Ari Neulight

Although Berkeley’s Sacred Rest Drop-In Center for houseless people is temporarily closed to accommodate a summer camp, Village of Love executive director and founder Joey Harrison has found other ways to serve the city’s unhoused community. 

Campus administration announced a collaborative effort with the city of Berkeley and local nonprofits to temporarily house People’s Park residents.

Since 2017, UC Berkeley has employed Ari Neulight as a social worker to support members of the unhoused community around campus.

With December around the corner, unhoused individuals in Berkeley face choices about how to best reduce their exposure to both weather elements and disease.

With the prevailing health risks of the pandemic, the safety and cleanliness of the unhoused community nestled within People’s Park have remained a critical concern for various entities aiming to support it.

After the Board of Regents approved UC Berkeley’s plans to build on People’s Park, the community responded with varying degrees of support and criticism.

Dozens of tents, hammocks strewn up between redwoods, park regulars and student activists currently encompass the landscape of People’s Park. In the midst of this is an ongoing controversy over UC Berkeley’s plan to develop the area, resulting in protests and retaliation.