2023 Berkeley Recap

As we close out 2023, I want to provide an overview of an ambitious year: From accelerating the creation of affordable housing to implementing programs created from reimagining public safety. I am proud of the work that we have accomplished together, and look forward to continuing this work in 2024. 

Major Housing Milestones Achieved

The Council updated the Housing Element this year, which will help Berkeley reach its target of building 9,000 new units by 2031.

Building on the momentum from 2022, we continue to accelerate production of new housing, including more affordable housing units than ever before. 

The Housing Element, a state-mandated plan, was approved. The Housing Element serves as an eight-year plan for housing development in Berkeley, which is required by the State to ensure nearly 9,000 units can be built over that timeframe. The approved plan shows that it is possible to build 15,000 units under Berkeley’s zoning regulations. While the Housing Element does not create specific development proposals, it shows that Berkeley takes its obligation to build more housing seriously.

One of the biggest housing opportunities in a generation is the redevelopment of Ashby and North Berkeley BART. Five years after this idea was first seriously considered, 2023 marked significant progress as we enter the final stages before developments are proposed. This month, objective design standards were approved for North Berkeley, which will enable the development team to submit plans for development. It is expected that 750 units will be built, with a goal of 50% at below market rate. Ashby is on a longer timeline, but this additional time has given the City, BART, and the community time to address intergenerational harm caused by the initial construction of BART and historic redlining in South Berkeley. Equitable Black Berkeley is an initiative, through the Mayor’s office, that is exploring funding proposals and policies with the goal of providing repair.

Measure O, the $135 million bond approved in 2018, is transforming our ability to construct affordable housing. As of September 2023, almost $110 million in Measure O funds have been allocated towards the creation of over 535 new units that are either completed, under construction, or in predevelopment. This number does not include future housing at Ashby and North Berkeley BART, which collectively has been allocated $53 million. In 2010, there were approximately 1,100 affordable units in Berkeley. Taking into consideration all projects recently completed, under construction, or in the pipeline, that number will nearly double to 2,000 in the coming years. 

To address the shortage of student housing, this year the Council adopted new zoning changes to the Southside neighborhood. These changes, which allow for more density along the Telegraph corridor north of Dwight Way, will enable an additional 2,650 new units within walking distance of UC Berkeley.

Reducing and Preventing Homelessness

Mayor Arreguin tours Golden Bear Homes, a former motel converted into permanent supportive housing.

With continued investment in addressing homelessness on a local, regional, and statewide level, we are making further inroads in lifting people out of homelessness and into housing. 

In recent years, we have greatly expanded the amount of interim and permanent supportive housing available. In August, The Campus opened at the former Super 8 motel, providing 23 private rooms that will provide shelter and services to residents previously located at the encampments in the Gilman District. Thanks to Measure P, passed in 2018, eight permanent housing projects have been funded. Berkeley has had success in securing funding from Homekey, a State program, to assist with hotel conversion. 

The Homeless Response Team, launched in 2021, has helped provide assistance to hundreds of unhoused individuals over the past two years. Through these efforts, we are able to clear encampments while abiding by court decisions that require jurisdictions to provide shelter to individuals before clearing an encampment. This is done in a way that does not result in criminalization. Over 500 offers for shelter have been provided through the Homeless Response Team.

In addition to getting people out of homelessness, we have been at the forefront of homeless prevention. Berkeley’s eviction moratorium, which was established during the COVID-19 State of Emergency, expired on September 1st after a several month transition period. While there has been a surge in eviction proceedings across Alameda County, Berkeley’s eviction rate has remained significantly lower compared to the County. This is due in part to the significant investment we have made towards rental assistance programs, which has enabled hundreds of households to stay in their homes. 

Prioritizing Public Safety

2023 saw advancements in wildfire safety, which also marked the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Berkeley Fire.

From addressing crime to protecting against wildfires, this year has seen great progress on implementing policies to keep our community safe. 

Investments in wildfire safety and prevention have risen in recent years. This year, the Council adopted the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The CWPP, developed collaboratively by the Fire Department, federal and state land managers, local governments, and communities, provides a roadmap to help the City and community work together to mitigate wildfire risks. The CWPP establishes goals for improving wildfire response, community preparedness, fuel management, creating infrastructure, ignition reduction, and home hardening. The Defensible Space Inspection Program was greatly expanded this year. Over 9,200 inspections were completed, up from 1,200 inspections since the program expanded to include all properties in the Very High Fire Danger Severity Zone.

Efforts continue to implement the reimagining of public safety. This includes approving funding for ithe Early Intervention and Risk Management System to provide necessary data and help in implementing fair and impartial policing policies including the hiring of a Police Accountability Investigator to address highly complex misconduct investigations. This year saw the launch of the Specialized Care Unit, which provides professional non-police response to mental health and substance abuse crises. The number, (510) 948-0075, is available seven days a week from 6am to 4pm, with plans to expand this to 24/7 in the future. 

Programs such as the SCU allow police to better prioritize and respond to crimes in progress. The City has launched a new Recruitment and Retention Program to address vacancies within the Police Department and we recently signed a new agreement with the Berkeley Police Association to increase salaries and benefits to remain competitive.

To improve transportation safety, a few years ago Berkeley launched Vision Zero. The plan is to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries by 2028, and this year saw great progress in moving forward with projects to help meet this goal. Recent examples include the Parker-Addison Mobility and Safety Improvement Project, the MLK Jr Way Quick Build, improvements at the intersection of Oxford St/Virginia St,  the Gilman Interchange, and Southside Complete Streets.   

Improvements to Infrastructure

Investments made this year will result in more street improvements in the coming years.

This year, the City has made great strides in replacing aging infrastructure with green, resilient, and modern infrastructure.

Thanks to Measure M and Measure T1, millions of dollars are being invested to improve our streets, buildings, and related infrastructure. This year marked the conclusion of Measure M, a $30 million bond for street and watershed improvements and integrated green infrastructure. Over the past twelve years, 63 street improvements and 11 green infrastructure projects were funded with Measure M funds. Phase two of Measure T1 is underway, with 30 different projects expected to be completed by 2026. Phase one, which concluded in 2022, saw 40 different projects completed. 

This year’s paving plan was the most ambitious yet. The five-year plan aims to triple the amount of work done compared to previous years. This is achieved due to new funding sources. Last year, Council committed to add an additional $8 million annually from the General Fund, with annual inflation adjustments, in order to prevent further deterioration of City streets. An additional $1-$2 million will be allocated from the Zero Waste Fund to offset the impact of large Zero Waste collection vehicles on streets. Funds from the Storm Water Fund are also included, to incorporate green infrastructure into repaving. In addition to repaving major routes such as MLK Jr Way, University Avenue, and Sacramento Street, it also provides a request to repave Hopkins Street by the end of Fiscal Year 2027.

Over $37 million has been allocated on improvements to the Marina and Waterfront that are completed, under construction, or approved. This includes dock replacements, repaving and traffic safety improvements, and planning, design and environmental analysis of a new pier and ferry service.

The City remains on track to meet its goals under the Climate Action Plan. Data from 2021 published this year shows that overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the City have dropped by 25% since 2000, even with the population increasing by 21% during the same timeframe. As the city expands on its electric mobility programs and electrification policies, we expect to see a continued drop in GHG emissions as we aim to have net zero emissions by 2045 or sooner. 

Supporting Labor and Equity

The HARD HATS Ordinance was approved this year, which will go into effect in January 2024.

Supporting labor and lifting historically underserved communities is what we do in Berkeley, and this year was no different.

In May, Council approved new labor standards for large construction projects, known as HARD HATS. During a time when the City has been asked to produce 9,000 units of housing over the next eight years, California faces labor shortage among the construction workforce. A key reason for this is a lack of apprenticeship programs and benefits such as healthcare. The HARD HATS Ordnance works to address this, requiring apprenticeship programs and healthcare coverage for all developments of at least 50,000 square feet in Berkeley. The law goes into effect in the New Year.

The City has been in partnership with Project Equity since 2019 to advance worker cooperatives and employee ownership. These businesses, which are owned and run by employees, often provide higher wages, benefits, professional development, job security, and upward mobility for low to moderate income people. Just as importantly, these small businesses provide a diversity of locally owned services that have become valuable community assets. This partnership has been successful in the conversion of several Berkeley businesses into employee ownership. 

We have passed a new policy that directly addresses gentrification and displacement in Berkeley. After years of discussions with residents and community organizations, including Healthy Black Families (HBF) and East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), the Council adopted the Housing Preference Policy. Under this policy, affordable housing units would be prioritized for people displaced by the construction of BART in Berkeley, foreclosure, a no-fault or non-payment of rent eviction and red-lining, among other criteria. 

Programs under the Climate Equity Fund are now underway, with the Berkeley E-Bike Equity Project providing 56 e-bikes to low-income households this year.

As reproductive healthcare rights come under attack throughout the country since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Council has affirmed the City’s support for the right to reproductive freedom. The Council Item, passed this month, also directs the City Manager to develop an ordinance that directs City agents and employees to ensure access to abortion sites and ensure access to information related to abortion access. 

A Preview of 2024

With a proposed closure of Alta Bates by 2030, regional access to healthcare will be a major priority for 2024.

After seven years as Mayor, next year will mark my final year in this position. While we have made many achievements during my two terms, there still is plenty to work on. Here is a preview of what is to come next year.

My number one priority is to keep a hospital in Berkeley. We are launching a regional outreach campaign, throughout the East Bay, to address healthcare needs in the region. We are also working on an updated report that builds upon the assessment of the proposed closure of Alta Bates and its impacts regionally. As our population ages, and as the pandemic showed, we need to be increasing access to healthcare, not decreasing it. 

As mentioned, we have made great progress in recent years on redeveloping the Ashby and North Berkeley BART Stations. 2024 will be a pivotal year for this project, with project plans expected to be submitted for North Berkeley and an updated Memorandum of Agreement for Ashby in the first quarter followed by solicitations for the development of the project. 

We must recognize that crime is not isolated to any individual city, but can impact multiple communities. There must be a regional approach to addressing crime. In my capacity as the President of the Alameda County Mayor’s Conference, I plan on working with my fellow Mayors and leaders throughout the East Bay to find immediate and long-term solutions to the crime wave we are seeing in our neighborhoods.

I am excited for the future of the Marina and our Waterfront. As highlighted, we have recently made major investments in restoring aging infrastructure. In 2024, Council plans on adopting an updated Waterfront Specific Plan. This will provide a path for achieving a financially self-sustainable marina while enhancing infrastructure to support future community needs. This includes the replacement of the old pier into a dual-purpose recreational pier and ferry terminal.

Thank you for giving me this amazing opportunity to serve as your Mayor over the last seven years. I look forward to continuing working with the community to address our challenges in 2024 and beyond.