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April 4th, 2017 • • <br />www.kennedycamnission.org <br />17701 Cowan Ave., Suite 200 <br />Lviee, CA 92614 <br />949 250 0909 <br />Mayor Pulido and Santa Ana City Council Members Fax 949263 0647 <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza <br />P.O. Box 1988, M31 <br />Santa Ana CA, 92701 <br />RE: Support — 75A. Conduct a TEFRA and Issue Tax Exempt Bonds for Santa Ana Arts <br />Collective, L.P. <br />The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad based coalition of residents and <br />community organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families <br />earning less than $20,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been <br />successful in partnering and working with jurisdictions in Orange County to create effective <br />policies that has led to the new construction of homes affordable to lower income working <br />families. <br />In Santa Ana, there is a significant need to address and provide housing opportunities for all <br />economic segments of the community. Families in our City are extremely rent burdened, as most <br />of their limited income (over 50 %) is used to pay for housing costs. As residents struggle to find <br />available and affordable housing in Santa Ana, rents have continually increased. A minimum <br />wage earner needs the equivalent of 3.2 full -time jobs to afford the rent of a typical two - bedroom <br />unit. In the City, the 2016 average rent for a large rental complex was $1,786.00, which was a <br />3.7% increase from the year before. <br />These rents are far out of reach for many lower income families in the City, leaving them to <br />make tough choices between paying for their housing or other essential life necessities such as <br />food, transportation, and healthcare. It is clear that Santa Ana's families need affordable housing <br />now. <br />We strongly urge the City Council to conduct a TEFRA and approve the issuance of bonds <br />to Santa Ana Arts Collective L.P., which will create 58 affordable housing units for Santa <br />Ana families. <br />Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions; I can be reached at (949) 250 -0909 or <br />Cesare u, kennedycommission.org <br />Sincerely, <br />Cesar Covarru 01as — <br />Executive Director <br />Warldlig for systemic change . resulting in the production of homes affordable to Orange County's extremely low- income households <br />