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,--Kennedy • M M I S S 1 • www kennrMyeommismian_nrg June 3, 2025 1 M I Cowan Avc_,Suite 2W Irvine,CA 92614 Mayor Valerie Amezcua 9492500909 Santa Ana City Council Santa Ana City Hall 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE: Agenda Item #23— Support for FY 2025-29 Consolidated Plan, FY 2025-26 Annual Action Plan, and Associated Federal Housing and Development Budgets To The Honorable Mayor Amezcua and Members of the City Council, The Kennedy Commission (the Commission)is a broad-based coalition of residents and community organizations advocating for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than $30,000 annually in Orange County. Since 2001, we have successfully partnered with jurisdictions across the county to create housing and land-use policies that increase affordable housing opportunities for lower-income working families. We appreciate the City's thoughtful and data-informed approach to developing the FY 2025-29 Consolidated Plan and FY 2025-26 Annual Action Plan. The plan's emphasis on expanding and preserving affordable housing, supporting public services, and investing in homeless services and facilities is well aligned with Santa Ana's most pressing housing challenges. However, given the persistent and severe rent burden faced by Santa Ana residents, we urge the City to ensure that CDBG, HOME, and ESG funds are maximized to support housing opportunities for extremely low-, very low-, and low-income households. The city's housing and population data highlight why this focus is necessary. Over half of Santa Ana residents are considered low-income, and 66.6% of renters fall into that category. Median gross rent in the city is $1,999, and more than 54% of renters spend over 30% of their income on housing. Renters also experience disproportionate levels of overcrowding—making up 66.8% of overcrowded households—and the impacts of housing insecurity are often most acute among families with children and seniors. Deeply affordable housing production, rental assistance, and tenant stabilization services must remain top priorities in the coming years. Additionally, we encourage the City to continue integrating the findings and strategies of the Regional Assessment of Fair Housing into its funding priorities and project location. Ensuring that affordable housing is developed throughout all neighborhoods—not just concentrated in historically lower-income areas—is critical to expanding housing choice and combating patterns of segregation and displacement. We appreciate the City's engagement with community stakeholders throughout the plan development process and look forward to the continued implementation of these strategies in a way that centers equity, affordability, and the housing needs of the most vulnerable Santa Ana residents. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at(949) 250-0909 or cesarc&kennedycommission.or . Sincerely, 1