Wave Staff and Wire Reports
WHITTIER — County Supervisor Hilda Solis has announced a $500,000 investment to help Río 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 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 money will provide “critical housing and food support so students can remain enrolled, complete their education, and achieve what they set out to accomplish,” Solis added.
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,” Río 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.
“We are incredibly grateful for Supervisor Solis’ continued partnership and advocacy for our students and community,” said Rosaelva Lomeli, president of the Río Hondo Community College Board of Trustees. “She continues to be a strong ally whose leadership and investment are helping transform lives and strengthening our community through education and opportunity.
“At Río Hondo College, we remain deeply committed to supporting students’ basic needs, including housing assistance, food security and other critical resources that help students persist and complete their educational goals.”
Solis began her political career in 1985 when she was elected to the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees. She served on the board until being elected to the state Assembly in 1992.
