Correspondence - #33 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orozco, Norma From: Kristopher Fortin <kfortin08@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 8:53 AM To: eComment Subject: Public Comment, Item 33: Adoption of Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance Hello, My name is Kristopher Fortin, I'm a resident at 223 W Washington Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92701 in Ward 5 and I'm writing to voice my support for Item 33: Adoption of Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance. I'm a renter currently in Santa Ana and have seen throughout the years the constant increase in rents and the general unaffordability in the area. I'm also in support of Just Cause eviction protections as I have in the past been a victim of our current renter protections. Eviction can have a long standing stain on people's ability to secure stable and safe housing and can limit employment opportunities. Yet current protections make the margins of making a mistake extremely slim for vulnerable populations. In 2014-2015, the residence I was living in was served notice of eviction for unpaid rent. The residence had multiple individuals on the lease of a single-family home and one of the residents missed a couple months of rent. While this instance would be an at -fault situation, we were able to resolve the situation with the landlord. But the point I want to highlight was how the protections in the ordinance could have assisted in this process. After I responded to the termination notice in civil court, I was harrassed by the property manager for responding to the notice. As is my right to respond to an eviction notice, I should not have been intimidated or harassed for carrying out such action. I also support the eviction defense fund. In my research to learn about my rights as a renter, I was lucky to find the time to connect with Fair Housing OC and the Public Law Center. The Public Law Center assisted in filing my response to the eviction notice and Fair Housing OC assisted in educating me on potential avenues I could take in responding to the eviction notice. I was able to find these resources by looking on the internet and working only part time. My initiative to research organizations that support renters is not afforded to everyone, whether it's through knowledge of looking online for these resources or having the time due to obligations of work and family. They were not made available when the notice was served and the burden falls on the renter to figure it out. Ultimately I represented myself and the other tenants of the residence. Again, I had never been to court before, and I had to miss work to defend our case. These are spaces that can be intimidating, and a support from an eviction defense fund, and being made aware of such a resource, could have helped throughout this process. I urge you to adopt Item 33, Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance. Thank you for your time. Kristopher Fortin @lapaperboy cell: 626-710-7680