HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 11 - Approve an Additional $150,000 for the Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program Community Development Agency
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Item # 11
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
December 2, 2025
TOPIC: Approve $150,000 for the Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program
AGENDA TITLE
Approve an Additional $150,000 for the Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Approve an additional $150,000 for the Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program.
2. Award Purchase Order Contract to PrePaid USA for prepaid cards to facilitate
Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program in a total amount not to exceed $150,000.
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
DISCUSSION
In response to direction provided by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana (“City”),
the Ayuda Sin Fronteras (“ASF”) Program was developed to assist low- to moderate-
income renters in the City who have been impacted by Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) activities. In the City’s first round of the ASF Program from July
through October 2025, City staff disbursed to qualified residents $50,000 in rental
assistance payments and $50,000 in prepaid cards for utility assistance. On October
21, 2025, the City Council approved the extension of ASF and directed City staff to
fund an additional $100,000 to $150,000 to support this emergency rental assistance
program for residents impacted by ICE.
City Staff has identified $150,000 from existing City resources (primarily through City
employee vacancy savings) as follows:
Department Amount
City Attorney $15,000
Human Resources $6,000
Finance $20,000
Parks & Recreation $15,000
Police $32,000
Planning & Building $30,000
Public Works $22,000
Community Development $10,000
$150,000
Approve Funds for the Ayuda Sin Fronteras Program
December 2, 2025
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The departments listed in the previous table have sufficient savings from vacant
employee positions to fund ASF. With the approval of the Fiscal Year 2025-26 First
Quarter Budget Update and Proposed Appropriation Adjustments item on this City
Council agenda, General Fund appropriation adjustments will authorize the budget
transfers to the Community Assistance Fund – Contract Services (01113231-62300).
This Community Assistance Fund was established to track ASF Program expenses
and will be used to accept the transfer of the amounts listed in the table above for use
by City staff while implementing this second round of the ASF Program.
During the first round of ASF, 50% of the $100,000 in funds were spent on prepaid
Visa cards for utility assistance. Accordingly, City staff believe that in this second
round for the ASF Program it is possible that $75,000 (or more) could be disbursed
with prepaid Visa cards for utility bills. To ensure the City can meet community
demand for utility assistance if it exceeds initial estimates, staff request authorization
for up to $150,000 in prepaid Visa cards. The City Council approval of this item will
authorize the City Manager to purchase prepaid cards over the City Manager’s
$50,000 contracting authority limit not to exceed the $150,000 requested for the
second round of ASF.
The City Manager will direct City staff to utilize the Exemption Process to forgo the
formal solicitation process and work with the vendor Prepaid USA. City staff has
conducted an informal bidding process and it has been determined that the vendor,
Prepaid USA, best fits the needs of the City. The City benefits from working with
Prepaid USA because there are no card fees nor does Prepaid USA charge for
shipping. The City pays for the value of the prepaid Visa cards only, which is a
significant savings over other prepaid Visa cards. Additionally, conducting a formal
solicitation would be an idle act and so is therefore exempt from the competitive
bidding process per Sec. 2-807.a of the Santa Ana Municipal Code.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact associated with this item is addressed in the City Council agenda item
titled First Quarter Budget Update and Proposed Appropriation Adjustments, which
includes the funding actions needed to support the program. Upon approval of that item,
the program funding will be budgeted in the Community Assistance Fund – Contract
Services (01113231-62300).
Submitted By: Michael L. Garcia, Executive Director – Community Development Agency
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager