California Environmental Quality Act

Amid a statewide student housing crisis, California assemblymember Eduardo Garcia introduced AB 1630, which would streamline private student housing developments within 1,000 feet of California college campuses. 

As a freshman living in Unit Two last year, I cherished my dorm room view. I no longer live in the dorms, but I can imagine that the view is quite similar, with one major exception: that canopy of trees, the foliage over People’s Park, no longer exists.

The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, has become embroiled in controversy recently, with its latest application wielded to block UC Berkeley’s housing plans for People’s Park.

An appellate court ruled Friday that UC Berkeley may not proceed with plans to build student and low-income housing at People’s Park, prompting calls from local and state officials to reform the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, at the heart of the lawsuit.

The First District Court of Appeal released a tentative decision Dec. 22 regarding the lawsuit filed by Make UC a Good Neighbor against the UC Board of Regents’ Environmental Impact Report for long range developments and student housing on People’s Park.

We cannot allow local homeowners to block developments due to unrelated concerns, when we must prioritize student accessibility to housing, transit and their campus above all.

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, students, park residents and People’s Park advocates gathered on Sproul Plaza to send a message: end development on People’s Park.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of SB 118, overriding court’s decision to cap UC Berkeley’s enrollmen, has amassed mixed reactions from the community.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 118, the Senate version of a bill that increases fall 2022 enrollment at UC Berkeley and reverses the effects of the lawsuit that froze enrollment at 2020-21 levels, after it passed unanimously in the state Assembly and Senate.

The California State Legislature introduced a bill which would nullify the decision requiring UC Berkeley to reduce in-person enrollment for fall 2022.