Stay Connected
We are currently in the planning phase and invite all Santa Ana community members to get involved.
Santa Ana
Community Resilience Center (CRC)
Climate Resilience. Community Power. Economic Justice.
The Santa Ana Community Resilience Center (CRC) is a community-driven project designed to strengthen Santa Ana’s ability to respond to climate emergencies while advancing long-term community and economic resilience.
The CRC is being developed through a planning grant awarded to the Economía Regenerativa Comunitaria (ERC) collaborative by the California Strategic Growth Council’s Community Resilience Centers Program. This program supports neighborhood-level resilience centers that provide:
- Shelter and essential resources during climate and other emergencies
- Year-round programming to prepare for and recover from disasters
- Community-led spaces for organizing, learning, and building lasting power
Economía Regenerativa Comunitaria (ERC)
ERC is an emerging collaborative of community stewards working to create pathways to economic power for historically disinvested communities in Santa Ana and Orange County. The CRC is one of the first major efforts under ERC’s vision, combining climate resilience with economic and community empowerment.
ERC is committed to addressing the long-term impacts of exclusion and disinvestment through:
- Shared financing
- Community ownership
- Cooperative business development
- Sustainable land use
- Climate and environmental justice
ERC’s work is guided by a community power-building approach that emphasizes community-driven decision-making and the creation of structures for shared financing and community ownership.
For more information on Economia Regenerativa Comunitaria (ERC), Visit: Website
ERC Partners
ERC is made up of local organizations deeply engaged in building Santa Ana’s future:
CRECE
An urban farming cooperative promoting food sovereignty and climate resilience
Cooperación Santa Ana
A worker cooperative developer supporting economic justice
THRIVE Santa Ana
The city’s first community land trust advancing land stewardship and housing stability
Community Hub de Santa Ana
A grassroots initiative advancing health equity, leadership development, and community ownership; also serves as the main applicant and fiscal steward of the CRC planning grant
UC Irvine Community Resilience
A university-based resource for community-driven climate resilience research, training, and technical support
The CRC Vision
While the CRC will provide critical shelter and emergency resources during climate and health emergencies, it will also be an active community space year-round, supporting:
- Political and cultural education
- Community organizing and regional planning
- Programs advancing economic justice, food sovereignty, and health equity
- Development of cooperative businesses and local infrastructure
- Mutual aid efforts and climate justice work
Together, ERC and the CRC are laying the foundation for a stronger, more self-sufficient Santa Ana where community members lead the way in shaping their future.
