Peoples Park housing project draws support and criticism

[ad_1]

After UC’s board of directors approved UC Berkeleys’ plans to build housing on Peoples Park, the city’s campus and community responded with varying degrees of support and criticism.

The plan includes construction of a new residential facility to house 1,100 undergraduate students, as well as supportive housing for homeless and low-income people. According to campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof, construction at Peoples Park will not begin until the campus establishes a daytime gathering alternative to the park and connects those currently living there to relevant services.

These are all things that are very consistent with the founding ideals of the park, Mogulof said. We can and must do better as a society for homeless people than simply providing them with an outdoor place to pitch their tents.

To connect people living in the park with the right resources, the campus hired Ari Neulight, a homeless outreach coordinator, in July 2017. He said his work extends beyond Peoples Park in the wider Southside neighborhood, where he registered with homeless people and supported them on their way to housing. Neulight added that he had found accommodation for 80 people so far.

Supporters for the project include Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arregun and council member Rigel Robinson, who noted that creating permanent housing for students and homeless people will help alleviate gentrification. In a statement to the Board of Regents, Robinson cited the shortage of high-density student housing as a factor leading students to flood the local housing market.

We all know the history of Peoples Park, but the reality is that the vision for the park over 50 years ago is no longer reflected in its current state, Arregun said in an email.

However, some students and community members have expressed opposition to the project, citing confusion over construction details and fears that the legacy of Peoples Park will be forgotten.

Anu Thirunarayanan, a campus junior, said the housing project would completely erase the history of the park. Thirunarayanan added that as the campus builds more student housing, it will become more difficult for Berkeley residents and low-income students to find housing.

Lisa Teague, a member of the Peoples Park Committee, called on the campus to be more transparent about its processes for the housing project. Teague also noted that the changing nature of housing plans has caused anxiety and fear among members of the park community.

There is a fundamental disconnect between what the Chancellor says and what is actually going on, said Nicholas Alexander, executive director of Peoples Park Kitchen. If Carol Christ had the courage to sit down with us and have these difficult discussions, she was ready to have them.

Contact Riley Cooke and Riya Chopra at [email protected].

[ad_2]