Becerra, Alexis
From: pjl <
Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 12:09 PM
To: eComment
Subject: COUNCIL MEETING NOV 4 ITEM 21
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of SantaAna. Use caution when opening attachmentsor links. 1 AM IN FAVOR OFAPPROVAL OF ITEM 21.
THIS IS THE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO.
WE NEED ADEQUATE SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO AVOID CONFLICTS, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AND ENSURE
THAT DEPARTMENTS DO NOT ENABLE THE COMMITMENT OF TAXPAYER MONEY WITHOUT ADEQUATE VETTING AND APPROVAL. THE CURRENT PROCESS CAN ALLOW PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT WELL DEFINED, OR IN CONFORMANCE WITH PLANNING, ZONING, OR THE GENERAL PLAN TO EARMARK CITY FUNDS. THE CURRENT PROCESS CAN PLACE INDIVIDUALS IN A POSITION OF TEMPTATION.
PRE APPROVAL SAYS IT ALL. IT BYPASSES OUR PROCESSES, AND ERODES THE AUTHORITYAND OVERSIGHT OF BOTH PLANNING AND THE COUNCIL. IT POTENTIALLY PLACES COUNCIL AND PLANNING IN A CONFLICT OF INTEREST; AND COULD CAUSE COUNCILMEMBERS TO ABSTAIN FROM VOTING.
IFA PROJECT IS SUBSEQUENTLY DENIED, IT COULD MEAN THE LOSS OF FUNDS TO THE ENTITY WITH THE " PRE-
COMMITMENT,' OR, FORCING THE APPPROVAL OF NON- CONFORMING PROJECTS OR ELEMENTS, AND THE INCREASED EXPENSE OF EXTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS AND LEGAL FEES.
WE NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE' RE RECEIVING BEFORE COMMITING CITY FUNDS. THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE IN CLOSED SESSIONS DISCUSSING VARIOUS CONTRACTORS AND PROJECTS KNOW. CONTRACTORS THAT DON' T DELIVER ON TIME OR ON BUDGET, SLOW OR STOP WORK TO BASICALLY EXTORT ADDITIONAL FUNDS, OR INFLATE COSTS.
IN VIEW OF ANTICIPATED FUTURE BUDGET DEFICITS, CURRENT AND FUTURE INCOME SHORTFALLS, AND
UNANTICIPATED EXPENSES FOR OUR POPULACE PRECIPITATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FOR LEGAL, FOOD,
HOUSING, AND MEDICAL, WE NEED TO TAKE EVERY STEP POSSIBLE TO HAVE A ROBUST RESPONSIBLE FISCAL PROCESS IN PLACE.
Pete
His private character is not defended by his most partial friends. He is bankrupt beyond redemption except by the plunder of his country. His public principles have no other spring or aim than his own aggrandizement... If he can he will certainly disturb our institutions to secure himself permanent power and with it wealth. He is truly the Catiline of America." Alexander Hamilton Please help prevent spam. Use the BCCfeature if you need to broadcast e mail. Please do not forward this e mail address. If you have received this in error, please notify sender and delete the original. This message is confidential and should not be rebroadcast without permission.
i
Becerra, Alexis
From: Elizabeth Hansburg P41- 1 < elizabeth@peopleforhousing. org> Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 1:20 PM
To: City Clerk; eComment
Subject: Item # 21 Oppose -- letter attached
Attachments: OPPOSESantaAna Item 21 11-4-2025.pdf
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.
Dear City Clerk,
Please find attached our letter of opposition on the policy change proposed in Item# 21 for distribution to the city council members.
Thank you for your consideration of our position.
Kind regards,
Elizabeth Hansburg
Co- Founder & Director
714- 872- 1418
0 i
OR
806,
a O, Fighting for a future of abundant housing in Orange County. peopleforhousi ng.org
Orange County
November 4, 2025
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
RE: Oppose Item 21— Amendment to the Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures Dear Mayor Amezcua and Honorable Councilmembers:
I am writing to respectfully urge the Council to oppose the proposed amendment to the Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures that would disqualify any project from receiving City affordable housing funds unless it is wholly consistent with the City' s General Plan and Zoning classifications.
While I understand the intent to ensure transparency and alignment with adopted land use policies, this proposed change would have serious consequences for the production of affordable housing in Santa Ana. Specifically, the amendment would block access to local funding for any project utilizing state housing laws that expressly allow housing notwithstanding local zoning or general plan inconsistencies— including SB4, AB 2011, the State Density Bonus Law, and other streamlining statutes enacted to accelerate affordable housing production.
Because most affordable housing developments rely on local contributions to compete for state and federal resources, this policy would effectively eliminate Santa Ana' s ability to leverage its Inclusionary Housing in- lieu fees and other local housing funds for projects that take advantage of these state tools. In doing so, it would cut off the very pipeline that has made Santa Ana a recognized leader in affordable housing production in Orange County.
For decades, Santa Ana has stood out for its commitment to meeting the housing needs of lower- income residents. The City has done more than its fair share— often leading the region with creative policies, strong partnerships, and bold action to preserve and produce affordable homes.
Santa Ana' s track record has earned it a well- deserved reputation as a progressive leader in addressing Orange County' s housing shortage and affordability crisis.
The proposed amendment, however, represents a step backward. It would limit the City' s flexibility, hinder partnerships with mission- driven developers, and undermine the very state housing laws designed to help jurisdictions like Santa Ana meet their housing goals.
I urge the Council to reject this amendment and instead continue Santa Ana' s proud tradition of innovation and compassion in housing policy. This change is inconsistent with the City' s long history of caring for the housing needs of its residents— especially those with low incomes— and would jeopardize the City' s ability to sustain its leadership in affordable housing.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued commitment to ensuring that Santa Ana remains a place where all residents can afford to live and thrive.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Hansburg
Cofounder& Director
EOR /Y0
2 Fighting for a future of abundant housing in Orange County. peopleforhousing. org
2 Orange County
Zuniga, Diana
From: Joshua Wyatt Levering < jleverin@uci. edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2025 1:59 PM
To: City Clerk
Cc: Cesar C; kennedyc@kennedycommission. org
Subject: Amendment to the Affordable Housing Funds Policiesand Procedures Attachments: Amendment to the Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures - Santa Ana.docx. pdf
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of SantaAna. Use caution when opening attachmentsor links.
Good afternoon,
On behalf of the Kennedy Commission, I am submitting a public comment letter for Business Calendar Item# 21 in tonight' s City Council meeting.
Thank you,
Joshua Levering
Housing Policy Intern
1 KennedyM M I S S 1 •
r.kennedycwmssion,org
November 4, 2025 17701 Oman Ave„ Sadie 200
Lyine, CA 92614
Mayor Valerie Amezcua 949 250 0909
Santa Ana City Council
SantaAna City Hall
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
RE: Consent Calendar Item 21 — Adopt an Amendment to the Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures Department( s): Community Development Agency Honorable Mayor Amezcua and Members of the City Council, The Kennedy Commission ( the Commission) is a broad- based coalition of residents and community organizations advocating for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than 30,000 annually in Orange County. Since 2001, we have successfully partnered with jurisdictions acrossthe county to createhousing andland-usepolicies that increaseaffordable housing opportunities for lower- income working families.
We arewriting to opposethe changesto the Affordable Housing Funds Policies andProcedures.
The considered changes to the policy language will further limit the scope of potential available sitesand add uncertainty to acquiring property for the production of affordable housing within the City of Santa Ana.
While it is ideal for affordable housing developersto acquire sitesthat are already appropriately zoned, many times that may not be the case for a variety of reasons. For one, affordable housing developerstraditionally face greater challengeswhen competing with market rate developersin acquiring sites for development. Market rate developers are profit driven and are therefore best positioned to afford to pay more for zoned sitesthat arehigher land-value residential sites. As a result, affordable housing developers must frequently pursue properties that may not yet have the appropriate zoning, but are otherwise well- suited for affordable housing— often at lower land values that make projects financially feasible. These purchase agreements between affordable housing developerson opportunity sites arealso conditioned on closing the purchaseonly if the zoning is approved.
Additionally, it is acknowledged that the city hasput forth tremendousefforts to update its General Plan, Zoning Code and Specific Plans, despite these efforts that reality is that Santa Ana is a built out city and doesnot have vacant sitespurely zonedfor multifamily residential development. Most housing opportunity sites under identified under its updated general plan and specific plans create residential development opportunities over sitesthat currently have a different use, for example commercial or industrial uses. Since Santa Ana is a built out city, it is very likely that other potential sitesthat could be appropriate for affordable housing may be currently not zoned for residential.
The proposed language changes to the Affordable Housing Guidelines will exclude creative land reuse strategiesandinnovative partnershipsthat will help addressaffordable housing needsnot addressed by the traditional market rate developments.
1 The existing language in the Affordable Housing Guidelines allow for the flexibility for affordable housing developersto evaluate strong potential sites and condition the potential funding upon obtaining the appropriate zoning. This flexibility is essential to ensure that strong potential affordable housing sitesarenot excluded from consideration prematurely. Eliminating the existing language would restrict or limit the scope of sites where these developers can support the production of affordable units through the funding conditions. Additionally, this flexibility in the guidelines is necessary to assist and incentivize affordable housing since it takes more time and multiple funding sourceswith different requirements and deadlinesto fully fund. Many of these state and federal affordable housing funding sources also look for local government funding commitments before committing their funds.
In addition, current state laws such as SB 4 and AB 2011, further encourage property owners, the city and affordable housing developersto partner andbe creative in using land not zonedresidential to address the affordable housing crisis. The proposed changes to the Affordable Housing Guidelines will contradict CA StateHousing Laws, the City' s Housing Element commitments and Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing policies and goals.
We urge the City Council to retain the existing languagewithin the Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures to preserve flexibility and maximize opportunities for affordable housing development. SantaAna hasmade significant progresstoward addressinghousing needs, and maintaining these provisions is critical to sustaining that momentum and ensuring that all potential affordable housing sitescanbe fully evaluated.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued leadershipin advancing equitable housing opportunities acrossSantaAna. If you have any questions, pleasefeel free to contact me at( 949) 250- 0909 or cesarc( a kennedycommission. org.
Sincerely,
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director
2