AVOICE OF REASON
Support Evidence Based Policies
Putting My Experience as Tenant, Homeowner and Housing Provider to Work for Berkeley
Berkeley has been my home for almost 30 years. I strongly believe in retaining Berkeley’s diversity. Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board (BRSB) should represent all residents equally whether they are homeowners or renters so that we don’t lose the Berkeley character. I grew up in Poland under a communist regime, so I have seen the results of “good intentions” gone wrong. As a result, I want to provide a “voice of reason” to the current Rent Board. The current BRSB has 9 Commissioners who do not represent the perspective of the homeowners and housing providers and their approach has not solved our housing problems in Berkeley. Democracy is a process of working out a compromise among the various points of view to move forward.
In the many decades that I have lived in Berkeley, I’ve seen the rental situation from every perspective. Over the years, I rented a one-bedroom apartment, a duplex and a small house. We later bought a house in which we now live. As a contractor I bought two fixer uppers in Berkeley, renovated them and rented them. I have an excellent, cooperative, respectful and friendly relationship with my tenants. My experience as a renter, housing provider and a contractor gives me firsthand experience of issues and interactions between various renters and housing providers and also city bureaucracy. I want to use this hands-on experience to serve my community that I deeply care about. I believe in a pragmatic approach to solving problems and in transparent decision making by public servants.