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The lack of affordable housing remains one of the most urgent challenges facing our residents. Limited availability and rising costs continue to place a tremendous financial burden on families, seniors on fixed incomes, and many individuals at risk of homelessness.
In 2025, our office intensified its focus on homelessness prevention so that we can keep people housed where they are while working to increase affordable housing options. We launched the WARM program to provide safe shelter for families during severe weather, continued rental assistance efforts, and supported the awarding of more than $22 million in housing funding, helping create over 800 new affordable homes.
We also convened a first-of-its-kind Small-Scale Housing Summit, bringing together industry leaders, nonprofit partners, and government agencies to explore innovative ways to deliver high-quality housing faster, more flexibly, and at lower cost.
- Hosted a groundbreaking Small Scale Housing Summit to introduce a new type of housing option to OC, drawing over 200 attendees, including developers, faith-based leaders, school districts, and landowners.
- Created the WARM Program to keep families safe and dry from the elements during severe weather.
- Rolled out the District 2 Emergency Rental Program to prevent families from losing their homes.
- Continued to sustain housing efforts through the Homeless Prevention and Stabilization Program with wraparound services.
- Awarded $22 million to fund over 860 units across 10 projects.
- Updated the County homelessness response and resources website.
- Broke ground on the Lincoln Ave. project in Anaheim and celebrated the openings of affordable housing projects Archways and Miraflores in Santa Ana.
- Updated the Orange County Housing Finance Trust Strategic Plan to include small-scale and interim housing, as well as establishing the Emergency Housing Voucher policy and added housing to the Masterplan on Aging.
- Held Same Days Solution Fairs in Santa Ana and Orange to assist residents.
In 2025, rapid and unprecedented federal policy changes significantly impacted the County’s ability to deliver essential services. Healthcare, social services, and food assistance programs all faced uncertainty, including threats of substantial cuts to safety-net programs. Our office supported healthcare outreach to ensure as many people as possible maintain their coverage and access to care.
Addressing these challenges required strong collaboration between the County and our nonprofit partners, from ensuring food access during a federal government shutdown that disrupted benefits for thousands of residents, to preparing for changes in health care eligibility that could affect many more families.
This year, I served as Vice Chair of the CalOptima Health Board and will serve as Chair in 2026. I am especially proud of the work done through CalOptima, where we took proactive steps to maintain continuity of care for the nearly 900,000 residents who rely on CalOptima. This cross-sector cooperation will be even more critical in 2026.
- Partnered with the Friendly Center to provide meals to over 500 families affected by the government shutdown.
- Collaborated with school districts to supply essential food boxes to more than 2,000 families experiencing food insecurity.
- Allocated $10,000 to equip individuals in the manufacturing industry with respirators to protect workers from silicosis.
- Supported $8M in CalOptima food aid to Medi-Cal recipients.
- Expanded Street Medicine Van services to provide mobile medical care to serve additional unhoused residents.
- Held multiple food distribution and assistance events with United Across Borders to assist families.
- Convened healthcare leaders to address healthcare issues including a Hospital Roundtable and a Silicosis Roundtable.
- Championed policy changes at CalOptima on topics such as ethics, human resources, procurement and provider contracts.
- Supported International Vietnamese Mental Health Conference.
Throughout 2025, media headlines were dominated by immigration enforcement actions, the militarization of our streets, and widespread protests against unjust federal policies. Many families in our communities were directly affected by ICE raids, while businesses and neighborhoods experienced broader economic and social impacts.
In response, our community rose to the moment. I am deeply proud of our office’s role in forming public-private partnerships with philanthropic organizations to launch the OC Liberty Fund, which helps families navigate the legal system and access due process protections.
 Together, we funded non-profits that serve the community to continue to defend civil rights, protect free speech, due process, and ensure that residents have access to accurate information and meaningful support. These partnerships continue to grow as the need persists into 2026 and beyond.
- Launched the Liberty Fund with $500K in Second District funds and secured an additional $1M in philanthropic funding to assist families with legal assistance and due process protections.
- Created a County Resolution to protect immigrant children and their families.
- Introduced the Safe Access to Food & Essentials Program, offering crucial resources to families facing immigration challenges.
- Hosted a Citizenship Fair with OCCORD, providing application fees to assist individuals on their path to citizenship.
- Created online resources website and held multiple Know Your Rights forums.
- Held third annual Truth Act Forum to shed light on ICE transfers.
- Supported MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) recognition efforts.
- Ensured Consular Notification between the Sherriff and Mexican Consulate take place.
- Assisted community members face legal action or ICE detention and need legal representation.
- Shared information on due process rights and materials for residents, and through an ad campaign in the district.
- Recognized in the community as a safe and reliable source of information and connection to the consulate and resources.
Ensuring community safety remains a fundamental County responsibility. In 2025, our office supported collaborative safety efforts with our cities, including expanding gun buy-back events countywide so residents could safely surrender unwanted firearms.
 We took concrete steps to improve safety along flood control channels, including hiring security patrols, upgrading fencing, enhancing lighting, and conducting more frequent cleanups.
- Took over 300 guns off the streets with a Gun Buy Back program.
- Facilitated distribution of 150 units of naloxone to behavioral health deputies at the OCSD to address overdoses.
- Added a section on environmental justice to the County's Climate Action Plan.
- Doubled the number of flood control channel cleanups within the Second District.
- Added cameras & security patrols along flood channels with the most resident concerns.
- Installed 4-D safety fencing along Santa Ana flood control channels.
Community partnerships are at the heart of what makes the Second District vibrant, diverse, and resilient. In 2025, it was our collective effort that allowed us to not only to endure challenges but to thrive.
We funded and supported community and cultural events and provided assistance to community organizations, helping launch new initiatives while sustaining long-standing programs that serve residents every day.
- Assisted nearly 1,000 constituents with resource connections and government navigation.
- Participated in over 300 community events and supported cultural celebrations across the district.
- Launched an Economic Impact Survey with UCI to better understand and quantify the impacts of federal policy on local businesses and support our business community.
- Supported school districts and youth programs.
- Hosted multiple resource fairs to support housing, jobs, health & veterans assistance.
- Made improvements to bike trails in Orange as well as supporting the schools with crossing guard gap funding.
- Funded Orange Concerts in the Park series and the International Street Fair.
- Hosted two free Art exhibits at the Old Orange County Courthouse as well as a spring concert.
- Recognized MENA Heritage Month and Little Arabia designation.
- Supported Santa Ana Fiestas Patrias and Dia de los Muertos Celebrations.
- Supported the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival.
- Worked with Latino Health Access on efforts to connect youth to civic life, healthy living for residents, and providing rental assistance.
- Worked alongside community animal rights groups to support reforms and access changes at OC Animal Care, funded pet spay and neuter events, and funded a pet pantry to assist pet owners in our district.
- Completed City Tours Video series highlighting the five cities in our district and all they have to offer to residents and visitors.
- Funded Tustin cultural and community events such as Tustin Tiller Days, the Sunset Market and National Night Out.
- Met with local chambers of commerce including special events with the Orange and Garden Grove chambers to keep business owners informed.
- Participated in first ever Neurodivergence conference and recognized Disabilities Awareness Month and Disability Works.
- Continued partnership with faith-based organizations and continued our series of faith-based roundtables.
- Joined in recognizing Cambodian Heritage Nonth and celebrated New Years with the community.
- Supported the annual LGBTQ Pride event and joined the community in celebrating.
- Supported many events focused on school age youth including supporting local robotics clubs, joining Kinder Caminata, and supporting arts, music and dance groups.
- Celebrated our seniors for Mother’s Day and hosted a workshop on the state of seniors in the county and addressing housing and transportation issues.
- Held clothing drive with County employees to support the mission of Working Wardrobes.
- Hosted a workshop to connect residents with possible appointments serving on state boards and commissions.
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