People’s Park, once a symbol of peace, turns into a battleground in housing wars
“The University of California’s attempts over the years to build on the land, which it owns, have never failed to inspire protests. The park became a sacred symbol of resistance and the 1960s idealism this town has long embraced.
But these days, many associate People’s Park with something else Berkeley’s famous for — a lack of affordable housing. The 55 or so people who sleep in tents there are a vivid illustration of California’s housing crisis, which has become especially dire in college towns like Berkeley as universities continue to expand enrollment.
Last fall, taking advantage of the shifting political winds on the issue, the UC Regents voted to build below-market accommodations for some 1,100 undergraduates on the scrubby 2.8-acre patch just off Telegraph Avenue.”