Item 17 - Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program – Tenant Assistance Update

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Community Development Agency www.santa-ana.org/cd Item # 17 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report October 21, 2025 TOPIC: Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program — Tenant Assistance Update AGENDA TITLE Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program — Tenant Assistance Update RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive and file and provide direction to staff. GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No DISCUSSION On July 1, 2025, the City of Santa Ana ("City") City Council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2025-031 reaffirming the City's commitment to Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act, and the City's Sanctuary City policies. The resolution also directed staff to implement support to individuals and families impacted by the raids from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. At that same meeting, the City Council directed Staff to establish an emergency assistance program and allocated $100,000 in the City's Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget to assist residents experiencing economic instability due to ICE activity. Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program ("ASF") is a program implemented reposnsive to the City Council's directive assisting residents in the City who have been impacted by ICE activities. After Staff met and discussed how ASF could be designed to provide prompt assistance to residents, rental and utility assistance were determined to be an ideal way to assist low- to moderate-income residents with living expenses that could provide one month of emergency rental arrear payments and/or a utility assistance payment of up to $500 per household. This financial assistance is limited to one-time support per eligible household on a first come first served basis. ASF guidelines, application forms, certification forms, receipt of payment forms, and all marketing materials were developed in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. City staff undertook significant outreach efforts, which was important to build trust with residents, help identify renters who needed assistance, and implement ASF in a short timeframe in order to provide need to those renters who were impacted by ICE detentions and deportation actions.