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increased the economic and housing pressures on low-income families in Santa Ana. As incomes are <br />decreasing and jobs are being lost, many low income families are struggling to remain housed. This is <br />especially true for the majority of Santa Ana's low-income households that are suffering with the <br />impacts of housing cost and economic uncertainty. As an example, according to the City's local data, <br />70 percent of Santa Ana renters are low and very low-income renters. While the city has seen <br />increased production of affordable housing there has been a larger increase of above moderate <br />housing with the city's 2,409 RHNA above moderate allocation being exceeded by 2,677% per the <br />City's RHNA progress reports submitted to the state. With average rents of $2000 - $4000, none of <br />these above market rent units are affordable to most of Santa Ana's working families. <br />The need will be much greater as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated needs that were already <br />existing in our communities. Housing costs in Santa Ana have been out of reach and will continue to <br />be out of reach in this current economic climate. Households that live in the 92701 zip code, the <br />city's most affordable zip code, must earn $35.68 an hour to afford two -bedroom housing. (National <br />Low Income Housing Coalition's "Out ofReach: The High Cost ofHousing in 2020" Report) The <br />proposed amendments further incentivize housing units with market rate rents and are not affordable <br />to the majority of the City's residents. The proposed amendments do not address the city's needs and <br />create further inequity for the City's residents with the greatest housing need. <br />As such, we oppose the following amendments to the Housing Opportunity Ordinance and <br />Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures: <br />Housing Opportunity Ordinance - Sec. 41-1904. — Options to satisfy Inclusionary requirements <br />(c)(1) The proposed amendment reduces the in -lieu fee from $15 to $5 <br />The City must retain a $15 in -lieu fee and secure this funding source for much needed <br />affordable housing. The City risks losing state and federal housing matching funds by <br />lowering the in -lieu fee, at a time we face economic uncertainty because of the pandemic. <br />- (c)(2)(ii) The proposed amendments provide that the City will now allow Entitled <br />Residential Projects to pay a reduced fee of $10 per square foot as an incentive to obtain <br />building permits during the current economic climate. <br />Santa Ana residents are those that are most affected by the current economic climate. The <br />entitled projects in the pipeline would generate well over $30 million in in -lieu fees that the <br />City urgently needs to create new affordable housing. Providing this incentive until April <br />2021, will likely result in a loss of 1/3 of the in -lieu fees expected to be collected, or over $10 <br />million dollars, that would be used to build much needed affordable housing in the City. <br />Housing Opportunity Ordinance - Sec. 41-1909. - Inclusionaa Housing Fund <br />(a)(1)The proposed amendment allows for the use of inclusionary housing for'... <br />one-time programs for code enforcement, and quality of life, and general health and <br />safety activities.' <br />The city needs to include language in the Ordinance that prohibits a future diversion of these <br />