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Latino Health Access <br /> LATINO 450 W. Fourth Street, Suite 130 <br /> HEALTH Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> ACCESS � I 714-542-7792 <br /> www.latinohealthaccess.org <br /> March 7, 2021 <br /> Mayor Sarmiento and City Council Members <br /> City of Santa Ana <br /> 20 Civic Center Plaza <br /> Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> RE: Support to Adopt Santa Ana Redistricting Coalition (SARC)Proposed Maps <br /> Dear Mayor Sarmiento and City Council Members, <br /> Latino Health Access has been proudly working alongside community residents for over 27 years to <br /> improve the social determinants of health in our city. We provide services that address immediate health <br /> needs while providing information and facilitating opportunities to increase civic participation and <br /> engagement in decisions to improve those social determinants in the long term. The Redistricting process <br /> establishes the representation structure in our city for community residents to participate civically. It is <br /> crucial that the map adopted centers around and maintains areas in our city that have been historically <br /> excluded. Therefore,we urge you to adopt one of the proposed maps by the Santa Ana Redistricting <br /> Coalition. <br /> Latino Health Access is a proud partner in the Santa Ana Redistricting Coalition (SARC), alongside <br /> Orange County Environmental Justice (OCEJ), Orange County Congregation Community Organization <br /> (OCCCO), and VietRISE. Centering the lived experiences and needs of low-income communities of color <br /> and working families, the SARC has pursued maps and other redistricting outcomes that maximize <br /> opportunities for year-round organizing and policy advocacy, working toward a city that treats everyone <br /> equitably and with justice. To promote greater community engagement in redistricting, SARC has (1) <br /> educated members and residents about redistricting, (2) created a space through which they identify and <br /> articulate communities of interest(COI) important to them, (3) mobilized community members to present <br /> testimony at public hearings, and (4)worked closely with them to create city redistricting maps that best <br /> address the needs of low-income communities of color and working families. <br /> The maps proposed by the SARC acknowledge and take into account the communities of the interest that <br /> the community brought forward. Districts A, B, D, and F share largely the same configuration in both <br /> maps and maintain distinct communities of interest. As discussed in greater detail in the SARC map <br /> narratives, each of these communities have a series of interests and concerns largely unique to them. <br /> Characteristics include, to name a few, a high number of mobile home parks and shared restaurants and <br /> faith institutions in District A, more affluent and historic neighborhoods in District B, a high number of <br /> PREVENTION EDUCATION ACTION <br />