Laserfiche WebLink
Salas, Diana <br />To: Noraima@latinohealthaccess.org <br />Subject: RE: Junta del concilio para el 5 de mayo - Punto 60A de la agenda translation <br />Santa Ana City Council Santa Ana City Council, <br />The COVID-19 crisis (coronavirus) is a global pandemic, which threatens our community socially and <br />economically. Our community is extremely low income, they are mostly tenants, they reside in multi -family <br />homes and they live in households with members of different immigration status. We also know that large <br />numbers of families do not have health insurance or have inadequate access to health care. Because of this, we <br />recognize how vulnerable our community is to this pandemic, susceptible to the financial crisis and <br />homelessness. Even more alarming, our community is particularly at risk of losing life. <br />Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Orange County have been steadily growing, with 2,636 confirmed cases so far <br />(as of O1/05/20). A large portion of people in California, including residents of Santa Ana, are losing their jobs <br />and therefore will not be able to pay the rent. More than 3 million people in California have applied for <br />unemployment benefits, and Orange County has reported more than 13,200 job losses. These are amazing <br />numbers. We cannot ask people to pay back rent over a six-month period while also experiencing rent increases, <br />especially for those who have accumulated immense debt: they have no jobs to return to, they have suffered <br />significant reductions in their working hours and they are not eligible for COVID-19 relief benefits because <br />they are undocumented. It will simply be impossible for residents to catch up on rent. If Santa Ana residents <br />don't get an expansion of the rent freeze already in place, make no mistake, this will have devastating impacts <br />for residents, including home loss and death. Without equitable access to housing, residents of Santa Ana will <br />be displaced, and placed at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus. <br />Santa Ana residents call on you as elected officials to act urgently and prevent thousands of working families <br />from being exposed to the loss of their homes. Specifically, we ask that you maintain and extend the rent freeze <br />for up to six months after the emergency order is lifted. <br />Please ACT NOW to protect the residents of Santa Ana! <br />7L <br />