Demand: Preserve the City’s Housing Opportunity Ordinance. Maintain the in-lieu fee payment at $15 for all residential projects. Prohibit the diversion of money for affordable housing to public safety programs. Allow money for affordable housing to be used for Cooperative Housing Programs.

As the global Covid-19 pandemic stretches into the summer, working families in Santa Ana are struggling to make ends meet. The need will be much greater as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated needs that were already existing in our communities. Housing costs in Santa Ana have been out of reach and will continue to be out of reach.

Now would be the absolute worst time possible to weaken the Housing Opportunity Ordinance and deplete the city’s affordable housing monies. City councilmembers are proposing to reduce the fee that developers must pay when they choose not to build affordable housing, to use money for affordable housing for “safety activities”, and to remove Cooperative Housing Programs as an eligible use for affordable housing monies when these programs can create new affordable housing.

Yet, that is exactly what the City will be considering. Developers that will build market rate housing, housing that Santa Ana residents will not be able to afford, have made their voice heard in City Hall. We ask you to advocate for your community and submit a public comment in support of protecting affordable housing by preserving the Housing Opportunity Ordinance.

These amendments were recommended by Santa Ana Councilmembers Jose Solorio, Phil Bacerra, Juan Villegas, and Nelida Mendoza. They need to hear you don’t support their recommendations.

Cosponsors: The Kennedy Commission, Vecindario Lacy en Acción (VeLA), Chispa, Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities