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Saturday, May 13, 2023

People's Park Housing Setback

From Berkeleyside: Resources for Community Development is pulling out of UC Berkeley’s supportive housing project at People’s Park over delays stemming from ongoing court actions around the park, according to the nonprofit.

The supportive housing project is one piece of UC Berkeley’s plans for the embattled People’s Park site, where a 12-hour standoff last summer blocked the university’s attempts to begin construction. The university also hopes to build a 1,100-bed student housing development at People’s Park.

A lawsuit over state environmental laws (known as CEQA) and the projects’ Environmental Impact Report (EIR) brought the projects to a grinding halt days after the protests, and a judge has since sided with plaintiffs. The university is now appealing the case in the state Supreme Court with the support of the state and the city.

RCD did not comment on when they chose to back out of the project, but confirmed Wednesday they have notified UC Berkeley of their decision. UC Berkeley said it will pivot, but is still committed to supportive housing at People’s Park...

Full story at https://www.berkeleyside.org/2023/05/11/peoples-park-uc-berkeley-rcd-supportive-housing-project.

Although the possibility of the legislature providing some kind of exemption from CEQA has been raised, it hasn't happened. The governor was asked generally about CEQA at the May Revise news conference but said nothing about the People's Park situation.

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