Correspondence - #33 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orozco, Norma From: Maria Ceja <ceja.maria95@gmaiI.com> Sent: Monday, September 20, 2021 8:39 AM To: eComment Subject: Item 33 Dear Mayor and City Council Members, I am in support of item 33, the adoption of ordinances for rent stabilization and just cause protections. This past year and a half have demonstrated that despite living in a pandemic, rents are skyrocketing and evictions are still happening. This exemplifies that temporary state protections are not enough; Santa Ana needs REAL and PERMANENT renter protections, especially as we approach the end of the month when state protections (AB 3088) are set to expire. Santa Ana is a majority renter city. Many renters are living in a state of survival; being (severely) rent - burdened, paying 30 percent or more, up to even 75%, if not all, of their income on housing costs, just to have a roof over their head. This does not leave much for other needs such as healthy foods, medical/health resources, clothing, among other daily needs that one needs to thrive. This affects our local economy when many are not left with disposable income to reinvest in our city. We have to move beyond rental assistance. This program is a blessing but has come with many obstacles. The application process alone demands so much time and energy from renters, with many still waiting for a response to know if they are even approved. I personally have worked with a tenant who applied over a year ago and still has yet to get approval from the city. This process becomes even more complicated when the Landlord does not want to cooperate despite knowing they will be paid in full the rent tenants were not able to pay because they have been severely impacted by COVID-19. This has resulted in illegal eviction processes occurring; landlords and managers illegally locking tenants out and throwing away their precious belongings leaving them with nothing. We have to put the most vulnerable residents, seniors, single mothers, persons with disabilities, McKinney Vento students, and more, at the forefront. How can we be proud of our city when we are letting tenants be affected by rent increase after rent increase and/or eviction notice after eviction notice? When we let long-time residents, who have brought so much meaning to our city, be displaced because they can no longer afford to live here or they may have experienced an illegal eviction? We deserve a right to remain and prosper in the city that we call home. We need to do what is right for our community. Please adopt the rent stabilization and just cause ordinances on Tuesday, Sept.2lst. Thank you, Maria Ceja