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PUBLIC ' LAWCENTER_ Providing Access topisOce for Orange Couniy Low Income Residents May 1, 2020 VIA EMAIL The Honorable Miguel Pulido City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, California 92701 RE: Executive Order No. 2-2020 — Letter of Support - Item 60A Dear Mayor Pulido and Members of the City Council: In response to Item No. 60-A, we write in support of the City of Santa Ana's Executive Order No. 2-2020 to freeze the rent for all tenants in the City of Santa Ana. As will be set forth below, the prudent decision of the City of Santa Ana to freeze rent increases starting from April 7, 2020, until repealed by the City Council, is necessary to protect the health and safety of the families and businesses in the City of Santa Ana, so that they may recover from the devastating impacts of the novel Coronavirus (a.k.a. COVID-19) pandemic. This current public health crisis is the worst we have seen in a century. More than 60,000 people have died across the country, with more people becoming sickened and dying each day, and the toll will continue to rise in the coming weeks. Orange County is not immune to this crisis, as Orange County has recorded approximately 1,299 cases, with 19 deaths.' Due to the strict, but necessary Safe at Home orders, businesses have shut down or drastically scaled back across many cities across the County, particularly in the City of Santa Ana. These shutdowns have caused massive worker layoffs. The impacts of these layoffs have left Santa Ana residents, particularly those of our clientele who are undocumented, wondering how they are going to afford rent and put food on their table. Further, the crisis is disproportionately affecting communities of color, individuals and families in low-income communities, including those who are undocumented, reflecting entrenched structural and economic inequalities. In the City of Santa Ana, where many families and businesses were living paycheck -to -paycheck orders enacted by Governor Newsom. People of color who are least likely to be abeven before the COVID-19 crisis, many families have lost all income due to the she llteto work r in place e from home, most likely to be renters, and most likely to be highly rent -burdened have been hit the hardest. ' Coronavirus infections low, optimism grown in Orange County, Luke Money, Los Angeles Times, April 14, 2020, Illtps://www.l atimes. coin/california/story/2020-04-14/orange-county-coronavirus-infections-I ow -optimism -high. 601 Civic Center Drive West • Santa Ana, CA 92701-4002 • (714) S41-1010 • Fax (714) S41-5157 12