Correspondence- #26 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NaMrA�d.�r,� �'rPu�,:d�d� �•�ra�,.r�r,uu��w� 7101 Wyoming Street, Westminster, CA 92683 Telephone (714) 893-3581 Fax (714) 893-4819 September 6, 2022 Mayor Sarmiento and City Council Members City of Santa ana 22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE: Item# 26 Long-Term Implementation Plan for the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Eviction Ordinances Dear Mayor and City Council Members, Abrazar (means to Embrace in Spanish) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. Abrazar is dedicated to embracing the diversity of families in our community, educating them on the resources we provide through our community collaborations, and empowering them to improve the quality of their life. Abrazar's goals are to Embrace, Educate and Empower children, families, and individuals with the necessary tools to attain financial stability; physical, dental, and mental health; educational success; engage citizens in civic participation; provide or facilitate access to affordable and decent housing and prevent hunger and malnutrition. Diversity and the delivery of collaborative services are critical to the success of our programs. We are writing to support some of the recommendations brought forward by staff for the long- term implementation of the City's Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) and Just Cause Evictions Ordinances (JCEO). The City's RSO and JCEO have brought much-needed protections for Santa Ana's families by keeping housing affordable and reducing the displacement of Santa Ana residents. To continue making progress toward protecting tenants, we must strengthen the enforcement of the ordinances to prevent loopholes and landlord harassment. The absence of a clear enforcement process allows for inconsequential violations of the ordinances and, more importantly, abuse of power and harassment by landlords. Long-term tenants living in rental units, some for over 20 years, now find themselves with substantially different rental agreements that include separate utility fees (that were previously part of their rental payment) and predatory late fees. Sometimes, families see a $125 per day rental late fee. Tenants who refuse to sign these aggressive rental covenants are harassed and threatened with eviction. These loopholes contribute to self-evictions, where tenants are in-directly forced out of their homes and social support networks due to fear of retaliation, immigration status, lack of legal representation, and complex court proceedings. We recommend and support the following changes to the Long-Term Implementation Plan for the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Eviction Ordinances to strengthen the enforcement of the ordinance and reduce the incidences of displacement: