In this edition of the City Manager’s newsletter, read about our recent housing accomplishments, share your ideas about downtown murals, apply to serve on a City commission or board, and find fun activities like Taste of Santa Ana and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Spotlight photo
Baile Folklorico at Fiestas Patrias
Photo Credit: Hiram U.
To submit your own original photo of Santa Ana to be featured in the next newsletter, complete this form.
City Manager’s highlights
Santa Ana leads in housing
Our City’s efforts in providing affordable housing to the most vulnerable members of our community and planning for our future housing needs have recently generated some exciting news. Our updated Housing Element, which will guide our housing policies for years to come, was among the first to be certified by the State. We also were informed that our Housing Authority was certified as “High Performing” for the fifth consecutive year. Both of these accomplishments demonstrate the high level of professionalism and dedication of our Planning and Building Agency and Housing Division staff. Read more below in News.
A fun-filled Fiestas Patrias
It was amazing seeing the return of our Fiestas Patrias festival after a two-year absence. Our Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency did an amazing job of organizing the 42nd annual festival. An estimated 60,000 people in total attended the event over two days on Sept. 17-18! We look forward to bringing back our historic parade next year. Watch the video below to see highlights of this year’s event.
News
Taste of Santa Ana returns to MainPlace Mall
Taste of Santa Ana returns to MainPlace Mall on October 15 after a two-year hiatus! The City of Santa Ana is a partner for this family-friendly event, which includes unlimited bites and sips from 40-plus local restaurants, craft breweries, wineries & distilleries, live music, a kids zone, photo booth, lawn games, a charity raffle, and more! Guests who purchase VIP tickets will get early access to the event, exclusive food options, an open bar, and a great view of the stage and entertainment. Kids 5 and under are free and the VIP access is only for ages 21 and over. Click on the link below for more information and to purchase tickets.
Santa Ana’s Housing Element certified by the State
The California Department of Housing and Community Development certified our Housing Element, signifying the City’s compliance with state housing law. This now enables the City to be eligible for various state grants and funding sources to assist implementation efforts in Santa Ana, including the production of more affordable housing. The 2021-2029 Housing Element is the City’s sixth housing element update and provides a long-range policy guide on the production, improvement, and preservation of housing for all income levels and household types for the next eight years. In addition, the update introduces new strategies to address fair housing disparities in Santa Ana.
Read the Certified Housing Element
Housing Authority is ‘high-performing’ for 5th consecutive year
For the fifth year in a row, our Housing Authority will be certified as a High Performing Housing Authority by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The fifth consecutive certification comes as a result of our continuous efforts to ensure the quality and integrity of our casework, housing inspections, and Section 8 housing program management while fully utilizing our funding from HUD. The Housing Authority’s mission is to provide affordable housing for the most vulnerable members of our community to use as a platform to obtain self-sufficiency and independence from our assistance. Congratulations to our entire High Performing Housing Authority team!
Read about our High Performing Housing Authority
Share your ideas with our survey about Downtown murals
Through the Revive Santa Ana pandemic recovery initiative, we plan to transform City-owned parking garages in Downtown Santa Ana with murals to inform and educate the public about our pandemic recovery. The theme of the murals will be “La Cultura Cura/Art Heals.” We want to reflect the experiences of residents, businesses, and visitors in Santa Ana, so we encourage our residents to take our Community Input Survey. Results will be shared with the artists selected to paint the murals. The Community Input Survey will be available until October 10, 2022.
Apply to serve on boards and commissions
Are you interested in serving your community on one of our boards, commissions or committees? We have vacancies on the Personnel Board, the Youth Commission and the Measure X Citizen Oversight Committee. The Personnel Board’s duties include hearing appeals pertaining to the disciplinary suspension, demotion, or dismissal of certain City employees. The Youth Commission is open to students in grades 7 through 12 and acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council in matters pertaining to youth and teen services, programs. The Measure X Citizen Oversight Committee reviews the annual revenue and expenditures of funds from the tax authorized by Measure X adopted by voters in 2018. Learn more and apply at the link below!
Apply for a commission or board vacancy
Santa Ana Inner-Coastal Cleanup removes 500 lbs. of trash
Our Public Works Agency coordinated an Inner-Coastal Cleanup Day event at Jerome Park on Saturday, September 17. One hundred sixty-three volunteers participated in the cleanup, removing approximately 500 pounds of trash and debris from the Santa Ana Gardens flood control channel and adjacent alley, keeping that trash from flowing out to the ocean when it rains. Please remember to put trash where it belongs and help keep our City and waterways clean and beautiful!
Learn more about stormwater management
Get a free book or hamburger with fall reading program
Burger or Book? You decide! Youth up to 8th grade are invited to participate in the Santa Ana Public Library’s Cover to Cover Fall Reading Program. Participants will have an opportunity to receive a free hamburger from In-N-Out or a book! Beginning October 1, sign up online or register in person at the Main Library, Newhope Library, or the Knowledge Mobile. The last day to register and claim prizes is November 19, 2022.
Register for the fall reading program
Tales of the City
More grants awarded for the expansion of art in Santa Ana
Recognizing artists as microbusinesses that are integral to the economic vitality of Santa Ana has guided us in administering our Investing in the Artist Grant over the past six years. The grant offers an average of $75,000 per year to qualified individual artists and nonprofit 501(c)3 arts organizations. This year, with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through Revive Santa Ana, the City was able to offer $300,000 with the theme “La Cultura Cura/Art Heals.”
Artists were selected through an application process managed by the Arts & Culture Office, and 22 applications were awarded funding (11 individual artists and 11 nonprofit organizations.) Of the total, 12 were new applicants. See the grantees, award amounts, and the type of project or event in the chart below. The activities funded by the grant are free and open to Santa Ana residents.
Additionally, our Arts and Culture Division is currently seeking input from the community through a survey to reflect their experiences in our city. Take the survey to ensure your opinion is considered when the artists create their concepts!
City Council meetings
City Council meetings are typically held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 5 p.m. Meetings now have both in-person and virtual participation and attendance and are live streamed on YouTube and CTV 3 (channel 3 on Spectrum and channel 99 on AT&T TV). If you’d like to provide public comments on agenda and non-agenda items, you can email, attend in person, or join the Zoom webinar online or by phone.
Events
The Wild World of College & Career Community Resource Fair – September 29
The City of Santa and Santa Ana Unified School District are hosting a College and Career Resource Fair on Thursday, September 29 at the Santa Ana Zoo! Take advantage of local and out-of-state college and career representatives, a community resource fair, free giveaways, live entertainment and much more!
- Thursday, September 29
- 6 – 8 p.m.
- Santa Ana Zoo, 1801 E. Chestnut Ave.
Learn about the college resource fair
SAPD Women’s Hiring Expo – October 1
The Santa Ana Police Department is having its first Women’s Hiring Expo this weekend. The event will take place on Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SAPD Community Room, 60 Civic Center Plaza.
- Saturday, October 1
- 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- SAPD Community Room, 60 Civic Center Plaza
Register for SAPD Women’s Hiring Expo
Financial literacy workshops for teens and adults – Begins Oct. 1
It is always a good time to strengthen your financial skills. Teens and adults are invited to join a series of workshops from Santa Ana Public Library dedicated to financial matters, including banking, investing, paying off debt and more.
Making Money 101: Personal Finance for Teens (11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Main Library, 26 Civic Center Plaza):
- Oct. 1 – Personal Finance
- Oct. 15 – Personal Assets
- Oct. 29 – Loans and Interest
Money Matters: Financial Literacy for Adults (Bilingual)
10/5 – Holiday Shopping at Newhope Library, 122 N. Newhope St., 6-7 p.m.
10/12 – Holiday Shopping at Main Library, 26 Civic Center Plaza, 6-7 p.m.
Mid-Autumn Festival – October 1
Save the date for our first Mid-Autumn Festival. We’ll be celebrating at Rosita Park beginning at 4 p.m. The celebration will include a Lion Dance, a drum performance, a fashion show, food vendors, a kids zone, exhibitors, a raffle, music, and free mooncakes (while supplies last)!
- Saturday, October 1
- 4-9 p.m.
- Rosita Park, 706 N. Newhope St.
Learn more about the Mid-Autumn Festival
Birch Park Halloween Series – Thursdays in October
The Birch Park Halloween Series showcases a classic Halloween-themed film every Thursday in October at Birch Park, 210 N. Birch St. The movie screenings and concession booths will be coordinated by The Frida Cinema. The first 50 guests will receive a free bag of popcorn! Parking at the 3rd and Birch parking structure will be validated. Doors open at 5 p.m.
- October 6: “Creature from the Black Lagoon”
- October 13: “Frankenstein”
- October 20: “The Bride of Frankenstein”
- October 27: “Dracula” (in Spanish)
Indigenous Peoples Day – October 8
Our inaugural Indigenous Peoples Day celebration will take place on October 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Santa Ana Civic Center in Downtown Santa Ana. This free community event celebrates and honors Indigenous Peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. The celebration will include live music, food vendors, exhibitors, and family activities.
- Saturday, October 8
- 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Plaza of the Sun, 22 Civic Center Plaza
Learn more about Indigenous Peoples Day