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March 3, 2026 Mayor Valeria Amezcua Members of the City Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE: Agenda Item 10 — 2025 Annual Progress Report (APR) on Housing Element Implementation To The 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 across the county to create housing and land-use policies that increase affordable housing opportunities for lower-income working families. The 2025 Annual Progress Report (APR), regarding Housing Element Implementation, reflects 5 very low deed-restricted units and 76 very low non-deed restricted units, and permitted 101 non-deed restricted low-income units. However, there were no deed-restricted low units reported. Deed-restricted units ensure that housing remains affordable to income-qualified households over time, providing lasting community benefit and directly addressing housing cost burdens faced by lower-income residents. Without such restrictions, affordability levels may fluctuate with market conditions, limiting the extent to which reported production translates into stable, equitable housing opportunities consistent with State housing goals. In addition, the City permitted 6 deed restricted moderate units and 67 non-deed restricted moderate units. At the above moderate income category, the City permitted 61 units and also has surpassed the RHNA’s obligations of above moderate by 223%. RHNA obligations are not intended to function solely as long-range planning targets, but as an accountability framework designed to address regional housing shortages and expand access to housing opportunities across income levels. Continued underproduction of deed-restricted affordable housing risks compounding existing shortages and undermines progress toward affirmatively furthering fair housing goals. Advancing partnerships with affordable housing developers, ensuring site readiness, and prioritizing implementation-focused actions will be essential as the City works to close remaining gaps before the end of the planning cycle. We appreciate the opportunity to provide these comments and look forward to continued engagement with the City to support the production of affordable housing opportunities for current and future residents. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (949) 250-0909 or cesarc@kennedycommission.org. Sincerely, 1