Public Comment

We cannot allow landlords and developers to change the character of Berkeley by raising rents and building market-rate only housing.

Many, probably most, kids who grow up in Berkeley cannot, as adults, afford to live in their hometown. This is unacceptable—they are the victims of unregulated capitalism and Berkeley needs to start regulating windfall profits.

We CAN deal with this urgent problem. 

We need immediately to put a meaningful tax on and regulate short-term rentals such as Air BNB. 

We need to put a realistic Housing Impact Fee into effect. It is outrageous that the developer who proposes to demolish our treasured landmarked Shattuck Cinemas and block access to our Public Library and, to a lesser extent our downtown Post office, YMCA, and Berkeley High School for the years of construction of his market-rate highrise was given a “discount” on his in-lieu fee.