IN THE MEDIA
June 18, 2024 | AHF
I proudly support the Justice for Renters Act, which will be on the state ballot this year.
"The Justice for Renters Act is just 23 words: “The state may not limit the right of any city, county, or city and county to maintain, enact or expand residential rent control.” It would remove California’s statewide rent control ban and give local communities the right to stabilize rents and make apartments more affordable for low-income and middle-income renters."
May 20, 2024 | OC Register
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“We’re going to need homeownership and housing for people beyond whatever we have right now,” Vazquez said. “There are a lot more families living in motels, in garages, renting out rooms. We’re already so densely populated that those numbers that we counted are much higher if you account for the housing insecurity of families not only doubling up, but tripling, quadrupling up.”
March 4, 2024 | Voice of OC
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"A majority of Santa Ana officials are calling for a bilateral ceasefire and a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine – the first city council to formally do so through a vote in Orange County....
Vazquez’s initial resolution called for a permanent ceasefire, a release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza."
September 4, 2024 | Voice of OC
"Vazquez said officials should promote rent control to prevent homelessness, there should be more quality of life teams – police officers tasked with homeless outreach and addressing illegal camps – in every corner of the city and the city can’t let the Sheriff’s department drop homeless people in Santa Ana."
November 7, 2022 | Voice of OC
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"Founded in 1994, El Centro has been organizing Noche de Altares, an event observing Day of the Dead, in Santa Ana since 2002, which marks this years celebration as their 20th anniversary.
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“Noche de Altares and the Día de Los Muertos festival is the pride of Santa Ana,” Benjamin Vazquez, former board chair at El Centro said, “It is something to rally around and bring people together, culturally, politically, and socially.”
September 21, 2023 | Voice of OC
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“I’m interested in exploring what we at the City of Santa Ana can do to expand and strengthen democracy at the local level. Right now a huge portion of our residents are subject to the policies we at this dais decide on but can’t make their voices heard in local elections,” said Councilman Ben Vazquez, who brought forth the proposal with Councilman Johnathan Hernandez, at Tuesday’s meeting."
March 4, 2021 | LA Times
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In the article: "He and other El Centro members aren’t mad at the people who currently live on their space. They instead save their ire for an Orange County that still tries to pretend homelessness is an L.A. thing. For instance, county officials just shut down a shelter down the street, with no clear plan to move those who used it elsewhere.
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“They closed it during a pandemic!” Vazquez exclaimed as he walked around the parking lot to introduce himself to El Centro’s newest temporary tenants. “When one closes down, people are going to get into neighborhoods and lawns. We’re the proof.”
December 24, 2017 | OC Register
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"In late 2015, Rida Hamida, 39, a Muslim of Anaheim, and Benjamin Vazquez, 46, a Latino of Santa Ana, started talking about how people from their respective cultures could learn from each other and benefit each other while sharing a meal in Anaheim. Over the next year, they worked on a variety of community projects that, indeed, brought together local Muslims and Latinos."
March 8, 2014 | OC Register
"With a fleeting moment to shake hands with President Barack Obama, Santa Ana teacher Benjamin Vazquez couldn’t pass up telling him about what he thinks is a huge problem in Orange County: The number of youth being deported.
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Vazquez was in Washington D. C. Thursday as part of an Orange County delegation attending a town hall meeting with the president on Latinos and the Affordable Care Act.
But Vazquez said he “couldn’t return to Santa Ana if I didn’t” talk about the troubling number of youth deportations."