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Letter to Mayor Pulido and Members of the City Council Re: Opposition -- Amendment to Development Agreement No. 2015 -03 December 20, 2016 Page Two residents. Amending the Development Agreement as requested by Heritage Village LLC does not support the City of Santa Ana's efforts to meet the Strategic Plan Goal No. 5 and Objective No. 3. If the City Council amends the Development Agreement as requested by Heritage Village LLC, it will not facilitate diverse housing opportunities, and it will not support efforts to improve livability in Santa Ana. Amending the Development Agreement, moreover, to allow for the phased payment of inclusionary housing in -lieu fees will affect all future affordable housing developments, not just the First Street Apartments. It is therefore necessary that the City continue to move forward in its efforts. The payment of nearly $10 million in inclusionary housing in -lieu fees is needed now; City residents cannot wait for phased payments. Many of our clients are working families in Santa Ana who are facing a housing affordability crisis and who are in desperate need of decent affordable housing. In Santa Ana, there is a significant need to address and provide housing opportunities for all economic segments of the community. Families in our City are extremely rent burdened, as most of their limited income (over 50 %) is used to pay for housing costs. As residents struggle to find available and affordable housing in Santa Ana, rents have continually increased. In the City, the 2016 average rent for a large rental complex was $1,786.00, which was a 3.7 % increase from the year before.' These rents are far out - of -reach for many lower income working families in the City. The HOO has been preserved and adopting this Amendment to the Development Agreement would undermine its preservation. The Planning Commission recognized this on November 14th, when they voted against recommending the approval of the Amendment to the City Council. For these reasons, we urge the City Council to vote against approving Amendment to Development Agreement No. 2015 -03. Sincerely, Ugochi Anaebere- Nicholson Directing Attorney, Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit ' Tiny Spaces Not So Cheap: Studios are O.C.'s Priciest Rentals, Orange County Register, April 19, 2016 601 Civic Center Drive West • Santa Ana, CA 92701-4002, (714) 541 -1010 • Fax (714) 541 -5157