David Shere
@davidshere.net
Berkeley Yimby Jew Dad
On the Housing Advisory Commission trying to make more and better affordable housing.
Berkeley Civic Library: https://www.civic-library.com
Blog: https://davidshere.github.io
On the Housing Advisory Commission trying to make more and better affordable housing.
Berkeley Civic Library: https://www.civic-library.com
Blog: https://davidshere.github.io
World historical fuck up
We wasted a decade of practically free interest rates to allow lots of housing to be built. Just awful.
December 7, 2025 at 5:07 AM
World historical fuck up
I fully support RealPage bans because what they do sucks, but it's not surprising we've seen little impact 🧵
www.therebuild.pub/p/theres-no-...
www.therebuild.pub/p/theres-no-...
There’s No Quick Trick to Solving the Housing Crisis
Why Banning RealPage and Airbnb Didn't Lower Rents
www.therebuild.pub
November 29, 2025 at 4:25 PM
I fully support RealPage bans because what they do sucks, but it's not surprising we've seen little impact 🧵
www.therebuild.pub/p/theres-no-...
www.therebuild.pub/p/theres-no-...
Great article about the state of things, but I just cannot get over the San Diego erasure on display here.
Come on, people! It’s the actual second biggest city in the state!
Come on, people! It’s the actual second biggest city in the state!
November 27, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Great article about the state of things, but I just cannot get over the San Diego erasure on display here.
Come on, people! It’s the actual second biggest city in the state!
Come on, people! It’s the actual second biggest city in the state!
Berkeley has a 20% requirement but in practice everything that gets built uses the density bonus, where developers opt-in to building BMR units because it makes them *more* money. Our requirement is more than SDB so projects kick in some extra $$ to the housing trust fund. Works pretty well.
Unfunded inclusionary zoning is bad!
The research in Happy City is more than a decade old. Recent experience suggests the inclusionary zoning approach I supported has recently led to delay/cancellation of new housing.
To your point Mark, yes, coops/cohousing do seem to create a blast radius of social connections in surrounding 'hood.
To your point Mark, yes, coops/cohousing do seem to create a blast radius of social connections in surrounding 'hood.
November 23, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Berkeley has a 20% requirement but in practice everything that gets built uses the density bonus, where developers opt-in to building BMR units because it makes them *more* money. Our requirement is more than SDB so projects kick in some extra $$ to the housing trust fund. Works pretty well.
Berkeley's ordinance is up December 2nd!
Courtesy of the Casita Coalition:
AB 1033 (ADUs for sale) implementation tracker!
Implemented: San Jose, San Francisco, West Hollywood, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, Stockton, and Martinez.
In progress: Sebastopol, Berkeley, and Los Angeles.
Interested: 3 cities (I won't disclose)
AB 1033 (ADUs for sale) implementation tracker!
Implemented: San Jose, San Francisco, West Hollywood, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, Stockton, and Martinez.
In progress: Sebastopol, Berkeley, and Los Angeles.
Interested: 3 cities (I won't disclose)
November 21, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Berkeley's ordinance is up December 2nd!
Bad for four years but maybe an impetus to get rid of the system and try something new
We are getting closer to the conditions where two Republicans slip through the top-two primary and into the general election for governor in California.
The polls show that as very possible now, before Steyer (and maybe Swalwell) split the field even more.
The polls show that as very possible now, before Steyer (and maybe Swalwell) split the field even more.
Tom Steyer enters California governor's race
November 19, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Bad for four years but maybe an impetus to get rid of the system and try something new
I will never get used to people saying this, and with their real names! @nextdoorsv.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 12:10 AM
I will never get used to people saying this, and with their real names! @nextdoorsv.bsky.social
A few good examples in here of the really messed up worldview shared by a lot of activists.
‘Middle Housing’ aims to reduce costs for entry-level homeownership
As of Nov. 1, “middle housing” upzoning changes are in effect across. This policy allows for housing units that reach up to three stories and eight units to be built
www.dailycal.org
November 16, 2025 at 9:17 PM
A few good examples in here of the really messed up worldview shared by a lot of activists.
I just don’t understand why people don’t look at this and say “ok, something isn’t working here”
November 16, 2025 at 4:02 AM
I just don’t understand why people don’t look at this and say “ok, something isn’t working here”
One more soul sacrificed at the altar of the emergency access and evacuation network
November 16, 2025 at 3:52 AM
One more soul sacrificed at the altar of the emergency access and evacuation network
The good thing about this is that these people are lazy and stupid, and while many of them will get away with all this, many will not.
NEW:
Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
w @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
w @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social
Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
The company is run by the husband of Noem’s chief DHS spokesperson and has personal and business ties to Noem and her aides. DHS invoked the “emergency” at the border to skirt competitive bidding rule...
www.propublica.org
November 15, 2025 at 8:06 AM
The good thing about this is that these people are lazy and stupid, and while many of them will get away with all this, many will not.
We need a complete and total ban on anyone who was involved in national Democratic Party in 1993.
NEW: Before the recent Epstein disclosures, Larry Summers was poised to lead the economic policy plank for the Democrats' "Project 2029" effort at the Center for American Progress. He signed off on a housing policy paper CAP was prepping for next week.
prospect.org/2025/11/14/e...
prospect.org/2025/11/14/e...
Epstein Confidant Larry Summers Guiding Democrats’ ‘Project 2029’ - The American Prospect
Summers was overseeing the economic policy plank of the Center for American Progress’s effort. Emails released this week show him in regular contact with Jeffrey Epstein.
prospect.org
November 14, 2025 at 10:59 PM
We need a complete and total ban on anyone who was involved in national Democratic Party in 1993.
My landmarking reform proposal: exempt the hills from any reform. They’re not gonna build any housing anyway so let ‘em go nuts landmarking each others houses all day long
November 12, 2025 at 2:17 AM
My landmarking reform proposal: exempt the hills from any reform. They’re not gonna build any housing anyway so let ‘em go nuts landmarking each others houses all day long
Cc all fire departments everywhere
Design vehicles to fit the streets rather than streets designed to fit the vehicles.
November 9, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Cc all fire departments everywhere
This is the funniest shit I have ever seen in my life
November 9, 2025 at 3:24 AM
This is the funniest shit I have ever seen in my life
At the Corridor Zoning worksession, seeing a lot of folks who won't be able to make this observation
November 7, 2025 at 2:39 AM
At the Corridor Zoning worksession, seeing a lot of folks who won't be able to make this observation
Feds couldn’t snap their fingers and fix all of transit, but they could fix a lot of it.
We’re working hard in the Bay Area to invest in transit — to strengthen & modernize it & improve service, safety & cleanliness.
We need to take this fight national. The US severely under-invests in transit & Trump is making it worse. The U.S. should lead the world on rail & other transit, not lag.
We need to take this fight national. The US severely under-invests in transit & Trump is making it worse. The U.S. should lead the world on rail & other transit, not lag.
November 2, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Feds couldn’t snap their fingers and fix all of transit, but they could fix a lot of it.
Hey building nerds, when do double stair requirements kick in?
I thought it was above three floors, but maybe it's actually anything above two units?
I thought it was above three floors, but maybe it's actually anything above two units?
October 29, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Hey building nerds, when do double stair requirements kick in?
I thought it was above three floors, but maybe it's actually anything above two units?
I thought it was above three floors, but maybe it's actually anything above two units?
Real reason Sisko went to go be with the Prophets is that he was going to be hit with war crimes charges after Dominion War
Picard: And that is why we must stand for freedom and dignity, we are Starfleet
Sisko: burn their skies, poison their air
Sisko: burn their skies, poison their air
October 27, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Real reason Sisko went to go be with the Prophets is that he was going to be hit with war crimes charges after Dominion War
I absolutely love the @berkeleyscanner.com, we are beyond lucky to have that kind of knowledgable, detailed reporting on public safety in our community. Most places don't have that.
But man that comment section...there are some wild things that happen in that comment section...
But man that comment section...there are some wild things that happen in that comment section...
October 26, 2025 at 2:51 AM
I absolutely love the @berkeleyscanner.com, we are beyond lucky to have that kind of knowledgable, detailed reporting on public safety in our community. Most places don't have that.
But man that comment section...there are some wild things that happen in that comment section...
But man that comment section...there are some wild things that happen in that comment section...
You really don’t have to hand it to him but the plus side here is that the building was probably rotting and in desperate need for major renovation anyway, and once we return to constitutional government they’ll be able to rebuild it with modern wiring and insulation and stuff.
The East Wing is the perfect metaphor for this whole presidency and its effect on the nation and democracy.
October 24, 2025 at 1:48 AM
You really don’t have to hand it to him but the plus side here is that the building was probably rotting and in desperate need for major renovation anyway, and once we return to constitutional government they’ll be able to rebuild it with modern wiring and insulation and stuff.
At a certain point policy makers need to say “this is for us to decide, not you. It goes into effect in thee years. Figure out a code you can live with but single stair is not negotiable.”
October 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
At a certain point policy makers need to say “this is for us to decide, not you. It goes into effect in thee years. Figure out a code you can live with but single stair is not negotiable.”
Such an just and beautiful way to end Cuomo's political career. May all corrupt creepy scumbags face similar ends.
What I don't have in experience, I make up for in integrity.
And what Andrew Cuomo lacks in integrity, he could never make up for with experience.
And what Andrew Cuomo lacks in integrity, he could never make up for with experience.
October 17, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Such an just and beautiful way to end Cuomo's political career. May all corrupt creepy scumbags face similar ends.
Reposted by David Shere
i do firmly believe in the end, we will win, but the dread and the loss of watching this nightmare unfold is really something. These assholes are undermining everything we've taken for granted as a democratic and open society (however imperfect) with such vile hubris
SCOTUS killing VRA would really be the culmination of a Second Redemption
white reactionaries disenfranchising black voters to secure political power? that’s a jim crow. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
October 15, 2025 at 8:18 PM
i do firmly believe in the end, we will win, but the dread and the loss of watching this nightmare unfold is really something. These assholes are undermining everything we've taken for granted as a democratic and open society (however imperfect) with such vile hubris