In June 2020, artists, their families, and low‑income earners in Santa Ana began moving into new affordable homes funded in part by a $12 million award from California Climate Investments through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. In partnership with the Southern California Association of Governments, the Santa Ana Arts Collective (SAAC) development promotes sustainability and health through active transportation safety activities, supported by over .5 miles of bicycle facility improvements and 36 improved pedestrian crossings. The project also features a gallery space for resident and community artists, and Meta Housing is partnering with Western Community Housing to deliver on‑site adult education services.
The SAAC has grabbed attention as the city’s first affordable housing complex to provide a live‑and‑work experience for artists — a key recommendation in the 2016 Santa Ana Community Arts and Culture Master Plan. In addition, SAAC is the first development to use the city’s adaptive reuse ordinance, transforming a mid‑century commercial building into 57 energy‑efficient housing units with rooftop solar and a Greenpoint energy efficiency rating. The Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing recognized SAAC as its 2020 Rehabilitation Development of the Year.
With a population of 333,000, Santa Ana has the tenth‑highest median rent in the country and 65 percent of renters qualify as rent‑burdened. It is also a majority‑minority city: Over 75 percent of residents identify as Latinx. The SAAC project team — the city of Santa Ana, Meta Housing Corporation, and the Southern California Association of Governments — reported having a list of 350 interested parties 3 months before the application due date, and quickly reached 100 percent occupancy.
SAAC provides a model for how projects can address specific community housing needs by changing land‑use patterns and adapting existing structures while creating a more walkable, vibrant community and directly reducing greenhouse gasses and improving air quality. “It is rare to see a project as truly transformational,” said Ali Pezeshkpour, a senior planner with the City of Santa Ana. “But the Santa Ana Arts Collective has transformed the lives of its residents and brought new life to a building and pivotal intersection in the heart of the city.”