After a series of stories from the Voice of OC, Anaheim’s top elected officials said the city is looking to internally reforming the way they disclose the free tickets officials get.
Author Archives: Hosam Elattar
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.
Elattar started at Voice of OC as an intern in January, 2020 and has covered local food banks’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, School board debates on how to teach history, the decades long push by Arab American business owners to recognize Little Arabia and a corruption scandal at Anaheim City Hall.
He has won several awards from the OC Press Club including Best News Story, Best Political Story and Best Religion Story.
Elattar is Egyptian American and has lived in Botswana, Nepal, Uganda, The Dominican Republic and India.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Nonprofits Break Ground on 47 New Affordable Homes in Santa Ana
Amid California’s housing unaffordability crisis and high living costs in OC, a new development project is underway aimed at providing affordable housing for low income residents.
Posted inEducation
Orange Unified School Board Adopts Parental Rights Policy; Bans Pride Flag
Orange Unified School District Board Members Tuesday night approved a policy aimed at clarifying what rights parents have as debates over what material is being taught rage across the country.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
California’s Housing Mandates: One Size Fits All? It Depends Who You Ask
Two Orange County cities roughly the same size with a similar number of residents see two very different state-mandated housing numbers.
Posted inHuntington Beach
Anti-LGBTQ+ and Anti-Semitic Flyers Distributed to Huntington Beach Homes
Residents living near Edison High School received the flyers this morning. It comes after a viral video surfaced earlier this week showing Edison students booing a Pride Month video.
Posted inAnaheim
Anaheim Voters to Decide if Hotel Workers Will Get a $25 Minimum Wage in Special Election
Anaheim city council members called for an estimated $1.6 million special election for residents to decide on the proposed minimum wage increase. Critics say it will result in low voter turnout.
Posted inEquality & Equity
Orange County Recognizes Pride Month But Won’t Fly Rainbow Flag
A week after a majority of OC Supervisors called the Pride flag a divisive symbol that shouldn’t fly over government buildings, they approved a statement recognizing June as pride month.
Posted inAnaheim
Anaheim Politicians Shower Staff, Campaign Donors with Free Event Tickets
While all city leaders gave at least some of their tickets to nonprofits, some focused more on community groups while others gave more to campaign donors and friends.
Posted inAnaheim
Anaheim Top City Staff Shower Themselves with Free Tickets to Venues They Oversee
City leaders argue that it’s a perk of the job, but disclosures show that some employees get special access that others didn’t.
Posted inInvestigative
Anaheim’s Ticket to Ride: City Leaders Hand Out Thousands of Free Tickets Every Year
City leaders claim free Angel Stadium and Honda Center tickets negotiated under city leases with pro teams end up mostly in the hands of nonprofits and schools. But a Voice of OC review found community groups are potentially getting as little as 20%.
