HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence - #21
April 5, 2021
www.kennedycommission.org
Mayor Sarmiento and City Council Members
17701 Cowan Ave., Suite 200
City of Santa Ana
Irvine, CA 92614
20 Civic Center Plaza
P.O. Bo 1988, M31
949 250 0909
Santa Ana, CA 92701
RE: Support Item 21 : Item 4.7: Approve a First Amendment to the Conditional Grant
Agreement with Habitat for Humanity of OC-Development of the Lacy Street Project
Dear Mayor Sarmiento and Council Members,
The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad-based coalition of residents and
community organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families
earning less than $27,000 annually in Orange County. Formed in 2001, the Commission has been
successful in partnering and working with Orange County jurisdictions to create effective housing
and land-use policies that has led to the new construction of homes affordable to lower income
working families.
The Kennedy Commission is writing to support the Habitat for Humanity OC Development of
the Lacy Street Project. We appreciate the City’s efforts in making progress towards meeting its
residents housing needs. The current pandemic has increased the economic and housing
pressures on low-income families in Santa Ana. This is especially true for the majority of Santa
Ana’s low-income households that are suffering with the impacts of housing cost and economic
uncertainty. This is the majority of Santa Ana residents, according to the City’s local data, 80
percent of Santa Ana renters are moderate, low and very low-income renters. Since 80% of
renters in Santa Ana fall into the moderate, low and very low-income category and 84 percent of
1
residents hold low-income occupations that pay less than $53,500 per year.Santa Ana’s
2
households are predominantly families comprising 81% of households. These households are
3
also rent burdened and live in overcrowded conditions.
Habitat for Humanity has developed a project that will meet the needs of the French Park
neighborhood and provide affordable housing opportunities. More affordable housing is
desperately needed in Santa Ana, and we look forward to the project’s implementation.
Sincerely,
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director
1
City of Santa Ana General Plan Housing Element 2014-2021, p. 14, January 2014.
2
City of Santa Ana General Plan Housing Element 2014 – 2021 page 11
3
City of Santa Ana General Plan Housing Element 2014 – 2021 page 20