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Chispa <br />August 28, 2023 <br />Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers <br />20 Civic Center Plaza <br />Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br />ecommentC&,Santa-ana. ors <br />Via Email <br />RE: SUPPORT ITEM 21 - Requirement of Supermajority Approval for Certain Future <br />Amendments to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance and Just Cause Evictions <br />Ordinance <br />Dear Mayor Amezcua and City Councilmembers, <br />I write on behalf of Chispa to express our support for Item 21, the requirement of supermajority <br />approval of total council members for certain future amendments to the Rent Stabilization <br />Ordinance (RSO) and Just Cause Evictions Ordinance (JCEO). The City of Santa Ana (City) <br />must commit to safeguarding housing stability and the tenant protections that provide it. <br />As an organization based in the City, Chispa seeks to engage with excluded peoples to uproot <br />systems of oppression and cultivate systems grounded in community accountability, solidarity, <br />and self-determination for our communities to thrive. We are a membership based organization <br />for young Latinxs advocating for systemic changes across Orange County. We are strong <br />advocates for tenant protections and affordable housing at both the Local and State level. As <br />such, we support the preservation of the City's RSO and JCEO. <br />Chispa urges you to provide direction to amend the City's RSO and JCEO to require a <br />supermajority approval for certain future amendments. It is necessary that these ordinances are <br />protected as the crucial tools they are to maintain and increase housing stability; and that certain <br />amendments are only made with a supermajority vote. The City's RSO and JCEO policies are <br />the result of decades of community advocacy that has included support from community <br />members impacted by housing instability, charitable organizations, faith -based organizations, and <br />more. These efforts must be respected and providing this direction will do just that. The City <br />must do everything in its power to safeguard these policies and follow the requirement of <br />supermajority approval that is required for other City items such as certain budget actions. <br />1 <br />