Residents warn Glendale could lose emergency housing funds; staff to follow up

During oral communications, Ani Kosh told the Glendale City Council that the Glendale Housing Authority’s recent decision not to pursue a transition plan for emergency housing vouchers could put roughly 188 families at risk of losing housing. Kosh said a federal administrative pathway and recent federal budget actions provide options for municipalities to transition voucher participants without losing priority and that Glendale appeared to be the only California housing authority declining to pursue such a transition.

Assistant city manager and housing staff told the council they had only just seen Kosh’s detailed email, had spoken briefly with housing staff and would follow up. Staff said they were working on proposed solutions and committed to a more detailed response within days and to return the matter for discussion by the end of the month. Council members expressed concern about homelessness trends, asked staff to provide all available avenues to access federal funds, and asked that housing authority members prepare information for council review.

The council did not adopt an immediate policy change. Staff were directed to coordinate with the housing authority, brief council on options and funding mechanisms, and return with recommendations and potential steps to preserve support for affected families.

Next steps: housing staff to prepare a written response to Kosh’s email, provide options to transition voucher participants if allowed by HUD guidance, and return to council before the month’s end.