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The Cambodian Family Community Center VL JJ V A Multi-Ethnic Human Services Agency Promoting Social Health 1626 East Fourth Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 571-1966 e C17 odian`Family www.cambodianfamily.org 4/5/2022 City Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza P.O. Bo 1988, M31 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Item 40: Strengthen Housing Opportunity Ordinance and Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures Dear Mayor and City Council Members, TCFCC is a 501(c) (3)non-profit, multi-ethnic, human services agency that has been serving the refugee and immigrant communities of Orange County, California for over 42 years. We were established in 1980 by a group of Cambodian refugees who had escaped the Khmer Rouge regime in their native country. Since then, we have expanded our services to immigrants and refugees from around the world, all the while establishing deep roots in our community. We serve a unique population that need a variety of mental health services, but usually have trouble navigating the health care system, or suffer from the stigma mental health. The culturally and linguistically competent resources in mental health care services/navigation that SB 1019 is a crucial step in achieving health equity for all Californians, and especially for the immigrant and refugee communities we serve. We are writing to support the amendments to the Housing Opportunity Ordinance and Affordable Housing Funds Policies. The changes will ensure that development in the City addresses housing needs for all residents in a balanced manner. Many working families in Santa Ana continue to be impacted by the rising cost of housing and the scarce housing opportunities available at rents they can afford. In addition, many continue to face economic uncertainty because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The creation of housing at all income levels is vital to our recovery and will provide stability for the majority of Santa Ana residents that are struggling with housing availability and cost that existed long before the pandemic. It is crucial that the City strengthen the Housing Opportunity Ordinance (HOO) to ensure that housing opportunities are available for all residents in Santa Ana along with new housing options being created in the City. The City of Santa Ana is a renter majority city and despite the City's progress towards meeting its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation for very low- and low- income housing, there continues to be a great need for housing that is affordable to its residents. The current pandemic has increased the economic and housing pressures on low-income families in Santa Ana. As incomes are decreasing and jobs are being lost, many low-income families are struggling to remain housed. This is especially true for the majority of Santa Ana's low-income households that are suffering with the impacts of housing cost and economic uncertainty. According to the City's local data, 70 % of Santa Ana renters are low and very low-income renters. 80% of renters in Santa Ana fall into the moderate, low- and very low-income categories and 84 % of residents hold low-income occupations that pay less than $53,500 per year. Santa Ana's households are predominantly families comprising 81% of households. These households are also rent burdened and live-in overcrowded conditions.