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1. V. SantaAna Tenants United Santa Ana Santa Ana, CA November 1st, 2021 RE: An open letter to the California Apartment Association and Apartment Association of Orange County, as well as to supporters of the REFERENDUM AGAINST [ORDINANCES] PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL [OF SANTA ANA] Dear Victor Cao et al., We wish to address your efforts for a referendum against the two new tenant protection ordinances in Santa Ana. As your organization claims to value transparency and community outreach, we must bring to your attention that individuals who are gathering signatures for your referendum are utilizing misleading and outright incorrect information just to collect signatures. It is of the utmost urgency, and in respect of democratic, bureaucratic, and electoral integrity, that these tactics cease immediately, or be investigated and pursued to the fullest extent. Utilizing deceptive, misleading, and verifiably false information to acquire signatures for a referendum is in direct violation of California's Elections Code of Law, beginning at section 18600. Below are some of the most egregious claims being stated, simply to get people to sign: "The ordinances make it illegal to evict criminals" The ordinances do not state such whatsoever and actually do quite the opposite. In cases where any alleged criminal activity is taking place in a rental unit, the landlord can still evict the individual so long as proof exists — not just an allegation. The Just Cause ordinance also ensures that anyone else who lives in a unit is not evicted along with the alleged criminal. This ensures strong protection for victims of crimes to be able to remain housed when a separate tenant living on the property may be committing crimes. If any person who remains in the unit attempts to allow the alleged criminal to enter the property, that constitutes grounds for eviction of the individual aiding the alleged criminal in re-entering the property.