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What is missing middle housing?
Missing middle housing generally has small- to medium-sized footprints and are often two stories or less, allowing them to blend into the existing neighborhood while still encouraging greater socioeconomic diversity. Most types of missing middle housing are currently prohibited in areas zoned R1, R1A, and R2.
Want to learn more? Here's a recent paper from the Terner Center at UC Berkeley and here's info straight from the source: MissingMiddleHousing.com
Find the Missing Middle! July 23 at 3:30pm
Please read this message from our pals at BNHCA on a matter of city-wide importance:
On February 23rd, 2021, Berkeley City Council adopted a resolution committing to end single-family zoning. Originally planned as a two-year process, it has been three and a half years since Council first made this commitment.
Now, at a special meeting at 3:30pm on Tuesday, July 23rd, City Council will have the opportunity to adopt the Planning Commission's recommendations for expanding missing middle zoning citywide and ending Berkeley's exclusionary legacy. Email Council now urging them to support the Planning Commission recommendations.
As Mayor Arreguín noted in [BNHCA’s] forum on this topic back in 2021, "single-family zoning was established with a racially exclusive intent, and has perpetuated racial and economic segregation in our city… if we are going to be a progressive city, a city that believes in equity and inclusion, then we have to address this issue of restrictive housing policies." He added, "Our intent… [is to address] the historic inequities that have existed in our housing policies."
Send an email (example below) NOW to tell City Council to follow through on their commitment to ending exclusionary zoning and adopt the Planning Commission recommendations. You can also tell them in person or on Zoom on Tuesday, July 23rd at 3:30pm.
Send an email today!
To: council@berkeleyca.gov
Subject: Support Planning Commission Recommendation on Missing Middle on July 23rd
Mayor Arreguin and members of Berkeley City Council,
In February 2021, Berkeley City Council unanimously committed to ending exclusionary zoning. On Tuesday we have an opportunity to follow through on that commitment. I urge you to adopt the widely supported Planning Commission recommendations to zone for Middle Housing throughout our city.
Originally envisioned as a two-year process, we have spent the past 3.5 years soliciting and incorporating extensive community input, including four City Council worksessions, five Planning Commission and ZAB meetings, and a public hearing. This is a well-crafted proposal that will allow for "gentle density" throughout our community, helping to undo over a century of harmful zoning practices.
Adopting the Planning Commission's Middle Housing recommendations will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make Berkeley more affordable to working families, and fulfill our legal obligations under the Housing Element to adopt a Middle Housing ordinance by December 2023.
I strongly urge you to support the Middle Housing recommendation on July 23rd.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your council district]
Here are some additional talking points to help guide your letter and public comment:
Berkeley committed in our Housing Element Plan to adopt a Middle Housing Ordinance by Dec. 2023. No more delay! Pass the Planning Commission’s Middle Housing Ordinance on July 23rd to ensure Berkeley meets its housing obligations and retains its status as a pro-housing city.
Pass the Planning Commission’s Middle Housing Ordinance to allow middle housing types like duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in all Berkeley neighborhoods. This type of housing already exists in all of our neighborhoods and should be allowed again to address our housing shortage for middle-income families.
The Planning Commission’s Middle Housing Ordinance is Berkeley’s best chance to create homes for middle- and moderate-income people, like teachers, firefighters, seniors, and kids who grew up here. Middle housing is for people who are not eligible for affordable housing, but who are also struggling to afford our community’s high cost of living.
The Planning Commission’s Middle Housing Ordinance will encourage gentle density in our community that will fight climate change. Climate scientists at U.C. Berkeley tell us that “urban infill” like middle housing in walkable, transit-rich neighborhoods is the most impactful climate policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Planning Commission’s Middle Housing Ordinance reduces displacement by enabling more housing options that are accessible to middle-income households. Anti-displacement experts support zoning changes to reduce displacement.
Wall Street-backed developers shouldn’t be the only ones able to build homes in Berkeley. Middle housing can give local mom and pop developers, including women and people of color, the opportunity to participate in our housing economy.
Second Sunday in August - Aug 11
Westbrae Biergarten is BACK and even though it has new management (and a new name: Headlands Brewery) we are still meeting there once a month from noon-2. Now you can order drinks from the table but still have to stand in line for food. Come and share your stories and ideas to help Berkeley welcome new neighbors and make sure we can all get around safely.
Safe Streets measure qualified for the November ballot!
Volunteers from all over Berkeley (including some houseketeers!) got enough signatures to get the safe streets measure on the ballot, now they need funds to build a campaign so donate here.
Tips for giving public comment or writing letters
Start out with your name and your location relative to the area in question, e.g. "2 blocks from," "a 5 minute walk away," "across the street from."
If it helps, write down what you want to say ahead of time. You absolutely do not need to be a good public speaker to make an impact with your public comment.
Keep it short. You’re not going to have a lot of time; all speakers get a strict time limit, sometimes as little as 1 minute. Stick to 1 or 2 talking points. (If you can, practice your comments beforehand and time yourself to make sure you get to say everything that you want)
Call out someone else by name that you agree with. i.e. “Janet really hit the nail on the head when she said…” or “I agree with Alex that...” or "Let me piggyback on what Amir said and..."
Telling a personal story means a lot and it's something only you can add to the conversation.
Development at North Berkeley BART is not a done deal. We need to speak up not only to make sure it houses lots of people, but we need to speak up to make sure it happens at all! A lot of pivotal steps have been completed but we can't rest until there are shovels in the ground.
There's a small but loud group who are scared of change. They think more neighbors in their neighborhood is a bad thing and want to be able to continue to park their cars wherever they want. These securely housed people are highly motivated to maintain the status quo and have the luxury to go to every meeting. We need to show up too.