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Orozco, Norma <br />From: Kayleigh Levitt <kayleighlevitt@gmail.com> <br />Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 4:48 PM <br />To: eComment <br />Subject: Public Comment for Agenda Item No. # 75B <br />Hello Mayor Pulido and Councilmembers, <br />Thank you for passing the eviction moratorium as it has provided necessary relief to people while <br />workplaces are shutdown to protect public health. I <br />for Santa Ana during this time to help tenants send <br />city provided under the moratorium and rent freeze. <br />have been volunteering at a tenants rights hotline <br />letters to their landlords to qualify for the rights the <br />I am hearing stories that people cannot pay for food, bills, or for legal support during this time. On our hotline <br />we are hearing that landlords are still threatening to call the police because of past due rent, as well as rejecting <br />the tenants letters that would qualify them for the right to repay rent up to 6 months after the emergency is <br />lifted. We have seen that pro bono support cannot match the scale of the retaliation or within the time needed. <br />While considering how to spend the funds from the federal and state level in response to COVID-19 housing <br />and homelessness issues, I urge you to provide a rental relief fund that is available to people regardless of <br />citizenship status. <br />One of the best methods to respond to COVID-19 on behalf of housing and homelessness without having to use <br />government funds to do so is to extend the rent freeze until 6 months after the emergency is over, <br />matching the timeline of the moratorium. Some stories I am hearing from people on the hotline is that <br />they had the maximum rent increases permitted under AB1482 (8.4%) prior to the rent freeze (their <br />rent increase was on April 1 st but the rent freeze became effective April 7). People are very <br />concerned about how to pay back past rent due in addition to staying current with rent payments. <br />Allowing landlords to increase rent during the repayment period is an additional factor leading to <br />eviction and homelessness. Extending the rent freeze allows renters to relieve some of the debt from <br />this crisis without having to use government funds. <br />Thank you for your time and continued efforts to protect the residents of Santa Ana. <br />Kayleigh Levitt <br />I <br />