News

New SMART program expands homeless services, offers help line

Posted on January 19, 2022

Santa Ana's newly-formed SMART program, (Santa Ana Multi-Disciplinary Response Teams), is a pilot program between the City of Santa Ana and City Net. This program is our newest effort to provide trauma informed care services to address homelessness within the City. Santa Ana has had a strong and successful relationship with City Net for several...

City Council approves additional budget spending plan

Posted on January 19, 2022

Thanks to careful financial planning during the pandemic, the City of Santa Ana has an additional $42 million available in its budget for one-time spending. The City Council voted on Tuesday, Jan. 18, to spend some of this money on projects including: Juneteenth Celebration and other City events Tree trimming Sidewalk, alley and traffic improvements...

Santa Ana Zoo breaks ground on Giant River Otter and Primate Habitat

Posted on January 14, 2022

A new exhibit that will showcase giant river otters swimming through a waterfall while monkeys play above is coming to the Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park. The Santa Ana Zoo had a ceremonial groundbreaking Friday, January 14, for the giant river otter habitat and primate trails renovation and expansion at the Amazon’s Edge exhibit....

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms

Posted on January 7, 2022

Help prevent fires and save lives by reviewing this important information. OCFA Carbon Monoxide Alarm OCFA - Smoke Alarms To view this flyer and more, plus access other languages, please visit: https://ocfa.org/safetyflyers

California Mortgage Relief Program provides assistance to homeowners

Posted on January 5, 2022

The new California Mortgage Relief Program is now accepting applications. Homeowners may be eligible for mortgage relief funds if they have missed payments for their primary residence, faced a financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and are at or below 100 percent of their county’s Area Median Income. Funds awarded to qualified homeowners through this...

Flower Street bikeway and street rehabilitation begins

Posted on December 15, 2021

In 2015, the City of Santa Ana’s Safe Mobility Santa Ana (SMSA) program identified Flower Street from Civic Center Drive to Warner Avenue as one of the corridors with safety enhancement needs. SMSA program proposed the installation of bicycle lanes along with the traffic signal upgrades to a protected left turn phasing at the intersections...

City of Santa Ana Reaches agreement with County over homeless shelter beds

Posted on December 11, 2021

In the City of Santa Ana’s ongoing efforts to provide shelter and support to the homeless, we also work to ensure that other local government agencies do their part to help the unhoused. We’re happy to announce that under the guidance of U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, we have reached an agreement with the...

Safe outdoor dining program makes eating al fresco easy

Posted on December 3, 2021

Santa Ana restaurants are experiencing a remarkable reconfiguration from the inside out with the Safe Outdoor Dining Program, a $500,000 initiative provided by the County of Orange’s First Supervisorial District and implemented by the City of Santa Ana. Over 20 restaurants that applied for the program and received written consent from the property owners were eligible to...

Santa Ana Public Works responds to over 340 service calls after windstorm

Posted on November 29, 2021

During Thanksgiving week, Santa Ana experienced Santa Ana Winds with speeds in the range of 25 to 35 mph and with gusts exceeding 60 mph. The City’s Public Works Maintenance Services Division Team received over 340 calls for tree services, including 25 fallen trees, over 80 tree limbs down, and tree brush citywide. The Public Works Agency...

First Point affordable apartments now accepting interest list applications

Posted on November 24, 2021

Preference is given to applicants who live or work in Santa Ana. First Point I & II Apartments are new, affordable, multifamily apartment communities currently under construction at 2114 E. First St. in Santa Ana. First Point I & II apartments includes 552 one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartment homes. Preference is given to applicants...

My First Home Program offers $1.2 million in down payment assistance

Posted on November 23, 2021

The City of Santa Ana is increasing loan amounts with 0% interest rate for first-time homebuyers. The City of Santa Ana is excited to announce a $1.2 million expansion of its down payment assistance program, now called My First Home, to further assist first-time homebuyers achieve the dream of homeownership within Santa Ana. As a result of...

City Council approves rent stabilization and just cause eviction ordinances

Posted on November 19, 2021

The Santa Ana City Council adopted two new ordinances to help protect renters: a rent stabilization ordinance, which limits residential rent increases to no more than 3 percent per year, and a just cause eviction ordinance, which limits the allowed reasons for which a renter can be evicted. The new ordinances are effective as of...

City opposes County plan to open winter homeless shelter at Armory

Posted on November 17, 2021

Against the wishes of the City of Santa Ana, the County of Orange will be opening the National Guard Armory in Santa Ana to serve homeless during the cold weather season. Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento sent a letter of protest to the Board of Supervisors. “I do not oppose the operation of a cold...

Santa Ana City Council approves $6 million for Revive Santa Ana resident stimulus program

Posted on November 16, 2021

20,000 Prepaid Visa Cards Valued at $300 each will be distributed to renters in high-poverty areas. The City of Santa Ana will distribute $6 million in prepaid Visa debit cards to households in the most impoverished areas of the city under the Revive Santa Ana Resident Stimulus Program. About 20,000 rental units will each receive...

La Placita Cinco wins affordable housing award from Urban Land Institute

Posted on November 9, 2021

La Placita Cinco repurposes an auto-oriented strip mall into a neighborhood-serving, inclusive community consisting of 51 family-oriented affordable homes, outdoor amenities, and a reinvigorated commercial center. The Urban Land Institute has announced that La Placita Cinco in Santa Ana has won a Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award. The award was established...

New fitness courts open in Cabrillo and Lillie King Parks

Posted on November 9, 2021

The City of Santa Ana held ceremonial ribbon-cuttings for our newest fitness courts on November 9, 2021, at Lillie King Park and Cabrillo Park. Mayor Vicente Sarmiento and Councilmembers Jessie Lopez and Phil Bacerra joined in the celebration and invited the community to take full advantage of these new park amenities. The Fitness Court is...

City of Santa Ana awarded grant from the Office of Traffic Safety for bicycle and pedestrian safety program

Posted on November 8, 2021

The City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency is the recipient of a $100,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) that will prioritize the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. “The City of Santa Ana has been working hard to create more alternative transportation options for our residents and visitors, from bike boulevards to the OC...

Santa Ana downtown residential project forms joint venture to take advantage of City’s opportunity zone

Posted on November 3, 2021

The Toll Brothers just announced the formation of a joint venture to develop the Rafferty, a two-building, 218-unit multifamily residential project (of which 5 percent of the units are proposed for very low income households) with 12,350 square feet of ground floor retail, in the heart of downtown Santa Ana at the former First American Title site...

Civic Center Bike Boulevard Dedication Plaque

Civic Center bike boulevard completed with plaque honoring woman killed by car

Posted on October 28, 2021

Our Public Works Agency held a special plaque unveiling ceremony on Wednesday commemorating the completion of the Civic Center Bike Boulevard Project safety improvements and in memory of Charlene Hanson, who was fatally struck by a car as she was crossing the street at this intersection. Charlene was a devoted and highly regarded community member...

Public Works Agency receives $5 million grant to reduce flooding downtown

Posted on October 28, 2021

The City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency (PWA) will be working to reduce flooding after receiving a $5 million grant to upgrade and reconstruct storm drain lines in Downtown Santa Ana and construct an underground storm water infiltration system. Not only will this Downtown Flood Reduction and Storm Water Infiltration project help reduce flooding...