Becerra, Alexis
From: NathanielGreensides <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March4, 2025
To: eComment
Subject: Agendaitem18CityCouncilmeetingforMarch42025
Attention: ThisemailoriginatedfromoutsideofCityofSantaAna. Usecautionwhenopeningattachmentsorlinks.
DearCityCouncil,
Iwriteinoppositiontotheitem - specificallytheproposaltoallowwhatwasoncerentalhousingforlongtermlow- incometenantstonowbesoldasindividualcondounits (likelytooutoftownabsenteelandlords) locatedat425E.
WellingtonAvenue (Iaminsupportofthecreationof40newaffordableunitsat621W. AltonAvenue).
In2021, Iassistedtwofamilieswhowerebeing "renovicted" fromthepropertyat425EastWellingtonAvenue. Theyhad livedintheirrespectiveunitsforafewyearsatthebuildinginreferenceandhadlivedintheCityofSantaAnafor decadeswiththeirchildrenattendingSAUSDschools. Thefamilieswerestrugglingtofindnewaffordableplacesforrent uponbeingservedlegallyvalidnoticesofevictionsothatthethenlandlord (whoatthatpointhadrecentlyacquiredthe property), anLLCentitywhichwasinactuality, justoneindividualfromNewportBeach, couldrenovate. Thefamilies courtappearanceswerescheduledonzoomandIassistedtwofamilieswithensuringtheyappearedvirtuallyincourtto tellthejudgethattheyhadbeenabletofindanewplacetorent (albeitinAnaheimandatamuchhigherprice) toavoid anevictionontheirrecords. TheysadlyleftSantaAnaandthepropertyhasnowsatvacantforalmostif notmorethan4 years. Inthetimethattheresidentialpropertyhassatvacant, Ididpassbyregularlytoensurethattherewereactual renovationstakingplaceasit wouldbeillegalforthelandlordtohaveevictedthetenantsandthenproceededtonot performanyupgrades. Ibelievetheseupgradesthatweremadeshouldbelookedintocloselytoensurethatsaid renovationswereactuallynecessaryorcrucial, orif therenovationsweresolelyforthepurposeofgeneratingprofitfor outoftownabsenteelandlords. Itisalsosuspecttomethatthepropertyisnowbeingproposedforsaleasindividual condoswithanon-profithousingpartnerintow. Iwastaughtthatif Ibuyaninvestment, it maydeclineinvalueandI shouldbepreparedforsuchascenario. Instead, it seems, outoftown "investors" intheSantaAnahousingmarket believeotherwiseandarenowseekingspecialdealstoensureprivateprofit.
Ononehandit canbearguedthatthisisagoodthing - toincreasetheamountofhousingunitsforpeopletoown insteadofrent. However, first, nonewhousingunitsarebeingcreatedhereandsecond, Iknowthatmanyofthemore affordable" condocomplexesallthroughoutourcityarestilllargelyun-obtainableforthevastmajorityofcurrent residents. Inthese "moreaffordable" condocomplexes, manyoutoftownlandlordsoperatetheindividualcondounits asrentalunitswhichultimatelyrenderstheentirecondopropertyineligibleforfederallybackedmortgages (whichis onemajorcontributortoensuringthatfamiliescansuccessfullytransitiontobecomelongtermstablehomeownersin theUSA). Whentheseaffordablecondounitsaregobbledupbyoutoftowninvestorsandthensuccessivelyrentedout, ourcommunitystabilityandhousingmarketstabilitysuffersasaresult. Amoreresponsiblelocalapproachthatcan stabilizeourlocalhousingeconomywouldbetoenactpolicieswhichincentivizeconversiontoco-opsortolandheldin trustbycommunityledorganizationswiththestructuresownedbyindividuals. https://www.mpslaw.com/co- opdominium-a-path-to-affordable-condominium-unit-ownership Additionally, Ibelievethatit isimmoralandun-Christiantolethousingsitvacantuntilthehighestbiddercomesaround whilemoreandmorefamiliesarestretchedeverthinnerifandwherenotalreadyhousingchallengedorhomeless.
WhileIrespectandapplaudtheworkofthenon-profithousingdeveloperbeingbroughtintothisagendaitem (Habitat forHumanity), Iwishtoofferthatit isnotalwaystruethatanyandeverynon-profithousingentityhascorporate structuresandmissionswhicharedirectlyalignedwiththespecificinterestsoflong-termSantaAnaresidents. Thereare manylocalnon-profitorganizationsinSantaAnathatcanandshouldbeconsideredforpartnershipif thepropertyisto 1 utilizepublicinclusionaryfundsinbeingconvertedintohousingunitsforsale. TheSantaAnafirsttimehomebuyerfunds thatarebeingofferedherearealsonotfreemoneylikesomeonthedaishaveinsinuatedinthepast. Thefirsttime homebuyerfunds (whichcomefromtheinclusionaryfunds) arezerointerestloanswhichincreasesthemonthlyand long-termexpensesforthefamilyorindividualmakinguseoftheprogramfunds. Additionally, intoday'smarket, old1 bedroomcondosinSantaAnahaveamedianlowpriceofaround $400,000whichequatestofamiliesneedingtohaveat least $12,000savedforthedownpaymentandearnatleast $112,893peryear (whichassumesthattheborrowerhas nootherdebtsexisting) tocomfortablyaffordthehomeandnotbe "housepoor" asmanyeconomistshavedubbedit.
Ihopethatthiscanweighinonthedecisionsmadetonight.
Sincerely,
NathanielGreensides
War5Resident
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