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^ The region's rents have remained relatively high which has impacted the ability of lower <br />income households to obtain decent and affordable housing. Households with no or poor <br />credit history are severely impacted. <br />In an effort to mitigate these barriers the City of Santa Ana undertook the following actions <br />during the report period: <br />Utilized public resources to fund the rehabilitation of rental housing units with private <br />property owners and CHDOs. This public assistance will result in lower rents for assisted <br />units thus partially offsetting the impacts of some of the barriers listed above. Additionally, <br />CHDO ownership ensures long-term affordability and maintenance of housing units. <br />^ The City's Housing Authority conducted outreach to rental property owners to encourage <br />participation in the rental assistance program. The Authority's staff also provided <br />counseling to new/prospective tenants on the importance of building good credit history. <br />Credit counseling was provided by the Consumer Credit Counseling Center, a local nonprofit <br />agency. <br />4. ACTIONS TO OVERCOME GAPS IN INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES & ENHANCE COORDINATION <br />The City worked closely with. local institutions to initiate programs that link economic incentives <br />with neighborhood and community` development objectives. These efforts included building <br />relationships with neighborhood associations,>tommunity used lending agencies, nonprofits, <br />and educational institu#ions. The City also supp©rted programs aimed at enhancing <br />coordination among vari©us City departments. <br />Examples of actions undertaken during the report period to overcome gaps and enhance <br />coordination included the following: <br />The City's Workforce Investment Act (WIA) advisory board played a key role in developing <br />employment opportunities for lower income Santa Ana residents. The WIA board is <br />comprised of various community leaders representing private employment, education, <br />social services and government. This diversity in the board's representation ensures that <br />the community's workforce needs are identified and addressed through a variety of public <br />and private resources. This advisory board also brings key community contacts together <br />resulting in enhanced coordination of program delivery and resource utilization. <br />As a participant in the Continuum of Care Community Forum and the HIV Planning Council, <br />the City can ensure barriers created by regional institutional structures that address the <br />needs of the homeless and individuals with HIV/AIDS are identified and addressed through <br />the coordinated use of limited funds. <br />Z~ Draft 8/26/2009 <br />19F-33 <br />