CORRESPONDENCE - 60A - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orozco, Norma From:Maria Ceja <ceja.maria95@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, August 04, 2020 12:44 PM To:eComment Subject:Item 60a To the Mayor and City Council, I urge you all to allocate funds from the $28.6 million received to an eviction defense fund and rental relief fund. We are going to encounter a wave of evictions unlike one we have ever face in our lifetimes. Santa Ana is extremely vulnerable and will likely be hit harder than we can anticipate. Over half of the city are renters, many extremely rent-burdened, who were already struggling with making rent prior to the pandemic. The catastrophic economic impacts exacerbated by the pandemic has placed on Santa Ana households. We have been quarantined since March, for the renter that has not been able to pay rent since then, that is thousands of dollars of accumulated debt against their will. Renters are not paying rent because they don't want to, they financially are unable to. Our city needs to be prepared for what is to come. We need a larger and accessible rental assistance fund and an eviction defense fund. The $500,000 rental assistance fund was proven to be not enough after it was exhausted after just one week. The city of Anaheim was able to provide $3 million dollars for their residents, I ask that you allocate $4 million dollars from the $28.6 million received to the rental assistance fund. Considering the predicted waves of evictions, it is important to recognize that many can be considered illegal and put the tenant(s) through an unnecessary traumatic experience. From receiving the notice to navigating an inaccessible court system, an eviction defense fund could alleviate some of those pressures. This could especially help since legal resources are limited. There should be at least $2 million reserved for this. Again, I urge you to use the CARES Act funds appropriately. Use it to truly support our community, especially those affected most by the pandemic. Thank you, Maria Ceja 1