Santa Ana failed to pass a rent control ordinance that would have immediately restricted landlords from raising their rent by 3 percent annually, prior to the end of the state’s eviction moratorium on Sept. 30. The 4-3 vote in the midnight hours of Sept. 21–22 was not enough to pass the urgency ordinance, as more than a simple council majority would have been needed to pass it. Councilmembers Nelida Mendoza, Phil Bacerra, and David Penaloza voted against the ordinance, questioning the plan for funding the ordinance, the effectiveness of preventing evictions, and the negative impact it would have on small landlords. “The proposed rent control ordinance does not protect residents from being evicted,” Mendoza said during the meeting. “The sense of urgency does not exist, and for us to be open and transparent to the constituents who elected us to this position, it is recommended that the matter be sent …