Election 2024: District 4 candidates answer Berkeleyside questions

Soli Alpert: I believe that we can advance cutting edge progressive policy while delivering the basics; safe streets and sidewalks, public safety for all, and housing affordability. We don’t have to choose, as some have suggested, between a bold agenda and the nuts and bolts of local government—we can do both.

Elana Auerbach: To be an independent voice for the people of District 4 and bridge the divide that often separates us along the lines of class and race. Many urged me to run because of my deep roots in the community and background in mediation and finance. I aspire to embody public service in its truest sense.

Rubén Hernández Story: I will fight to address the housing affordability crisis, protect renters, advance our climate action plan, make our streets safe for all users, provide compassionate care for our unsheltered neighbors, revitalize our Downtown, increase workers’ economic mobility, and strengthen community policing.

Igor Tregub: As a refugee from Ukraine, who found a loving home in Berkeley 21 years ago, I am running to build bridges, heal divides, and use my 20+ years of service to ensure that our beloved community is a District 4 and Berkeley that we can all call home.

Soli Alpert: I have lived in District 4 since 2016, first on Fulton Street and since 2018 on Delaware Street; unlike another candidate, I didn’t move to this district to run for Council.

Elana Auerbach: I’ve lived on Bonita Avenue since 2011. I’ve lived in Berkeley since 2006.

Rubén Hernández Story: My fiancé (Sierra) and I have lived in Berkeley for 6 years, the last 4 of which have been in District 4 on McKinley Avenue.

Igor Tregub: I have lived in District 4 for 3.5 years and in Berkeley for over 20

Editor’s Note: Tregub lived in District 4 from 2008 to 2011 and in West Berkeley for 10 years. He signed a lease in District 4 beginning on Feb. 23. To qualify for the election, candidates had to prove that they lived in District 4 before Feb. 28.

Soli Alpert: What sets me apart from the field is my track record of delivering substantive, progressive policy accomplishments for the Berkeley community. In my time as a Legislative Assistant and Rent Board Commissioner, I have helped to draft the Fair Workweek Ordinance, which brought landmark labor protections to shift workers in our community, and the Empty Homes Tax, which was overwhelmingly adopted by Berkeley voters in 2022, generating $8 million per year for affordable housing. I have helped to advocate for a robust revision to the Demolition Ordinance that protects tenants’ rights while allowing for new infill development. And I am proud to be a proponent of a measure for the ballot this cycle that would expand rent and eviction control and establish the right to form tenant associations. Of all the candidates in the race, I am the most well-connected to District 4 residents and institutions and have the broadest record of policy accomplishments.

Elana Auerbach: One of my biggest accomplishments is securing $8 million in funding for the Specialized Care Unit as a lead activist in the Care Not Cops network. Another great accomplishment is doing deep policy research and analysis on issues in Berkeley and writing over 50 Reimagining Berkeley articles for the Berkeley Times. And then there’s tending to a 78-year old unhoused, disabled, veteran and ensuring he spent the last few weeks of his life in a nursing facility and didn’t die on our streets. Finally, the many people I have helped navigate through conflict to a collaborative resolution and the many groups I have supported to create successful cultures of respect and trust.

Rubén Hernández Story: I have worked to advance initiatives on gun violence prevention, criminal justice reform, creating affordable housing, developing a Berkeley Green New Deal, expanding bus and ferry service, improving street safety for all road users, and more.

As Councilmember Taplin’s Chief of Staff, I was the lead on the 51B BRT + University/Shattuck Corridor Mobility Improvements study item and helped organize a broad coalition across stakeholder camps to achieve community and unanimous council support. Leading up to the council’s final approval of the ACTC Multimodal Corridor Project, I worked with Councilmember Taplin to provide additional stakeholder engagement and consensus-building among stakeholder communities in the project area, including merchants and neighbors, which was instrumental in landing the Berkeley Council unanimously. I am also the lead on Councilmember Taplin’s Berkeley Green New Deal initiative to develop a local just transition policy framework and connect low-income households and residents of color with the city’s climate equity and resiliency work in collaboration with the Goldman School of Public Policy, College of Environmental Design, Just Cities, McGee Avenue Baptist Church, Berkeley Food Network, and Green the Church. In Richmond, I worked with community partners to re-open the Richmond ferry and expand EV charging and bicycle access to the terminal. I worked with MTC partners on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Bike/Ped Path. I worked with city staff to launch Richmond Moves, a public shuttle service. I served on the Richmond Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Richmond Promise Advisory Board. I participated in California’s annual Clean Air Day, Bike to Work/Wherever Day, and various Groundwork Richmond tree planting activities.

Igor Tregub: Championed and secured funding for more than 1,000 affordable housing units throughout Berkeley.

Helped create and fund the Berkeley Way/Hope Center, Downtown Berkeley’s innovative affordable housing with wraparound services.

Secured safety lights for pedestrians and bicyclists at high-collision intersections.

Helped craft the nation’s first building electrification ordinance, now replicated by hundreds of jurisdictions across the nation

Worked with Mutual Aid to personally deliver groceries and meals to seniors during the pandemic.

Helped write, campaign for, and provide oversight to nearly all of Berkeley’s housing ballot measures, securing hundreds of millions of dollars for affordable housing of every type and ensuring that the funding is allocated by the City Council as specified.

Worked with the Berkeley community and City Council to improve public safety and pass the Reimagining Public Safety package that includes a new Police Accountability Board with strong oversight powers. This improves trust between law enforcement and our community.

Secured changes to Berkeley’s Seismic Safety Ordinance to ensure that thousands of Berkeley renters now reside in seismically safe housing.

Achieved improved lighting in Berkeley’s downtown and around campus, deterring crime.

Advocated for by-right approvals of longer business hours at downtown businesses, helping businesses succeed while ensuring more eyes on the street to prevent crime.

Helped preserve numerous Berkeley small businesses by approving the necessary permits they needed to remain in business and working with the City of Berkeley to ensure that they had the resources to thrive.

Helped secure stronger labor standards through increases to Berkeley’s minimum wage, the Hard Hats Ordinance, the Sweatshop-Free Procurement Ordinance, Fair Workweek, and many others. Working to save Alta Bates Hospital and ensure that the birthplace of Berkeley remains right here where it belongs.

As an immigrant, stood up to Trump’s hate and strengthened Berkeley’s Sanctuary City ordinance. Also traveled to Washington, D.C. and risked arrest to call on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Worked to take corporate money out of Berkeley through passage of the public financing program and other ordinances.

Helped craft and pass one of the strongest local Just and Equitable Transition programs, a cornerstone of the Green New Deal that ensures workers in existing polluting industries are able to retain the promise of strong and stable middle class careers while helping Berkeley reduce its carbon emissions.

Soli Alpert: I support building affordable, social, and public housing and passing a new affordable housing bond measure to fund it. I want to increase funding to the Small Sites program to acquire and refurbish existing affordable housing. I opposed the Council’s vote to reduce affordable housing fees and would revert those reductions and apply them to all new construction. I support the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act to convert market rate housing to social and affordable housing. We also need to create new funding sources like Oakland’s progressive business tax. We should address the massive increase in land value as a source of revenue, including land-banking and instituting a flipper/speculator tax. As Vice Chair I have pushed for a stronger Demolition Ordinance with true 1-for-1 replacement of demolished rent controlled units and robust tenant protections. I strongly opposed CM Kesarwani’s amendments, as I believe they undermine if not violate state law and weaken tenant protections.

Elana Auerbach: We have an affordability crisis. The financialization of housing has become the biggest business in the world. Housing units are primarily used as a means of wealth accumulation and not for housing humans.

Berkeley continues to build more market-rate units than required and falls far short of building required affordable units. Between 2015 and 2019, we met only 11% of our low-income housing targets and none for moderate. Measure U1 funded building some affordable units, though only a small fraction of what is needed.

We must tax Berkeley residents making over $1 million in income per year and tax big corporations to fund housing for people with mid and low incomes. Also, we must establish non-traditional housing partnerships, such as with tech company foundations.

Instead of in lieu fees, I will mandate developers to build affordable units to help bridge the class divide. Also, I will mandate the building of affordable condos to assist low wealth families to build generational wealth.

Rubén Hernández Story: An all-of-the-above approach of building more homes of all types and income levels: subsidized below-market and new multifamily housing in high-resource exclusionary areas; moderate-income middle housing and starter homes everywhere; dense transit-oriented development; and market-rate housing production to reduce real housing costs and increase our affordable housing trust fund. I will invest in rental assistance, eviction protection, and ownership opportunities, work to streamline the permitting process for ADUs, tiny homes, and middle housing, and advance innovative solutions like the city’s social housing pilot and down payment assistance with shared appreciation loans. City Council must follow through on its commitments to permit greater density in residential areas, promote equitable transit-oriented development, and invest in affordable housing, and it should meet and exceed the policy commitments in the 2023 Housing Element Update to produce more housing for all incomes.

Igor Tregub: As a renter, a twice-elected Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Member and former chair of the Housing Advisory Commission, the Measure O ($135M Housing Bond) Oversight Committee, I’ve championed every ballot measure to invest in affordable housing and to expand tenant protections. Using every available strategy and resource available, my top priority is to expand the dream of housing affordability and home ownership to Berkeleyans struggling to make it in our city. This includes my work on the Zoning Adjustments Board, where I’ve approved more than 10,000 new units of housing at every affordability level. I’ve brought neighbors together to enable the Council to ease the burden of building of accessory dwelling units and missing middle housing and have helped craft one of the strongest Demolition Ordinances in the state. I strongly support passing a Regional Housing Bond. Like so many others in D4, I’m an aspiring homeowner and will invest in first-time homeownership opportunities.

Soli Alpert: I support compassionate solutions to homelessness that prioritize services rather than punitive measures and sweeps. The City should provide basic sanitation services to encampments, like trash removal and restrooms, and expand the number of sites available for sanctioned encampments and RV parking, which would allow homeless residents to be stable in one location that is also less disruptive to businesses and the community.

Ultimately, the solution to homelessness is housing. I support investing in permanent supportive housing and believe we should increase our revenue options to fund it. Providing emergency rental assistance to prevent eviction is a critical part of preventing homelessness. I am proud of the City’s current investment in emergency rental assistance and believe it should be expanded.

Finally, we are too reliant on our police, rather than social workers, in addressing homelessness crises. I support expanding the Specialized Care Unit, which I address further below.

Elana Auerbach: We must create a “Safe Stay” outdoor sanctioned encampment for the unhoused with basic amenities, including running water, electricity, toilets, and trash collection. This will be a hub where service providers (e.g., housing coordinators, street medics, mental health specialists) will reliably find their unhoused clients. We had an indoor shelter on Grayson Street for 15 months, but it only accommodated 50 people. The City has leased a few motels through Project Homekey. This is an expensive and temporary option. We must ensure that the people living there get the training and support they need to be independent. Many in our unhoused community are disabled and we have few accessible shelter beds. Since Berkeley’s Pathways STAIR Center opened in 2018, it has been non-compliant with ADA requirements. I will ensure that we have adequate accessible beds. I will work to find funding to provide pioneering and cost-effective permanent housing for those most in need.

Rubén Hernández Story: I believe a housing-first approach is critical to serving our unhoused neighbors. I will invest in rapid rehousing services, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing for individuals with severe mental health needs, as demonstrated by the Hope Center on Berkeley Way. I will work to increase access to treatment centers, shelters, and restrooms and expand our Specialized Care Unit to operate 24/7. I will work to enhance our partnership with Alameda County on mental health and substance abuse programming and lead with service outreach and case management, not criminalizing our unsheltered neighbors. I will join my colleagues in advocating for continuing funding for successful state programs such as Project Homekey to end homelessness.

Igor Tregub: While Berkeley has seen a reduction in homelessness in recent years, over 1000 people are living on the streets. This puts an enormous strain on the unhoused and our community. I will embrace a housing first approach that gets people off the streets and into supportive environments with wraparound services and treatment as needed. Berkeley is an extremely generous and compassionate city, and our investments in projects like the Hope Center at 2020 Berkeley Way, which I played a key role in moving forward, and a real estate tax to fund homelessness services, Measure P, which I helped pass, proves it. But Berkeley can’t do it alone. I’ve been in conversations with officials in our neighboring cities and our county around smart regional collaboration to tackle the homelessness crisis the entire Bay Area faces. I will also work with them to leverage new state funds that have been secured with the passage of Proposition 1 in March 2024.

Soli Alpert: I support pedestrianizing Center St between Oxford and Shattuck and surfacing Strawberry Creek there. I recognize that this would be a large undertaking but this kind of placemaking work is critical for turning our Downtown into a regional destination. Similarly, I would support expanding sidewalk space on key streets. Expanding space for outdoor dining, live performances, and street fairs will put our infrastructure to work revitalizing Downtown.

This should be coupled with a commitment to regular activation in partnership with the Downtown Business Association, the Farmers Market, and civic groups. More community events which close the streets and attract visitors and neighbors will support our small businesses with foot traffic.

Finally, support for our arts district is critical. In particular, the Aurora Theater is in urgent need of assistance. I am committed to working with our arts and cultural institutions and the DBA to provide City resources to ensure they remain and thrive.

Elana Auerbach: Many business owners agreed that a “Safe Stay” was necessary. We must enact a commercial vacancy tax, streamline permitting processes, provide low/no interest loans, offer move-in support, hire the Small Business Development Center, create a small business incubator, and municipal tax cuts to offset living wage expenses for some restaurants. To attract people to the downtown, we can host pop-up festivals where artists, food vendors, craftspeople and other small businesses regularly pop-up in the vacant stores for a week or a weekend. We can host street festivals with food trucks and performances by Berkeley youth to bring families to the downtown. We must support a resurgence of Black-owned businesses in Berkeley, and restore the Black Repertory Theater, an unknown treasure to most Berkeleyans. Also, we must ensure our downtown theaters and music venues stay afloat by partnering with fundraising and galvanizing community support.

Rubén Hernández Story: I will support efforts that improve businesses’ facades, beautify our corridors with greenery and public art showcases, and make it easier for them to start and grow. I will help enhance the work the Office of Economic Development is doing, such as its Revolving Loan Fund to assist under-resourced entrepreneurs, its support in converting businesses to employee-owned businesses, and its recent award-winning zoning amendments.

We need to incorporate arts and culture in every aspect of city planning. The city should also always explore opportunities to help fund the arts through unrestricted operating support grants. I envision a Downtown with constant signs of life, such as community spaces, pop-up experiences, permanent markets, food trucks, and live music and performances. I will elevate and uplift our institutions by spreading the word in all communications, such as newsletters, websites, social media accounts, and direct conversations.

Igor Tregub: The District 4 Councilmember has the distinct honor and responsibility of representing Downtown Berkeley, the heart of our city. I will work closely with small business owners, city officials, and nonprofits to make our downtown the envy of the Bay Area. That requires smart approaches to public safety and a willingness to listen to impacted businesses. Downtown Berkeley should be an inviting and welcoming destination for all. The pandemic is not over for too many downtown small businesses and arts institutions. With the COVID relief fund depleted, I’ll work with the downtown community on a sustainable private-public partnership to provide revolving loans, tax incentives for new businesses, and support for businesses impacted by property crime (a package that the Mayor will soon introduce). I’ll also continue my work of reducing permitting red tape, work to bring back our theaters into downtown, and explore a tax on Amazon, Hulu, and other platforms impacting our small businesses.

Soli Alpert: We must expand the Specialized Care Unit to 24-hour service, which will increase the availability of social services while freeing up police resources to respond to violent and serious crime. I also support integrating SCU dispatching with other emergency services.

We should reduce the scope of police in areas such as noise complaints and low-level traffic enforcement, allowing police to focus on more urgent issues.

I support the proposal put forward by the Commission on the Status of Women to fund unarmed ambassadors accompanying people in the Downtown at night, putting more eyes on the street and bring business back.

I oppose wasting public money on knee-jerk reactions to crime that feel good but don’t actually help, such as the current Council’s surveillance camera spree, which often has been done without any analysis of the cameras’ effectiveness. I think this wastes money to allow politicians to say they’ve done something about crime without effectively addressing the issue.

Elana Auerbach: First, we must encourage all business owners to place a “Warning – All activities are video and audio recorded on the premises” on their windows. Then, we must subsidize the purchase of security cameras for those businesses who would like to install them inside their business. Research shows that the risk of getting caught is the most effective way to deter crime. We will implement a Community Host program. At heavily pedestrian trafficked intersections and where there has been an uptick in crime, a Host, trained in conflict de-escalation, communication skills, and knowledge of available emergency resources will be posted. Community Hosts will be a strong presence throughout the downtown and will have eyes on what’s happening. They will be paid a living wage, though will cost a fraction of what a police officer costs.

Rubén Hernández Story: In addition to addressing the root causes of crime, evidence has shown that the likelihood of getting caught has a strong deterrent effect on criminal activity, not the severity of punishment. I will prioritize community policing to build trust and relationships with residents, such as bike and foot patrols and area coordinators, and modernizing our police department to solve crimes faster with less staff time while ensuring strict compliance with our civil liberty and data privacy policies. The policies enabling the use of public security cameras and automated license plate readers were written to comply with our surveillance ordinance. These are basic tools for use in the investigation and clearance of crimes that nearly every other neighboring jurisdiction has ready access to and our residents and businesses gain nothing by being deprived of basic public safety infrastructure. I will also support strong oversight of law enforcement actions and work to ensure compliance.

Igor Tregub: As a trained engineer, I support an evidence-based approach and investing in 21st century approaches to fighting crime – approaches like investing in Starchase GPS, which is already used in Alameda County, but not in Berkeley, is ACLU-approved, and would avoid the need for dangerous police pursuits. I support investing in police staffing, including bringing back community policing to the full 6-8 FTE complement that’s needed to be effective. I’ll focus on improving lighting and make it easier for businesses to stay open later to facilitate more eyes on the street. I support expanding the specialized care unit to 24/7 operations and learning from successful programs like Cahoots in Bend, OR to facilitate a single call-in number that can be used to assess whether a police response is needed and, if so, ensure it is rapid and effective. I’ll work with the downtown business community to expand escort programs like Go Go Grandpa. I’m honored to be endorsed by Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez.

Soli Alpert: Some Councilmembers and senior management seem to view public oversight as an impediment to their “more enlightened” work. I fundamentally reject this. When people question how money is spent and services delivered, we need to answer, not attack them as obstructionists.

Too often, political disagreement is suppressed while personal conflict flourishes. I promise to hold to my values and the values of D4 and not be cowed into pretending all is well when it is not. We should work cooperatively on common goals, but far too often elected officials forget that our job is to work for the people, not protect each other from criticism.

I will defend public process from attacks like the recent attempt to move Council meetings to 10 AM, which would prevent many from attending. I will work professionally and respectfully but hold fast to my obligation to transparency and accountability. It is not unprofessional to hold the City Manager accountable as some Councilmembers seem to think.

Elana Auerbach: We must rise above petty politics that have dominated our city government for too long. We need to move beyond groupthink and conflict averse behaviors to productive discourse on topics we don’t agree on. I will help shift the often combative environment into one of collaboration, respect, and effective governance.

I have campaigned on a city management overhaul, with the council overseeing clear, measurable quarterly goals, providing rigorous performance oversight and accountability. The city manager resigned. Now we need to ensure that the next city manager is someone who shares Berkeley’s values, has a proven track record of collaboration, is an excellent communicator, respects unionized workers, and provides accountability within the organization and for their own work. By creating an environment that is supportive, collaborative, and high performance, City staff will have a better work experience. This will reduce turnover and attract the talent we need to fill the many vacancies.

Rubén Hernandez Story: After 8 years in public service, I understand the amount of work that goes into running a government, from rank and file membership to management, and there will always be room for improvement. I will be a voice that is progressive and pragmatic that is going to uplift all perspectives through constant communications via my newsletter, social media, and conversations, including with community leaders, organizations, unions, and boards and commissions, to ensure everyone is heard early and often.

I will be mindful of how officials, staff, and residents treat each other and hold ourselves accountable when mistreatment occurs and of staff capacity when it comes to passing too many referrals that end up in a giant backlog while we are understaffed. I will also promote opportunities to work with the city through my communications. As a current staffer, I understand and support efforts that will ensure staff receive pay and benefits they deserve that are competitive to ensure retention.

Igor Tregub: It is vital that the City Council and City management and budget that is responsive, transparent, and accountable to you. From my first day of being trained to, later, manage oversight over a multimillion-dollar and budget in the federal government, it was drilled into me from Day One that people are our greatest resource. I will work to ensure that our City fully staffed because employees feel valued and fulfilled, with opportunities to move our City forward. I will also ensure that the City is much more transparent with our community – from an accessible website that clearly can point members of the public to important documents, to establishing a participatory budgeting process that involves members of the community. We should notify the community early on around all matters impacting Berkeleyans and hold listening sessions in parks, community centers, places of worship, and virtually, at a variety of times to accommodate the schedules of those who can’t attend council meetings.

Soli Alpert: As an unapologetic nerd, I can often be found playing Pathfinder and Monster of the Week (similar to Dungeons and Dragons, for the uninitiated) at Victory Point Cafe and Games of Berkeley.

Elana Auerbach: Hiking up Claremont Canyon with my dog and enjoying the wildflowers.

Rubén Hernández Story: If not taking a stroll Downtown or through our neighborhood, Sierra and I can be spotted hiking around Cesar Chavez Park and taking in the Bay views.

Igor Tregub: If it’s a Saturday, you will find me at the Downtown Berkeley Farmer’s Market – shopping and gathering petitions for Berkeley Safe Streets. If it’s any other day, you can spot me patronizing our local small businesses, sitting outdoors, and chatting it up with neighbors about their vision for D4.

Soli Alpert: Yes

Elana Auerbach: Yes

Rubén Hernández Story: Yes

Igor Tregub: Yes

Elana Auerbach: You can count on me to have the courage of my convictions. I will be a voice of the people in District 4. A vote for me is a vote for integrity, community and compassion in action. Let’s create a better Berkeley TOGETHER!

Rubén Hernández Story: As a Mexican immigrant and first-generation college graduate who grew up in Section 8 housing with a single mother and two siblings, I know firsthand the kinds of sacrifices working people have to make to support themselves and their families, and I am committed to redressing the historic harm done to marginalized communities. My desire to continue serving the country and Berkeley community that has welcomed me with open arms is what is driving this campaign. As a dedicated public servant, organizer, and leader with over eight years of experience in congressional, state senate, and local government offices, including here in Richmond and Berkeley where I currently serve as a Legislative Aide, I am best positioned to build the coalitions and consensus necessary to advance pragmatic and progressive policies and reforms. I have the experience necessary to make the right decisions and the ability to bring people together amidst divides, decisions rooted in ensuring that our neighbors are heard and represented well. I am running because Sierra and I have set roots in Berkeley, right here in District 4. I will continue the fight to address the housing supply and affordability crisis and protect renters like myself, advance the city’s climate action plan and make our streets safer for all road users, provide compassionate care for our unsheltered neighbors, revitalize our Downtown and increase worker protections and economic mobility, strengthen community policing and accountability, and work transparently with city staff to balance our workload and diversify and increase our revenue sources. I am proud to be endorsed by the Sierra Club, the Berkeley Democratic Club, Berkeley Neighbors for Housing and Climate Action, the Firefighter, Carpenter, and Building Trades unions, the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club, the East Bay Young Democrats, the Latine Young Democrats of the East Bay, Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez, BART Director Rebecca Saltzman, East Bay Regional Parks President Elizabeth Echols, our mayor and a supermajority of the Berkeley City Council, former mayors and state legislators Loni Hancock and Tom Bates, and various other current and former Berkeley and East Bay elected officials and District 4 community leaders. You can learn more by visiting www.ruben4berkeley.com.

Igor Tregub:

Igor’s Three Minutes Address to Voters

1. Middle Campaign Logo with Ukrainian Flag Ending

2. Middle Campaign Logo without Ukrainian Flag

3. Upper Left Corner Logo without Ukrainian Flag

Community Testimonials

1. Supervisor Cassandra James

2. Ogie

3. Juli

4. Dorothy