Tag: Jerry Brown

By Posted on Posted in Issues

Couch_1017Date Change: Seismic Retrofits
The Berkeley City Council vote on mandatory Seismic Retrofits for “soft story” buildings is now scheduled for Tuesday, November 19.

Berkeley’s Demolition Law and Recent Zoning Changes
“…this new demolition ordinance draft which paves the way for developers to demolish all of the existing apartments in downtown Berkeley.”
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2013-10-04/article/41520?headline=New-Berkeley-Demolition-Ordinance-Proposal-Threatens-Rent-Controlled-Housing–By-Stephen-Stine

Brown Vetos Affordable Housing Bill
BTU will report back on how this veto may impact changes to the Demolition Ordinance
http://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Brown-vetoes-bill-requiring-affordable-rental-4901709.php

Ellis Evictions Skyrocket: Protests in San Francisco
It won’t be long before the eviction wave comes across the Bay.
http://evictionfreesummer.wordpress.com/ 

San Francisco Housing Crisis in the New Yorker
SF Mayor says, “We’ve got to…make sure we protect many of the rent-controlled apartments that we have.” With his campaign to relax rules about demolition of rent controlled buildings, we are not sure the Berkeley Mayor would agree!
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2013/09/at-the-rent-board-new-tales-of-the-city.html?mobify=0

Berkeley’s Progressive Days
At Berkeley History Center on Center Street
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Everybody-got-together-in-Berkeley-commune-days-4889254.php

By Posted on Posted in Issues

Governor Jerry BrownGovernor Jerry Brown is not a fan of inclusionary zoning, the principle way cities like Berkeley have met state mandates to build affordable housing. As Mayor of Oakland, Brown’s 2010 vote insured that our neighbor was the only major municipality in California without affordable housing mandates for developers. Now the fate of affordable housing in California is on Brown’s desk!

Brown has until Oct 12th to sign AB 1229 but he’s not going to do that without a billion phone calls from voters. The Berkeley Tenants Union has not formally voted on a position, but we are a member of the state-wide tenant organization Tenants Together, so we wanted to share their message:

AB 1229 (Atkins) passed through the California Senate last week. The bill restores the power to cities to adopt and enforce local inclusionary zoning laws that provide essential affordable rental housing in over one hundred jurisdictions in California. The bill is necessary because of a disastrous Supreme court decision (Palmer/Sixth Street Properties v. City of Los Angeles) that called into question whether cities could require developers to include affordable rental units in new projects. AB 1229 will promote the development of affordable rental housing in communities across California

Call the governor today at (916) 445-2841 and urge him to sign this important bill into law.

For Berkeley, a lot could be at stake, especially if the bad changes to the Demolition Ordinance get passed by the City Council and we begin to lose our rent controlled housing stock.

AB1229
http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Huge_Victory_for_Affordable_Rental_Housing_AB_1229_Clears_Senate_and_Heads_to_the_Governor_11794.html

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1229

News on Berkeley’s Affordable Housing Fee
http://www.dailycal.org/2013/09/08/berkeley-city-council-to-reassess-affordable-housing-fee/

San Jose Inclusionary Zoning Goes to CA Supreme Court
http://www.californialandusedevelopmentlaw.com/2013/09/16/california-supreme-court-to-hear-san-jose-affordable-housing-case/

Demolition Ordinance
http://theyodeler.org/?p=7882

Our petition:
https://www.change.org/petitions/berkeley-city-council-preserve-affordable-housing