Fresno Housing CEO Tyrone Roderick Williams. (Photo by Cary Edmondson)

Fresno Housing CEO Tyrone Roderick Williams. (Photo by Cary Edmondson)

As both Fresno State and Fresno Housing are committed to improving the living conditions of Central Valley residents, leaders of the two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding Friday to strengthen opportunities for academic and programmatic cooperation through education, affordable housing and community empowerment.

Since 1940, Fresno Housing has worked to increase the availability of quality housing for low-income families in the area, creating and sustaining vibrant communities throughout Fresno County.

“Housing insecurity is one of the most significant challenges impacting our community today,“ said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “This partnership will allow us to create and support internships, expand service-learning opportunities and graduate assistantships that will engage Fresno State students in Fresno Housing projects and help empower our local community. Both our students and the greater community will benefit from the increased collaboration that will result.” 

Through this partnership, both organizations seek to accomplish the following:

  • Develop and strengthen cooperative relationships between the staff of Fresno Housing and the academic departments and faculty of Fresno State.
  • Work toward alleviating housing insecurity for many Fresno State students.
  • Create and support internships, service-learning opportunities, and/or graduate assistantships that will engage Fresno State students in Fresno Housing projects and help empower local communities. 
  • Mutually support grant applications that are focused on housing and community empowerment.
  • Work cooperatively together to identify potential funding sources to provide matching funds for Fresno Housing Scholarship recipients who attend Fresno State.
  • Convene forums in which Fresno Housing staff and Fresno State faculty can exchange and develop ideas for increasing housing accessibility and community education and empowerment. 

“We are very proud and excited about this transformative partnership with Fresno State,” said Fresno Housing CEO Tyrone Roderick Williams. “We know that housing and education play a big role in a student’s journey to success. This partnership will work to create ways that we can support and provide opportunities for both Fresno State students and Fresno Housing residents alike, something that is very innovative and something we are very proud to be a part of.”