City of Irvine and IUSD Partner to Launch Affordable Housing Program

Dania Yamani, Staff Writer

The Irvine City Council is in the process of creating the Irvine Cares Family Housing Assistance Program, aimed primarily at IUSD students and families. “We are hopeful that these housing programs will provide individuals and families the necessary support to create long-term housing sustainability, improve their quality of life, and provide the tools to support their financial needs moving forward,” Irvine Chief Health and Wellness Officer Heather Dion said.

The Irvine City Council approved a partnership with IUSD on April 8 to provide affordable housing to IUSD students and families. Set to launch on July 1, the program is part of the city’s plan to provide housing at lower costs to homeless IUSD families.

“The city is partnering with IUSD on the Irvine Cares Family Supportive Housing Program to offer low-income housing for families identified as homeless through the McKinney-Vento list,” Irvine Chief Health and Wellness Officer Heather Dion said. “The program will offer two years of low-income transitional housing, with the opportunity to graduate into permanent housing.”

Since 2022, Irvine has been receiving state grants to help fund the city’s “Irvine Cares” housing initiative and has identified 103 homeless students within IUSD to support, according to Irvine City Council. The McKinney-Vento law, which mandates equal access to public education, has laid the groundwork for the program’s structure.

“For the Irvine Cares Family Housing Assistance Program, multi-family housing units will be provided through the Irvine Company,” Dion said. “To be eligible for the program, students must be accompanied by an adult and registered on the City’s McKinney-Vento list. Existing Irvine Company apartment units will be made available in summer 2025.”

As the July 1 program launch approaches, IUSD and the Irvine City Council are finalizing the program. This includes protecting the families’ privacy due to the project’s sensitive nature, according to Director of Mental Health and Wellness Natalie Hamilton.

“The most recent developments have been securing the units and finalizing the required paperwork to ensure we are meeting FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) guidelines regarding data privacy,” Hamilton said. “The contracts must satisfy both IUSD and City requirements pertinent to this project, necessitating extensive collaboration among departments and legal teams.”

This initiative is only one part of Irvine’s larger “Irvine Cares” plan to address homelessness in the city. Alongside affordable housing, the City Council plans to roll out a counseling service for these families to aid them with financial, emotional, or mental issues. This program will begin shortly after the housing program commences this summer.

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About the Contributor

Dania Yamani, Staff Writer

Dania Yamani is a staff writer for her first year on the Portola Pilot. When she’s not calculating worst-case scenario grades on Aeries before a test, you can find Dania blasting Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams or waking up at 4:00 a.m. to catch a Real Madrid game. She can’t wait to learn about journalism and get more involved with the Portola High community!