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As an example, according to the City's local data, 70 percent of Santa Ana renters are low and very low-income renters. While the City has seen increased production of affordable housing, there has been a larger increase of above moderate housing with the city's 2,409 RHNA above moderate allocation being exceeded by 2,677% per the City's RHNA progress reports submitted to the State of California. With average rents of $2000 - $4000, none of these above market rent units are affordable to most of Santa Ana's working families. The need will be much greater as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated needs that were already existing in our communities. Housing costs in Santa Ana have been out of reach and will continue to be out of reach in this current economic climate. Households that live in the 92701 zip code, the City's most affordable zip code, must earn $35.68 an hour to afford two - bedroom housing. (National Low Income Housing Coalition's "Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing in 2020" Report). The proposed amendments further incentivize housing units with market rate rents and are not affordable to the majority of the City's residents. The proposed amendments do not address the City's needs and create further inequity for the City's residents with the greatest housing need. As such, we oppose the following amendments to the HOO and Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures: HOO Sec. 41-1904. - Options to satisfy. Inclusionary requirements • (c) (1) The proposed amendment reduces the in -lieu fee from $15 to $5 The City must retain a $15 in -lieu fee and secure this funding source for much needed affordable housing. The City risks losing state and federal housing matching funds by lowering the in -lieu fee, at a time we face economic uncertainty as a result of the pandemic. • (c) (2) (ii) The proposed amendments allow for Entitled Residential Projects to pay a reduced fee of $10 per square foot as an incentive to obtain building permits during the current economic climate. Santa Ana residents are those that are most affected by the current economic climate. The entitled projects in the pipeline would generate well over $30 million in in -lieu fees that is needed urgently to create new affordable housing. THRIVE,SANTAANA PO BOX 1935, SANTA ANA, CA 92701 / THRIVESANTAANA@GMAIL.COM