Nanci Armstrong-Temple filed her intent to run for the District 2 Berkeley City Council seat last Monday.
Armstrong-Temple was previously endorsed at a meeting of progressive voters that had taken place the Saturday before she announced her candidacy. The City Council candidate currently runs a dance program in Berkeley and identifies herself as an activist and mother, according to her business website.
The meeting of progressive voters was hosted by the Berkeley Progressive Alliance, Berkeley Citizens Action and Berkeley Tenants Union. Only two candidates from District 2 were present at the meeting — Armstrong-Temple and Cheryl Davila.
In her response to a questionnaire written by the Berkeley Progressive Alliance, Armstrong-Temple stated that the primary issues she would address as a City Council member would be “affordable housing, gentrification/development for profit, and the militarization of the police.” She is also concerned about UC Berkeley’s use of public spaces for profit.
“There has been a deep disenfranchisement of the people in the city of Berkeley,” Armstrong-Temple said in the questionnaire. “There is a fast-paced development and profit mindset that has taken over our city and made it more important to our city officials to get rid of things that make it ‘look bad’ rather than spend the time and energy to find real solutions to deep and long-term problems.”
Some of Armstrong-Temple’s ideas include imposing a 90-day moratorium on evictions, investment in housing and the repeal of both Proposition 13, which reduced property taxes, and the Costa-Hawkins Law, which implemented vacancy decontrol and allows property owners to increase rent when units are unoccupied.
According to James Reagan, another candidate for the District 2 City Council seat, most people running for election share the same goals with an emphasis on affordable housing.
Four people have filed to run for the District 2 seat this year, including current Councilmember Darryl Moore.