A Year of Resiliency: 2021 Berkeley Recap
While 2021 saw another year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, our focus responding to this public health emergency continued including: launching the county’s first and longest running mass vaccination site, helping achieve a 92% fully vaccinated rate, focusing on equity in outreach and vaccine access, and initiating proof of vaccination requirements for businesses and employees.
Yet despite our progress, we know that this pandemic has brought tremendous challenges which have forced us all to become resilient. I am proud that over the past year, Berkeley has done its part to become more resilient, whether that be in the face of the pandemic, or the increasing threat of wildfires and a changing climate. Adaptation is not always easy, and there certainly have been difficult choices we all have had to make. But the efforts we have put in today will make our recovery easier tomorrow. Thanks to your support, compassion, and adherence to science, we are leading the way on a wide range of issues.
In addition to our work fighting COVID-19, this past year also saw many important accomplishments we wanted to highlight. From major victories such as historic agreements with UC Berkeley and Bayer (our two largest employers) to leading local and regional efforts to address our housing crisis, 2021 has been an eventful year, guiding Berkeley to a more prosperous future while recognizing and acknowledging our past.
Berkeley Leads the Way in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
After an unprecedented 2020, COVID-19 continues to impact our daily lives. But with the introduction of vaccines earlier this year, Berkeley quickly became one of the most highly vaccinated cities in the country as the result of an extensive outreach campaign, including being early to organize mass vaccination sites. As of today, 92% of the population aged 5 and over is fully vaccinated, with 38% of those people having gotten a booster shot. Our high vaccination rate correlates with a low case rate, with 5,743 Berkeley residents, or 4.6% of our population having contracted COVID-19. In California, that number is 13.2%, and nationally we recently surpassed 50 million cases, representing 15.6% of the population.
While the current case rate has been increasing in recent weeks, hospitalizations remain minimal and deaths limited, with 56 Berkeley residents having succumbed to the virus. Vaccines have been critical at keeping these numbers low, with 49 of these deaths happening before April 1, 2021, when vaccines became widely available. Priority is now shifting to promote booster shots, which are much more effective at protecting individuals against the Omicron variant compared to the initial two shots.
The economic recovery continues, but we recognize there still is a long way to go before we reach pre-pandemic levels. To support businesses and residents impacted by the pandemic, last year we launched the Berkeley Relief Fund, with $3 million from City funds matched by over $1.5 million in private donations. 700 businesses and 63 arts organizations were awarded grants through these funds, in addition to rental assistance for countless tenants.
Two Landmark Agreements to Promote Smart Growth, Community Benefits
The UC Settlement Agreement will guide future development of the campus while providing over $82.6 million in community benefits to the City and surrounding neighborhoods.
2021 proved to be a decisive year in negotiations between the City and the largest public and private institutions in Berkeley.
UC Agreement
In July, a Settlement Agreement was approved between the City and University, in which UC Berkeley will pay the City $82.64 million over the next 16 years. The funding will support fire and city services, and projects supporting residents within a half mile of the UC main campus and Clark Kerr Campus. In addition to the campus’ annual payment, the agreement calls for a stronger cooperative relationship including: voluntarily honoring the City’s zoning standards in the design of off-campus projects, creating a collaborative planning process for projects in the City Environs, meeting and conferring around ending master leasing of private housing, a commitment to work with the City around the closure of Alta Bates Hospital, and a willingness to work with the city to require commercial tenants to obtain permits and pay city impact fees.
Bayer Agreement
In November, Council approved a 30 year development agreement with Bayer, the largest private employer in Berkeley. This builds upon the first development agreement in 1992, providing $33.1 million in community benefits. Specifically, these funds will be used to support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) (48.5%); the West Berkeley Community Resiliency Fund (20%); Affordable Housing Trust Fund (20%); Private Percent for Art Fund (7.5%); and Affordable Childcare Fund (4%). Over the course of 30 years, Bayer jobs in Berkeley are expected to roughly double from current levels to 2,000. The company’s economic impact extends throughout the Bay Area, as for every Bayer employee, on average, another job is created in the region.
New Development Policies to Meet Growing Demand
Berkeley Way/HOPE Center, to open in 2022, is one of many affordable housing developments currently in Berkeley's housing pipeline.
Berkeley’s population has been growing roughly 1% annually over the past two decades. Yet development of new housing units have not been meeting the pace of our growing population. This pattern has been seen throughout the state, with California ranking 49th among all states for the amount of housing units per capita. In response, the State Government has passed new laws to increase the creation of new housing. Notable examples include SB 9, which allows up to four units on lots currently zoned for one unit, and SB 10, which gives cities the option to zone up to ten units on lots along major transit corridors.
Berkeley must abide by state laws when it approves an updated Housing Element next year. This is a requirement all California cities face, with the Housing Element being updated every eight years to reflect new priorities, meet state housing targets, and plan for housing needs. The Council has embarked on this work, which will be finalized around the end of 2022. To get engaged in the process, click here.
In February, the Council adopted a Resolution declaring their intent to end single-family zoning, an effort that has been acknowledged by the White House. This policy was also highlighted nationally in an interview with Lester Holt. This does not mean that single-family homes will be demolished, nor does it mean that only apartments can be built on lots. Our efforts to end exclusionary zoning, which will be part of the Housing Element update, are intended to remove barriers for people to live in our city’s residential neighborhoods and address our severe housing shortage.
Transit-oriented development is a necessary part of future housing development, helping both affordability and the environment. Development of the Ashby and North Berkeley BART Stations is a major part of this, and mandated under the State’s AB 2923. This month, the City’s BART Community Advisory Group completed its 18-month objectives to develop a vision, priorities, and zoning for the stations. This now goes to the Planning Commission, and then finally the City Council for a final decision next year.
Providing Regional Leadership in an Interconnected Bay Area
As President of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), this year I have overseen the passage of two critical plans that will shape the future of the region. Last week, ABAG unanimously approved the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the Bay Area, in which the nine-country region will need to plan for 441,176 new homes between 2023-2031. Berkeley’s proposed housing allocation for this eight year cycle is 8,934 new units. Of this, 2,446 (27.4%) are for very low income (below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 1,408 (15.8%) at low income (50%-80% AMI), 1,416 (15.8%) at moderate income (80%-120% AMI), and 3,664 (41.0%) above moderate income (above 120% AMI).
In October, ABAG and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) adopted Plan Bay Area 2050. This is a $1.4 trillion vision for policies and investments to make the nine-county region more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and economically vibrant for all its residents through 2050 and beyond. The four-year process received input from over 20,000 Bay Area residents, and includes 35 strategies over four elements: housing, the economy, transportation and the environment of the region.
Reimagining Public Safety
Extensive work continues on reimagining public safety, which was first launched in July 2020 in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. The Reimagining Public Safety Task Force has been working the past 18 months to inform the development of a new and transformative model of positive, equitable and community centered safety for Berkeley. The Task Force, in consultation with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) is finalizing a draft report that will be shared with the community early next year, and then considered by the Council.
One policy that is now being implemented is prioritized dispatch. In October, a contract was signed with Federal Engineering Inc. to provide consulting services to analyze staffing, infrastructure and technology needs for Berkeley’s 911 Communication Center as well as recommend a project plan to help the City implement an accredited prioritized medical dispatch system. Another project being implemented in the Specialized Care Unit (SCU). This will consist of trained crisis-response field workers who would respond to calls that the Public Safety Communications Center operator evaluated as non-criminal and that posed no imminent threat to the safety of community members and/or Police Department or Fire Department personnel.
In February, the Council approved recommendations from the Mayor’s Fair and Impartial Working Group. Highlights include implementing a new evidence-based traffic enforcement model, which focuses traffic stops on safety issues instead of low-level offenses; updating BPD policies to incorporate procedural justice reforms, in addition to new training designed to address implicit biases.
The work Berkeley has done around Reimagining Public Safety has been highlighted nationally by 60 Minutes and the New York Times.
Responding to the Needs of the Unhoused Community
The Horizon Transitional Village, which opened this summer, is one of several new shelters that have opened this year.
Significant work continues to address the homeless crisis, which has been exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic. As a result, efforts have been accelerated in creating new shelters and supportive housing. Around 500 people have been successfully housed over the last three years. Earlier this year, Youth Spirit Artworks opened up its Tiny House Village in Oakland, which provides 26 homes to unhoused youth in Oakland and Berkeley between the ages of 18-23. In July, Dorothy Day House opened the Horizon Transitional Village Program, which provides an indoor safe encampment for up to 50 residents. The Safe RV Parking Program also launched this year, providing spots and supportive services for 40 RVs.
After months of extensive outreach with encampment communities, and lengthy negotiations with Caltrans, the largest and most visible encampment in Berkeley, at the University Ave/I-80 interchange, was cleaned up. Residents were given opportunities to access shelter and services, including spots at Horizon Village.
One city alone cannot solve homelessness. That is why I initiated and now chair the Alameda County Mayors Working Group on Homelessness to improve coordination on future homeless plans and funding . These efforts have resulted in a better approach on both an inter-city and countywide level. I also serve on the Regional Impact Council of All Home CA, a collective impact initiative to end homelessness, which has brought together the public and private sector to find solutions to this crisis and on the Leadership Board of EveryOne Home the Alameda County Continuum of Care.
Adapting to a Changing Climate by Advancing Green Infrastructure
Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited Berkeley this year to promote rooftop solar.
2021 marked another year of increasing climate catastrophes around the state and the world. Long term models suggest California’s climate is expected to become drier, but the fewer storms that do develop will be stronger. Adapting to a changing climate while limiting our environmental impacts is a top priority, with many initiatives undertaken over the past year. Building upon last year’s trailblazing policy on ending the use of natural gas in new construction, Council adopted an Existing Buildings Electrification Strategy in November to transition existing buildings into all-electric. In July, the Council established a Climate Equity Action Fund to assist households at or below 50% AMI with climate related programs to reduce their carbon footprint. This summer, Secretary Jennifer Granholm of the Department of Energy visited Berkeley to promote SolarAPP+, an online tool that significantly speeds up the permitting process for solar rooftop installation. Berkeley was selected as the poster child of this national campaign due to our leadership in advancing solar policies.
Efforts are underway to implement the latest version of the Bicycle Plan, a comprehensive guide to transform our bike infrastructure into a world-class system that is safe to use for bicyclists of all ages and skills. One notable project underway is the protected bike lanes on Milvia St, which is one of the most heavily used bike boulevards in the city. At the beginning of the year, Council adopted the Pedestrian Plan, focusing on infrastructure improvements through the lenses of safety and equity. In addition to the safety improvements these plans will provide, in alignment with Vision Zero, it will also help reduce emissions caused by transportation, which is the source of the majority of greenhouse gas emissions produced in Berkeley.
Thanks to Berkeley voters passing Measure FF in 2020, we have already invested an additional $12.75 million on fire safety improvements. Specific initiatives include the expansion of vegetation clearing efforts, installation of a new evacuation warning system, the purchase of additional emergency vehicles, neighborhood evacuation drills, developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan and the construction of larger training facilities. Alameda County launched a new evacuation software system, Zonehaven, making it easier to provide neighborhood-level evacuation orders in the event of an emergency, such as a wildfire.
A Look Towards 2022
Construction was completed this year of the Residence Inn Hotel, which will be fully open early next year.
While 2022 will likely start with a surge of COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant, Berkeley’s high vaccination rate should keep our hospitalizations low, and getting a booster shot will help reduce the spread. Aside from COVID-19, other major priorities will include affordable housing and infrastructure, as we aim to fulfill the goals in RHNA and Vision 2050. Other exciting things to look forward to next year is the full opening of the Residence Inn Hotel, which had its soft opening last week, and the completion of the Berkeley Way/HOPE Center, the largest affordable housing development in Berkeley’s history.
Our progress over the past year can also be attributed to you. Because of your support for science, we have been able to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and reduce our carbon footprint. With your help, we can continue to lead the way in 2022. Every day I am inspired by the people of Berkeley and their insight, thoughtfulness, and compassion. It is part of what makes Berkeley, Berkeley, and why I am so proud to serve as your Mayor.