Correspondence - #21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orozco, Norma From: Nathaniel Greensides < Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2023 2:43 PM To: eComment Subject: Fwd: Agenda Item 21 - August 29th, 2023 City Council Meeting Just in case for some reason ecomment@santa-ana.org didn't receive the message, I am forwarding here my written public comment on the matter ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Nathaniel Greensides < Date: Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 2:07 PM Subject: Agenda Item 21 - August 29th, 2023 City Council Meeting To: <ecomment@santa-ana.org>, Hernandez, Johnathan <iryanhernandez@santa-ana.org>, Amezcua, Valerie <vamezcua@santa-ana.org>, Lopez, Jessie <JessieLopez o,santa-ana.org> I write as a Ward 5 constituent. I wholeheartedly support this Councilmember requested item. We require a supermajority of council votes for many topics and matters of utmost importance to all residents. Ensuring strong local tenant protections can remain should be added to that list - especially when Santa Ana remains has historically held over fifty percent renters. Rent stabilization is only one aspect of the strong local tenant/landlord protections - just cause evictions is the other. Rent stabilization and just cause will NOT solve homelessness nor will it suddenly make vacant units suddenly cheaper for rent. Rent stabilization and just cause protections ensure that renters who have lived in Santa Ana can remain. Both work to ensure that the rate of homelessness does not continue to increase. Both ensure a stabilized local economy for all. Despite claims otherwise, rent stabilization has NOT decimated the local housing market. Sale prices for the local housing market have increased 5.2% since July 2022 according to Rocket Homes.com (https://www.rockethomes.com/real-estate-trends/ca/santa-ana). While rents may be -3.7% in Santa Ana according to Apartmentlist.com (https://www.apartmentlist.com/rent-report/ca/santa-ana) -meaning listed median rents for vacant units has decreased 3.7% - landlords in Santa Ana can still raise rents at a maximum of 3% (until the end of this month and then 2.54% beginning September 1st). This means that rents on units which have been occupied can still be raised despite the negative returns between September 2022 and September 2023. Where experts understand that no law in the USA can deprive a person of a fair return on investment, rent stabilization can provide a positive return on investment where the local rentals market, or housing market, may be on the decline. Mayor Amezcua, please consider supporting the item. I know that you accepted donations from the Apartment Association for your campaign to be the Mayor. However, you said that you are an independent person and owe nobody any favors - well except for the voters. I watched you state upon taking office that "I can't tell you how many times I've seen the boogeyman up close and personal, he really does exist". I too have seen not only the boogeyman up close and personal, but also witnessed real landlords do real terrible things to real residents in our city. I hope you can be on the right side of history to ensure that the boogeyman of housing precarity and displacement may be contained once and for all.