Attachment 2 Page 1 of 5
Attachment 2: Low Income Family Employment & Rental
Assistance Program (LIFERAP)
Overview
LIFERAP is administered by the Verdugo Jobs Center (VJC) to provide housing and employment assistance to low-income, working families residing in Glendale. The program is designed to offer rental subsidies alongside employment training, education support, and other individualized goals identified jointly by each family and their case manager. The overarching objective is to help families build long-term financial independence by the end of their participation.
Core program components include vocational case management and time-limited rental assistance, enabling participants to improve employment advancement, training, education, and savings. While the program is traditionally structured as a 12-month intervention, it would need to be modified to a 6-month model if funded through LACAHSA due to funding restrictions.
Program Goals
Prevent displacement of working families living in Glendale Increase household income through career advancement or training Build savings capacity and improve long-term housing stability Provide comprehensive case management and life-skills training Target Population
Target Population
LIFERAP is currently designed to serve low-income, working Glendale families with children. Participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Household income must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Los Angeles County
At least one member of the household must be a minor child under 18 Household must reside in Glendale
At least one adult must be a legal U.S. resident
At least one adult must be working a minimum of 32 hours per week, unless all adults in the household are disabled
Family must be living independently (not in shared housing) The unit must pass a basic habitability inspection
Applicants must demonstrate willingness to participate in vocational case management and commit to employment, training, or education goals Attachment 2 Page 2 of 5
Program Flexibility
While these are the current eligibility criteria, Council may choose to modify the target population or eligibility structure to meet emerging local needs or priorities. For example, Council could expand the program to serve seniors without rental assistance, very low-income households without children, or households with documented financial hardship due to job loss or medical issues. Alternatively, multiple populations could be served under a single program framework. Any such changes would need to comply with LACAHSA requirements if LACAHSA funds are used as the primary funding source.
Program Design
LIFERAP provides time-limited rental assistance and individualized vocational case management to support income growth and long-term housing stability. The core design elements include:
Subsidy Structure: Participants receive monthly rental assistance for up to 12 months. If funded through LACAHSA, the assistance period would be limited to 6 months to comply with program restrictions. The subsidy amount is based on family need, income, and housing costs, with the goal of allowing families to redirect funds toward education, training, savings, and other stability-focused activities.
Case Management: Participants are paired with a vocational case manager who helps them identify career goals, develop a plan, and connect to training, education, or job opportunities. Families also receive referrals and access to monthly workshops on budgeting, financial literacy, career development, and tenant rights.
Eligibility Screening: All applicants are screened for income and employment eligibility, housing status, and willingness to engage in case management.
Inspections are conducted to ensure housing meets minimum standards. Application Process: The Verdugo Jobs Center (VJC) leads all outreach, intake, and administration. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with program slots filled based on availability and eligibility. Flexible Design: The program is designed to be adaptable. Council may revise the duration, benefit amount, or eligibility criteria to meet specific community needs, provided changes align with funding requirements (e.g., LACAHSA rules).
Cost and Scale
Attachment 2 Page 3 of 5
When LIFERAP was last operated as a 12-month program, it served 95 Glendale families over a three-year period with a total program cost of approximately $1.315 million. This included:
$864,755 in direct housing subsidies (average of $9,103 per household) $201,620 for case management provided by GYA
$17,500 for program administration by VJC
Enrollment was phased over four years:
Year 1: 25 households
Year 2: 38 households
Year 3: 32 households
Year 4: 10 households (served through reallocated GCC contract funds to GYA in PY 2024–25)
While over 700 families applied, only 105 were enrolled, highlighting the program’s high demand and targeted scope.
If Council is interested in continuing a similar program structure under LACAHSA, the funding limitation of 6 months per household would require adjusting both the scope and scale.
To align with LACAHSA’s restriction of 6 months of direct financial assistance per household, the program can adopt a rolling assistance structure, supporting two rounds of 25 families per year. This structure allows for sustained engagement while complying with the funding timeline.
Round 1: 25 households receive rental assistance for 6 months Round 2: A new cohort of 25 households begins after the first group completes This would provide time-limited rental assistance to 50 households annually, while maintaining manageable caseloads for case managers and ensuring compliance with LACAHSA’s timeline restrictions.
Estimated cost for each 6-month round (25 households):
o$1,000/month per household × 6 months = $150,000 in subsidies oGYA case management (scaled to 6 months): ~$65,000
oVJC administrative costs (scaled to 6 months): ~$8,750 oTotal per round: ~$223,750
Attachment 2 Page 4 of 5
oTotal Annually: ~447,500
While the rental assistance would be limited to 6 months, the City could design the program to continue vocational case management, job placement support, and educational services for an additional 6 months. This would extend the total program engagement to a full year, maximizing long-term impact without exceeding LACAHSA’s financial assistance window.
Participants could be required to remain actively engaged in follow-up case management activities such as:
Career training or education programs
Financial planning workshops
Periodic check-ins with employment specialists or housing navigators This would preserve the holistic and outcomes-focused nature of the original LIFERAP model while adapting to LACAHSA’s funding framework.
Oversight and Staffing Needs
If funded with LACAHSA dollars, the City will need to meet oversight, audit, and reporting requirements. This may necessitate:
Additional hourly staffing or reallocation of duties within the Housing Division Potential hiring of a dedicated staff member for compliance, reporting, or case support
Enhanced coordination with VJC and GYA to ensure documentation and service delivery align with LACAHSA’s standards
Program Administration
The LIFERAP program would be administered through a partnership between the Verdugo Jobs Center (VJC), Glendale Youth Alliance (GYA), and the Community Development – Housing Division.
VJC would serve as the lead administrator, review eligibility, and overall program coordination.
GYA would conduct outreach, recruitment, interview, eligibility determination, inspections, provide vocational case management, including support with employment, training, financial planning, and access to community resources.
Case management may continue for up to 6 months after rental assistance ends to support long-term stability.
Attachment 2 Page 5 of 5
City Housing Staff would oversee final eligibility determination, authorize subsidy payments, and ensure compliance with all applicable program and funding requirements. If LACAHSA funding is used, additional oversight and reporting duties may require reallocation of staff or limited-term support.
This collaborative model mirrors past LIFERAP operations and supports a high-touch approach to addressing housing and employment needs.
Funding Sources
If the City Council chooses to continue LIFERAP using LACAHSA funds, the program must be adapted to a 6-month rental assistance timeline to comply with funding restrictions. Program costs may be covered using a portion of Glendale’s RPHP allocation. Alternatively, the program could be funded in whole or in part by the City’s General Fund.
Next Steps
To move forward, Council will need to provide direction on the following:
Whether to continue or relaunch the LIFERAP program, either in its original form or as a modified 6-month version aligned with LACAHSA funding restrictions.
Whether to fund the program using LACAHSA funds, General Fund dollars, or a combination of both.
Target population priorities—whether to maintain the existing focus on working families with children or expand to include other groups (e.g., seniors, single- parent households, or extremely low-income renters).
Whether to require continued case management or support services beyond the 6-month rental assistance period.
Following Council direction, staff will work with program partners to finalize the design, prepare necessary contracts, and return for formal approval. Budget scenarios are summarized in Attachment 4.