RCC Awarded a $2.1 Million Grant to Aid Homeless and Housing Insecure Students
03/10/2020
Riverside City College received a three-year $2.1million grant from the California
Community College Chancellor's Office in order to participate in the College Homeless
and Housing Insecure Pilot Program. RCC was one of 14 California community colleges
to receive the $700,000 per year award.
The College Homeless and Housing Insecure Pilot Program is funded through a $9 million
allocation included in the state's 2019-20 budget. The program supports rapid rehousing
services for California community college students.
The pilot program will build upon existing infrastructure and resources, and local
housing services in order to implement a sustainable program for homeless and housing
insecure students. Dr. FeRita Carter, vice president, Student Services has built relationships
with community-based housing organizations. Through these partnerships a plan for
rehousing services RCC students will be developed.
According to the #RealCollege survey, administered by the Hope Center for College,
Community and Justice at Temple University, nearly half of the 2,118 RCC students
who participated in the survey reported experiencing food insecurity. Fifty-three
percent experienced housing insecure in the past year and 16 percent were homelessness
in the same time frame.
The #RealCollege was the nation's largest assessment of basic needs and housing insecurity
survey for college students. Results reaffirmed college leaders' belief that basic
need insecurities are a challenge for students pursuing a higher education degree.
Selection criteria for the Homeless and Housing Insecure Pilot Program grant included
the availability of low-income housing in the area; the number of students receiving
Pell grants; the percentage of foster or former foster youth students and Veterans;
and the number of students living with a disability. Colleges were also given credit
for having an effective relationship with community-based housing organizations.
Published by External Relations & Strategic Communications