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On Wednesday, Berkeley community leaders broke ground on a permanent housing project.

Though Berkeley’s 2024 mayoral race is still more than a year out, the slate is taking shape early, as Councilmembers Kate Harrison, Sophie Hahn and Rigel Robinson all announced their candidacies this week. 

Jesse Arreguin recognizes social justice and activism as major goals for the city community. Key issues to be developed in 2023 include affordable housing, homelessness, public safety, budgeting, and infrastructure development.

Community members came together to celebrate the grand opening of Berkeley Way Apartments and the Hope Center — the largest affordable housing development for low-income and unhoused people in Berkeley’s history.

Berkeley City Council unanimously voted to appoint Hansel Aguilar as the new director of the Police Accountability Board, or PAB, during a special meeting Tuesday. They also approved a resolution to Measure L, an affordable housing and infrastructure bond that would allocate $650 million to improvements. 

Stefan Elgstrand, the legislative aide to Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín, announced his candidacy for the Rent Stabilization Board in a press release Monday.

The state approved a plan Jan. 12 to accommodate 441,176 new housing units in the Bay Area, including 8,934 units in the city of Berkeley. 

Berkeley City Council recently approved a $53 million investment in building affordable housing around the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations.

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma released data indicating “impressive” increases in affordable housing production around the state in 2020.

As mail-in ballots continue to be counted, Sophie Hahn, the incumbent for Berkeley City Council District 5, is projected to be reelected, with 76.66% of the vote as of press time, defeating Todd Andrew and Paul Darwin Picklesimer, who currently have won 19.08% and 3.96%, respectively.