,
•Major medical expense,
•Unexpected essential expense (e.g., car repair, child care, other unavoidable cost).
GRASP provides three distinct but complementary arms of support, Emergency Assistance, Income-Support Assistance, and Special Assistance.
1. Emergency Rental Assistance
•Purpose: Immediate eviction prevention for households facing sudden crises such as job loss, medical emergencies, or unexpected expenses. •Benefit: Up to 6 months of rent payments, typically ~$1,000–~$2,000 per month depending on rent burden. LACAHSA requires that rental assistance be limited to 6 months of support per household.
•Scale: $715,000 (65% of total budget) allocated to this arm. •Impact: Assists approximately 65–75 households at imminent risk of displacement.
•Rationale: Deep, time-limited support can quickly stabilize a family during a financial emergency and prevent costly displacement into homelessness.
2. Income-Support Assistance
•Purpose: Provides financial assistance to help eligible households meet their basic needs during temporary periods of financial
•instability.
•Benefit: Up to 12 months of tapered support, starting at $1,500 per month and declining over time to $500 per month as households adjust. •Scale: $330,000 (30% of total budget) allocated to this arm. •Impact: Assists approximately 50–60 households with sustained support that allows them to remain housed while seeking higher income, new employment, or longer-term solutions such as affordable housing placement. •Rationale: Tapered assistance avoids the “cliff effect,” reduces dependency, and supports long-term stabilization.
3. Special Assistance
•Purpose: Address niche or one-time barriers that can trigger housing loss but does not require ongoing subsidy. Examples include back-due GWP utility bills to prevent shutoff, one-time arrears, short-term expenses such as repairing a car so the tenant can maintain employment or costs tied to unique hardships. •Benefit: One-time grants of ~$1,000–~$1,500.
•Scale: $55,000 (5% of total budget) allocated to this arm. •Impact: Assists approximately 35–45 households.
•Rationale: Modest, one-time interventions can make the difference between stability and crisis, especially for seniors, fixed-income households, and families working toward self-sufficiency.
Program Targeting & Council Priorities
While LACAHSA establishes overall requirements for funding use, the City Council retains discretion to set local priorities for how assistance is targeted within the Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP). Council may determine which populations should receive priority access to assistance, based on community needs and policy goals.
Possible Council Options Include:
•Age/Population: Requiring that a minimum percentage of assistance go to seniors (62+) or persons with disabilities.
•Income Level: LACAHSA requires that all funded households earn no more than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). Within this cap, Council may choose to further prioritize subgroups, such as:
oExtremely low-income households (less than 30% AMI)
oVery low-income households (less than 50% AMI)
•Type of Hardship: Directing that households facing imminent eviction, utility shutoff, or health/safety-related housing conditions receive priority over general applicants.
•Family Composition: Prioritizing families with children or single parents.
Staff Recommendations:
Based on Glendale’s renter profile and past program performance, staff recommends a balanced approach that ensures equity across populations while addressing the most acute risks. Specifically, staff suggests:
2.Seniors & Persons with Disabilities: Establish a minimum participation share (e.g., 35–40%) for seniors and disabled renters on fixed incomes.
3.Extremely Low-Income Renters: Give first priority to households earning less than 30% AMI, with additional eligibility for very low-income renters (less than 50% AMI).
4.Hardship-Based Flexibility: Retain discretion for staff to approve assistance where unique hardships (e.g., medical emergencies, utility shutoffs, or job-related expenses) place a household at immediate risk, even if they do not fall within the above priority groups.
This framework allows Council to set clear policy options while maintaining the flexibility needed to respond to real-world tenant circumstances. Staff believes this combination will maximize impact, protect Glendale’s most vulnerable residents, and ensure compliance with LACAHSA’s requirements.
Application Selection
To implement the GRASP, the City must establish a fair and transparent method for selecting applicants and prioritizing assistance. Staff recommends the following method.
Priority First-Come
How it Works:
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, similar to a first-come, first-served system.
However, households are first sorted into priority tiers based on demonstrated need:
•Tier 1: Households with an eviction notice, unlawful detainer, utility shutoff notice, or income at or below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI). •Tier 2: Households with rent burden greater than 50%, income at or below 50% AMI, seniors, or persons with disabilities.
•Tier 3: All other eligible applicants up to 80% AMI.
Within each tier, assistance is awarded first-come, first-served. Applications may be opened in waves (e.g., quarterly or semi-annual) to prevent overwhelming demand on day one and to allow households in later hardship to still apply.
Program Administration
Households will access the Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP) through a standardized intake and assessment process. When a tenant applies, staff will conduct an initial review of income, rent burden, housing status, and hardship to determine eligibility. Based on this assessment, the household may qualify for one or more of the program’s three arms, = Emergency Assistance, Income-Support Assistance, or Special Assistance. For example, a tenant facing imminent eviction may first receive Emergency Assistance, while another household with a smaller one-time need may be placed in Special Assistance. Importantly, the arms are designed to work
together: a tenant who begins in Emergency Assistance may transition into Income- Support Assistance if longer stabilization is needed, or a family receiving Income- Support may also receive a one-time Special Assistance grant to bridge a gap. Staff will continue to monitor progress during the life of the program and adjust the form of aid as circumstances change. In addition, tenants will be connected to other supportive resources — such as CalFresh/food stamps, Medi-Cal, or nonprofit assistance, if they are not already enrolled, and staff will coordinate with Section 8, Homeless Services, and other relevant agencies to prevent duplication of benefits and ensure households receive the most effective package of support.
Staffing
To effectively implement and administer GRASP, staff anticipate the need for three additional positions dedicated to program intake, eligibility review, case management, and compliance reporting. These positions would be hired initially on an hourly/limited- term basis to allow flexibility during the first year of program implementation.
The staffing mix would include 2 Mid-Level and 1 Entry-Level staff.
If the program proves successful and funding is renewed in future years, these positions should be converted to permanent full-time roles to ensure stability, staff retention, and consistent service delivery.
How GRASP Differs from LIFERAP
Although both programs provide rental assistance, GRASP and LIFERAP are designed to serve different populations and policy goals.
Population Focus:
•LIFERAP serves working families with children, with eligibility tied to employment status and participation in vocational or case management services. •GRASP serves a broader range of low-income renters, including seniors, persons with disabilities, unemployed individuals, and other households who may not qualify for LIFERAP but still face serious housing instability.
Program Design & Flexibility:
•LIFERAP is a single-track rent subsidy paired with case management, with all participants following the same structured pathway.
•GRASP provides three distinct forms of assistance — Emergency, Income- Support, and Special Assistance — allowing staff to tailor support to a household’s specific circumstances.
Type of Support:
•LIFERAP is primarily an employment stability tool, helping working families remain housed while improving job readiness, income, and long-term self- sufficiency.
•GRASP is a housing stability tool, focused on preventing eviction and homelessness through flexible short-term support, whether the household’s challenge is sudden income loss, chronic rent burden, or one-time barriers such as utility shutoffs or moving costs.
In short, LIFERAP is a workforce-linked rental assistance model, while GRASP is a flexible, housing-first stabilization program that can reach residents outside the workforce or facing unique hardships. Together, they provide Glendale with complementary tools to support both economic mobility and immediate housing stability.
PROGRAM OPTION B: SENIOR RENT STABILITY PROGRAM (SRSP)
The Senior Rent Stability Program (SRSP) is designed to provide predictable, short- term rental relief to Glendale’s most vulnerable senior residents. Modeled on the City’s former Monthly Housing Subsidy Program (MHSP), SRSP offers a simple monthly subsidy for up to six months, in compliance with LACAHSA’s funding requirements. The program prioritizes seniors living on fixed incomes who are experiencing significant rent burdens, ensuring that they can remain housed in the community while seeking longer- term affordability solutions.
Unlike GRASP, which is structured to address a wide range of renter needs through multiple types of support, SRSP focuses exclusively on seniors and delivers consistent monthly subsidies rather than flexible assistance arms.
Program Structure
1. Senior Rent Subsidy
•Purpose: Provide short-term relief to low-income seniors facing high rent burdens but not necessarily imminent eviction.
•Benefit: A flat subsidy of $500 per month for up to 6 months, consistent with LACAHSA’s requirement that all rental assistance be capped at six consecutive months per household.
•Scale: $1.1 million allocated to this program.
•Impact: Assists approximately 180 senior households with modest, predictable relief.
•Rationale: Provides straightforward, easy-to-administer support for seniors on fixed incomes, reducing housing cost burdens in the short term.
Program Targeting & Council Priorities
As with GRASP, LACAHSA requires that all households assisted earn no more than 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). Within that cap, Council may set additional priorities for SRSP.
Possible Council Options Include:
•Age/Population: Requiring that participants be seniors age 62 or older. •Income Level: Giving preference to extremely low-income seniors (≤30% AMI) or very low-income seniors (≤50% AMI).
•Type of Hardship: Allowing prioritization for seniors who demonstrate risk of displacement due to rising rents, fixed incomes, or health-related expenses.
Staff Recommendations:
•Focus SRSP primarily on seniors at or below 30% AMI, with eligibility up to 50% AMI where funding allows.
•Maintain a simple subsidy structure that minimizes administrative burden and ensures seniors can apply easily.
•Consider reserving a share of slots for seniors with documented health, disability, or mobility challenges that heighten their housing vulnerability.
Application Selection
To implement SRSP, the City must select a fair and transparent method for enrolling seniors. Two approaches are available here:
•Option 1 Needs-Based Selection: Seniors ranked by income, rent burden, and hardship, with assistance awarded to those with the highest need. •Option 2 Hybrid Lottery with Priorities: A lottery among eligible senior applicants, weighted for factors such as extremely low-income status or disability.
Staff recommend Option 2: Hybrid Lottery with Priorities for SRSP. This approach balances fairness and efficiency by giving every eligible senior applicant a chance to participate, while still weighting the lottery to ensure that the most vulnerable are more likely to be selected.
Program Administration
Seniors will apply through a simplified intake process designed to minimize paperwork and barriers. Staff will verify age, income eligibility, rent burden, and hardship, and determine program placement. Once enrolled, seniors will receive the fixed $500 monthly subsidy for up to 6 months.
Staff will also:
•Provide referrals to other resources, such as affordable housing waitlists, Section 8, CalFresh, or healthcare benefits.
•Coordinate with Glendale Care and Homeless Services to prevent duplication of benefits and ensure funds are targeted efficiently.
Staffing
Administration of SRSP would require one additional staff member to manage intake, eligibility verification, and program oversight. Because SRSP is a single-track program with a uniform subsidy, administration needs are more limited compared to GRASP.
PROS AND CONS COMPARISON
Option A: Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP) Pros:
•Comprehensive, layered program with three arms (Emergency, Income-Support, Special) that address different forms of housing instability. •Flexible design that can prioritize multiple vulnerable populations, including seniors, disabled tenants, and extremely low-income renters. •Provides deeper stabilization for households at risk of eviction, preventing homelessness and giving families the chance to get back on their feet. •Allows Council to set participation requirements (e.g., minimum senior share) without carving out separate budgets.
Cons:
•More complex to administer, requiring staff capacity for intake, assessment, and ongoing monitoring.
•Slower to stand up than a single-track model due to multiple program arms and eligibility pathways.
Option B: Senior Rent Stability Program (SRSP)
Pros:
•Simple, predictable structure that is easy to administer. •Directly targets seniors, one of Glendale’s most vulnerable renter groups. •Provides uniform monthly assistance that seniors can count on during the program term.
Cons:
•Limited to six months of assistance under LACAHSA rules. After that period, most participants — especially fixed-income seniors — will face the same rent burden challenges as before.
•Provides shallow support ($500 per month), which may not be enough to close large rent gaps in Glendale’s high-cost market.
•Excludes non-seniors, leaving out families, disabled renters under 62, and unemployed individuals.
•Does not include emergency prevention or flexible one-time supports (e.g., utility arrears, deposits, car repair) that often determine whether a tenant remains housed.
CONCLUSION
The City of Glendale has the opportunity to direct approximately $2.1 million in LACAHSA rental assistance funding toward programs that prevent eviction, stabilize housing, and protect vulnerable renters. LACAHSA requires that 20% of funds be dedicated to legal services and that staffing and administration also be supported from this allocation. After these carve-outs, roughly $1.4 million remains available for direct assistance, which Council may allocate through one of two models:
•Option A: Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP), plus $300,000 for continuation of LIFERAP. GRASP provides three distinct but complementary arms of support (Emergency, Income-Support, and Special Assistance) to address eviction risk, chronic rent burden, and unique one-time hardships. Together with the continuation of LIFERAP for working families, Option A offers a flexible and comprehensive approach that can be tailored to multiple populations, including seniors, disabled tenants, and extremely low- income renters.
•Option B: Senior Rent Stability Program (SRSP). SRSP provides a simple, uniform $500 monthly subsidy for seniors for up to six months. While easy to administer and senior-focused, it offers shallow and time-limited relief. Once the six-month assistance period ends, most participants, particularly fixed-income seniors, are likely to return to the same rent burden challenges they faced before.
After weighing the pros and cons of both approaches, staff recommends Option A:
Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP) plus continued LIFERAP funding. While SRSP provides simple and predictable relief, its short duration, shallow assistance, and narrow population focus means many seniors will return to being rent- burdened once the subsidy ends. By contrast, GRASP offers a more impactful, more flexible stabilization and directly addresses eviction prevention, while LIFERAP continues to support working families in building long-term economic mobility. Together,
these programs maximize the City’s ability to use limited funds to keep Glendale households housed, stable, and on a path to recovery.
Importantly, this is the first year of LACAHSA rental assistance funding. Council has the opportunity to pilot these program models now, evaluate outcomes, and adjust or reallocate funds in future years if priorities or community needs shift.
Next Steps & Council Direction
At this stage, Council is being asked to provide direction on how to allocate the $1.4 million available for direct rental assistance after required LACAHSA carve-outs for legal services and administration. Specifically, Council should decide whether to:
1. Adopt Option A: Glendale Rental Assistance & Stability Program (GRASP) with $300,000 for continuation of LIFERAP – a flexible, multi-arm approach to prevent evictions, address rent burden, and respond to one-time crises across a wide range of vulnerable renters;
OR
2. Adopt Option B: Senior Rent Stability Program (SRSP) with $300,000 for continuation of LIFERAP – a simpler, senior-only subsidy model that provides modest short-term relief but limited long-term impact.
Additional Council Options: Council also retains full discretion to choose another approach, such as:
•Not funding LIFERAP this cycle;
•Directing all available funds into LIFERAP instead of GRASP or SRSP; •Combining elements of different models; or
•Deferring funds for other rental assistance strategies.
Council may also set priority participation targets (e.g., percentage for seniors, persons with disabilities, or extremely low-income households) to guide program administration.
In addition, as required by LACAHSA, 20% of Glendale’s total allocation (approximately $420,000) must be reserved for legal services to support eviction defense and housing stability. At this time, staff are not making a specific recommendation on how these funds should be distributed among potential providers. Staff will return to Council with a separate report and recommendations regarding the structure, scope, and implementation of the attorney services allocation, once additional guidance is received from LACAHSA and after consultation with legal service partners.