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Letter to the City Council RE: Opposition — Zoning Ordinance Amendment No. 2020-03. August 18, 2020 Should the City Council move forward with the Amendment, we would propose the following changes: 1. Remove the priority on acquisition and rehabilitation and amend Zoning Amendment No. 2020-03 to prioritize construction of new units. If the City Council declines to do this, amend the Zoning Amendment No. 2020-03 and jointly prioritize acquisition/rehabilitation and construction of new units to help address the housing crisis faced by residents in the City of Santa Ana who are in the lowest economic bracket and in need of affordable housing. 2. Where a rehabilitation project results in displacement of tenants, require the developer to pay relocation costs in line with the requirements of the California Relocation Assistance Act, Government Code section 7060 et set?. to ensure that the developer pays displaced tenants the proper amounts to relocate because of the displacing activity. 3. Expand the concessions under proposed section 41-1904.1, subdivision (b) to include the development of low-income units and a surrounding community benefit to ensure that the City of Santa Ana does not contribute to gentrification and deny fair housing opportunities to low-income communities or nonprofits, such as Community Land Trusts, from having the opportunity to purchase for sale units." 4. If the City Council proposes to move the timeline of the H00, amend that date to January 2021, given the devastating impacts of the Coronavirus on everyone, and in particular, those who are in lower -income economic brackets of the City of Santa Ana. Because of the sudden economic loss due to Coronavirus, the estimates are that approximately 43 million Americans are at risk of eviction." In California, an unprecedented number of renters in California, many of whom are people of Black and Latinx descent have expressed an extremely small to no confidence in their ability to pay rent to their landlords during this pandemic.12 Given these stunning statistics, the City of Santa Ana should continue to lead with a strong inclusionary ordinance and limit any movement in the timeline of the HOO to a short a period as possible to ensure the City of Santa Ana is able to provide affordable housing opportunity for its most vulnerable residents in need of affordable housing. 5. Retain programs that provide foreclosure and eviction prevention assistance. 6. Maintain cooperative housing programs. Sincerely, /s/ Richard M. Walker Senior Attorney, Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit /s/ Ugochi Anaebere-Nicholson Directing Attorney, Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit Proposed Zoning Ord. Amend. No. 2020-03, §41-1906(c)(4). 10 See Gov. Code 8899.50 (AB 686), State AFFH; see also HCUs Final 2020 A[ https://www.hcd.ca.gov/policy- research/plans-reports/index. shtml#aifh " 43 million Americans at risk oj'eviction as reliefprograms and moratorium expire: "Its a nightmare" https://www.cbsnews.coin/news/eviction-moratorium-expired-coronavirus/ (last visited on July 31, 2020). i- These Californians are especially worried about paying rent during coronavirus. Is help coming? https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-governmenticapitol-alert/artic]e244568527.html (last visited July 31, 2020). (,Al r; ; r n,.;,,ewe... Q.„ - A. re 411111 nnm. mini CAI liar. c-_. "I" 'A' 1.11