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15d <br />EL CENTRO <br />CULTURAL <br />' DE MEXICO <br />313 N. Birch Street Santa Ana, Ca. 92701 <br />August 41h, 2015 <br />Dear City Council, <br />This letter is to communicate el Centro Cultural de Mexico's great concern over the <br />modifications of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and the lack of public <br />participation in these changes. El Centro has been working on issues of <br />gentrification and displacement in the city of Santa Ana for about ten years. <br />We work with many families in helping create community spaces for art, culture and <br />community leadership. We have been able to talk to many residents, youth, adults <br />and families. Most recently we organized renters rights training where got to listen <br />to many stories about not only poor housing conditions but the high rate of housing <br />insecurity that exists in Santa Ana. These stories are far too common. <br />Policy in recent decades, whether implemented by the government, the corporate <br />sector or some combination of the two, has contributed to a loss of housing for low <br />income families. What is also a shame are the discourses that both government and <br />the private sector use to defend these policies. Either for the deconcentration of <br />property, investment, revitalization, or even sometimes the same need for <br />affordability, is used to promote development that has lead to the displacement of <br />members of our community. As enormous amounts of investment come into our <br />cities, their interests in maximizing profits undermine our interest in long-term <br />neighborhood stability. <br />We want policies that allow us to strengthen the bonds we build with each other in <br />our communities, and which help us to survive in the face of resource scarcity, <br />economic hardship, environmental degradation and political margin alization. <br />We assert our right to stay in the communities is that we have build and take part in <br />their future, and we refuse to be displaced. To this ends, we call for an end to profit <br />driven development that produces housing our communities cannot afford. <br />The changes in this ordinance represent the lack of the city's commitment to <br />housing for Santa Ana's residents, the failure to include the community in shaping <br />these significant policies. We call for more time and more public participation. <br />Sincerely, <br />Centro Cultural de Mexico Members <br />