Alumnus Miguel Santana ’91 has surpassed the expectations of his job as Los Angeles City Administrative Officer (CAO), and has inserted himself into the discussion of other key city issues.
Stepping out of the CAO’s traditional role, Santana has become a prominent voice for new taxes to support his $1.8-billion homelessness plan.
“As a college student I worked four years, first as a volunteer at a homeless shelter and eventually running the shelter myself," Santana said to the Los Angeles Times.
“I’d spend many nights opening up the local hall at a church or a synagogue, helping homeless people, putting out cots, staying overnight with them, dealing with the occasional hostile situation, then closing up,” he said. As rewarding as the work was, he saw that it had no permanent effects.
A first-generation student and a Bell Gardens native, Santana was inspired to get involved with government and his community while attending Whittier College where he joined student government, the board of governors, and the Hispanic student association now known as Amigos Unidos.
Santana is now proposing an ambitious plan to end homelessness in the second largest city in the country. The $1.8 billion endeavor is an issue that he cares deeply about since his years in college and also because it has financial implications for Los Angeles.
"It makes financial sense. It makes sense for the entire city," said Santana.
Santana visited Whittier College in the spring when he served as the keynote speaker for the Latino Graduates Celebration.
Read more about Santana's plan to end homelessness in the Los Angeles Times.
