And we look forward to adding hundreds of acres of open space, trails, and parks. We recently announced the plans to acquire and close the All American Asphalt plant and establish the Gateway Preserve. Gateway Preserve will connect open space and amenities that include interpretive displays; native gardens; outdoor classrooms; a small amphitheater for community programs; and a trailhead that will connect with nearby trails. As we focus on the outdoors, we continue our attention on our people. Through the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, we made a commitment to ensure that every person living and working in our community is treated with fairness, and has access to equitable services and opportunities. We have celebrated our community like never before with inaugural events like Pride in Irvine, Juneteenth, Mid-Autumn Festival and Fiesta Latina en Irvine…all culminating with Irvine’s signature Global Village Festival. We now have a score of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign due to our efforts to create a more inclusive atmosphere. I look forward to continuing our efforts to celebrate diversity, promote equity, and create opportunities of inclusion for all. And much of who we are comes from our educational institutions. From our award-winning public and private schools to top tier colleges and universities – we deliver the best in education. Just today, Concordia University announced the purchase of its Spectrum campus. This campus will serve as the new home of Concordia’s successful School of Health & Human Services. And as UCI approaches its 60th Anniversary in a few years, they continue to drive its mission to catalyze the community and enhance lives through rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, dedicated public service, and a health system devoted to improving the lives of the people
in our community and beyond. As you know we’re one of the few cities that continues to grow and provide opportunities – and now we have an obligation and a mandate from the state, to make sure we provide housing for not only our growing population, but also housing that’s affordable for our young professionals, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness. Our state, our region, and our city are facing a housing crisis. Irvine provides more affordable housing than any other city in Orange County, more than 5,000 units and hundreds more in the pipeline. …with each new neighbor we welcome, we are reminded of our own stories of why we chose Irvine to be our home. And I ask each and every one of you to remember that feeling when Irvine became your home. We know that housing with services ends homelessness. Permanent supportive housing is a proven solution to homelessness for the most vulnerable and chronically homeless people. It pairs housing with case management and supportive services. In addition to ending homelessness for people who are chronically homeless, research has demonstrated that permanent supportive housing can also increase housing stability and improve health. We continue to lead the way on so many important initiatives, I think it’s about time that we lead the way to end homelessness and plan for diverse housing plans. And with housing comes transportation. As the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in our City, the transportation sector demands immediate attention, and we recognize that promoting active transportation options is crucial. Currently, our City has over 400 miles of on-street and off-street bikeways and 900 miles of sidewalk, we will continue to expand and improve this network.
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