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February 5th, 2017 <br />Pasadena Tenants Union <br />PO Box 2264 <br />Pasadena, CA 91102 <br />626 491-1044 <br />info@pasadenatenantsunion.com <br />Mayor Miguel Pulido and Councilmembers <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza <br />P.O. Box 1988, M31 <br />Santa Ana CA, 92701 <br />RE: Work Study Session on Rent Control/Stabilization - <br />Support Tenant Protections Ordinance <br />Pasadena Tenants Union advocates for renter rights and tenant protections from <br />displacement caused by gentrification. <br />Pasadena Tenants Union supports the efforts by community groups and stakeholders to pass an <br />ordinance that will afford tenants the protections that they need. Santa Ana has a large renter <br />population with 56% of the city's total households serving as rental homes (2017 American <br />Community Survey). We believe that tenants have the right to live in dignified housing; and <br />we need a Tenant Protections Ordinance immediately as Santa Ana tenants live in fear of <br />recurring rent increases and retaliation in the form of unjust evictions. <br />The city's Housing Element illustrates the need for such ordinance for renters, especially our low <br />income residents. `Approximately 54 percent of households earn lower incomes... Renters <br />typically have the highest percentage of very low income households...' (pg A-10) These low <br />income households have very high rates of rent burden, as they're paying well over 30 percent of <br />their household income on rent. `The 2011 ACS reports 31,676 households (43 percent) overpaid <br />for housing. Of this total, 57 percent were renters (21,496 households)... Housing <br />overpayment is most severe among extremely low and low income households and special <br />needs groups.' (pg. A-20) <br />It is important to protect our immigrants, workers, and youth from the traumatic effects that <br />displacement has on our communities. Policies such as Just Cause Evictions have been <br />successfully implemented in jurisdictions throughout California while protecting the rights of <br />tenants and property owners. The City needs to deepen its commitment to working alongside the <br />community in the development process, to ensure that the community's needs are being met and <br />that tenants are being protected. Policies that include Just Cause Evictions, Rent Control, and <br />