Housing Accountability Act

The Housing Crisis Act of 2019, aimed at speeding up housing development and protecting low-income housing, has passed through the state Legislature.

The housing development project at 1310 Haskell St. has appeared before Berkeley City Council multiple times, as neighbors have fought the proposed development. Now that the project has been approved, the developer, Matt Baran of Baran Studio Architecture, can apply for building permits, according to city spokesperson Matthai Chakko.

State Legislatures passed a package of bills late Thursday night to address the statewide housing crisis, two of which likely will directly affect Berkeley, recently rated the most expensive college town in the country.

A lawsuit filed by the San Francisco Bay Area Renters’ Federation, or SFBARF, against Berkeley City Council has been settled in a five-to-one vote, allowing for three housing units to be built in West Berkeley.

An Alameda County judge approved a motion Friday that could greenlight a small-scale Berkeley housing development. The project, led by community developer Christian Szilagy, would demolish an uninhabited house at 1310 Haskell St. and erect three residential dwellings in its place.

At its Tuesday meeting, Berkeley City Council voted unanimously to prioritize funding a hybrid option for the Pathways Project, an initiative passed by the council in April that will connect permanent housing and centralized resources to Berkeley’s homeless community.

The SF Bay Area Renters’ Federation and California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund filed a petition for a writ of mandate against the city and its council members last week alleging that the city violated California’s Housing Accountability Act.

The Berkeley City Council has unknowingly violated a state housing development law for years, as alleged by an Oct. 7 lawsuit filed by the San Francisco Bay Area Renters' Federation, or SFBARF.