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Item # 17
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
October 21, 2025
TOPIC: Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program — Tenant Assistance Update
AGENDA TITLE
Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program — Tenant Assistance Update
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Receive and file and provide direction to staff.
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
On July 1, 2025, the City of Santa Ana ("City") City Council unanimously adopted
Resolution No. 2025-031 reaffirming the City's commitment to Senate Bill 54, the
California Values Act, and the City's Sanctuary City policies. The resolution also
directed staff to implement support to individuals and families impacted by the raids
from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. At that same
meeting, the City Council directed Staff to establish an emergency assistance program
and allocated $100,000 in the City's Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget to assist residents
experiencing economic instability due to ICE activity.
Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program ("ASF") is a program implemented reposnsive to the City
Council's directive assisting residents in the City who have been impacted by ICE
activities. After Staff met and discussed how ASF could be designed to provide prompt
assistance to residents, rental and utility assistance were determined to be an ideal way
to assist low- to moderate-income residents with living expenses that could provide one
month of emergency rental arrear payments and/or a utility assistance payment of up to
$500 per household. This financial assistance is limited to one-time support per eligible
household on a first come first served basis.
ASF guidelines, application forms, certification forms, receipt of payment forms, and all
marketing materials were developed in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. City staff
undertook significant outreach efforts, which was important to build trust with residents,
help identify renters who needed assistance, and implement ASF in a short timeframe in
order to provide need to those renters who were impacted by ICE detentions and
deportation actions.
Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program — Tenant Assistance Update
October 21, 2025
Page 2
Community Partnerships
Collaboration with community organizations was integral to ASF outreach efforts and
trust-building. Key referral and support partners included, but were not limited to:
• Public Law Center
• Santa Ana Unified School District's Family and Community Engagement (FACE)
Team
• South County Cross Cultural Council
• El Centro Cultural de Mexico
• Western Youth Services
These partnerships have helped ensure that immigrant and mixed-status households
can safely access assistance and navigate the application process.
ASF Program Status
Staff has made significant progress in processing both rental and utility assistance
applications, and ASF is expected to fully expend its $100,000 allocation by the end of
October 2025. As of October 6, 2025, ASF has approved $89,273.88 in financial
assistance—representing approximately 89% of the total $100,000 allocation—with an
additional $10,726.12 in pending rental assistance under review. To date, ASF has
served 101 households (198 individuals), broken down as follows:
• 81 households received utility assistance only
• 5 households received rental assistance only
• 15 households received both rent and utility support
o Average rental assistance payment of$1,851.26
Demand for utility assistance was especially high due to ASF's rapid delivery
mechanism and relatively lower documentation thresholds required by landlords.
Households who participated in ASF experienced sudden loss of household income due
to the detention or deportation of a wage earner, increased childcare or transportation
costs, and heightened fear of engaging with employers or landlords beginning in late
June 2025. The emergency rental assistance provided through ASF, one month of rent
arrears and/or up to $500 in utility support, successfully met its intended goal of short-
term housing stabilization.
Staff believes ASF was successful in providing assistance to households impacted by
ICE. Inquiries were substantial during a three-month period with 2,290 inquiries (731 via
email and 1,559 via phone) that were received not just from residents, but from non-
profits, religious groups, the Consul General of Mexico, and other groups who informed
residents about ASF.
Based on current spending and application trends, staff anticipates that ASF will fully
expend its $100,000 allocation by the end of October 2025. ASF met community needs
and achieved the intended outcome of assisting over one hundred households,
demonstrating its effectiveness in providing timely and meaningful support to low- to
moderate-income renters in the City who experienced financial instability due to ICE
actions.
Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program — Tenant Assistance Update
October 21, 2025
Page 3
Staff noticed that calls from qualified residents steadily declined starting in mid-
September. Staff assessment is that ASF was very successful to provide financial
assistance to residents impacted by ICE actions during a critical time; however, it would
be difficult for Staff to identify and document households that were impacted by ICE
actions to continue ASF.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact at this time.
Submitted By: Michael L. Garcia, Executive Director - Community Development Agency
Approved By: Alvaro Nunez, City Manager