2
Susana Barrios
From:Julian Gutierrez <juliang@kennedycommission.org>
Sent:Monday, October 23, 2023 2:09 PM
To:Public Comment
Cc:Cesar C
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Public Comment on Agenda Item 2
Attachments:City of Anaheim Agenda Item 2 Public Comment Letter.pdf
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Good Afternoon,
My name is Julian Sebastian Gutierrez, a Policy Analyst with the Kennedy Commission. We thank you for the opportunity
to comment on Agenda Item 2 and our comments will be attached to the bottom of this email.
Thank you and have a great day,
Julian Sebastian Gutierrez
--
Julian Sebastian Gutierrez (He/Him)
Policy Analyst - Kennedy Commission
(
1
August 23,2023
City of Anaheim City Council
200 S Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim,California 92805
RE:Public Comments to Agenda Item 2 regarding the City of Anaheim’s Pledge of$2
Million in Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Funds dated August 2023
To The Honorable Members of City Council:
The Kennedy Commission (the Commission)is a broad-based coalition of residents and
community organizations that advocates for the production of homes affordable for families
earning less than $30,000 annually in Orange County.Formed in 2001,the Commission has
been successful in partnering and working with Orange County jurisdictions to create effective
housing and land-use policies that have led to the new construction of homes affordable to
lower-income working families.
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on Agenda Item 2 regarding the City of
Anaheim’s proposed resolution for the City’s plan to implement the funds from the PRO Housing
Grant.
PRO Housing Grant
The U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development’s PRO Housing Grant Program is a
$85 million grant intended towards removing barriers to affordable housing by addressing
outdated zoning,policies,and regulations,gaps in resources for development,infrastructural
issues,lack of amenities,and expiring affordability requirements.
We believe that the city’s plan for the grant as well as the goals set would be impactful in the
City’s efforts to achieve Anaheim's RHNA score and ensure homes that are affordable to
Anaheim’s low and moderate income residents.The Commission also supports the creation of
the Anaheim Housing Trust as a means to bolster the availability of funds to promote affordable
housing,but have some doubts regarding the establishment of the City Livability Lab.In the
wake of the Anaheim Corruption Scandal,the city should implement a system to review and
audit the Lab so that the funds are not mismanaged or misdirected from their original goal
similarly to what happened with Visit Anaheim.
There is a potential to effectively produce and preserve affordable housing in the City of
Anaheim from the PRO Housing Grant,as long as funds are not misappropriated or abused.We
therefore endorse the city’s plan for the PRO Housing Grant’s funds and the pledge of
$2,000,000 to match it,but strongly recommend a system to review and audit the use of funds
from the grant.We encourage that the city takes steps to develop incentives and programs for
affordable housing and both the pledge and the City’s plan to implement the funds from the PRO
Housing Grant are the exact steps in the right direction.
We look forward to working with the City of Anaheim to encourage effective housing policies
that will help create balanced housing development and create much-needed affordable housing
in our local communities.If you have any questions,please feel free to contact me at (949)
250-0909 or cesarc@kennedycommission.org.
Sincerely,
Cesar Covarrubias
Executive Director