District 7 Platform
Keep Southside Stable as Berkeley Grows
Berkeley is growing, but housing stability, infrastructure, public space, and basic services have not kept pace.
In Southside, residents are being pushed out, small businesses are under pressure, and public systems are stretched thin. Growth should not mean displacement, neglected sidewalks, unsafe streets, or public decisions made without the people most affected.
Aidan Hill is running to make sure growth strengthens Southside instead of pushing residents out or leaving basic services behind.
What This Campaign Will Deliver
Aidan’s platform is focused on four priorities:
More housing, less displacement
Public land that serves public needs
Growth that pays for the systems it depends on
Public process that shapes outcomes, not just records objections
-
Southside needs more housing, but new housing alone will not protect the people already being priced out.
Aidan supports housing growth that helps students, workers, families, and long-term neighbors stay in the community.
Aidan will work to:
Expand below-market-rate housing that fits Southside’s needs
Strengthen tenant protections and prevent displacement
Preserve existing affordable and rent-stabilized homes
Support pathways from student housing to long-term neighborhood stability
Track whether new housing is actually improving affordability and access
-
Public land is one of the few tools Berkeley has that is not controlled by the private market.
Southside needs clean, safe, accessible public spaces where people can gather, rest, organize, cool down, and participate in civic life without needing to buy something.
Aidan will work to:
Maintain parks, sidewalks, lighting, and shared spaces across Southside
Ensure public land, including People’s Park, reflects community priorities
Invest in regular cleaning, maintenance, accessibility, and public restrooms
Protect civic space for students, workers, residents, unhoused neighbors, and community groups
Make public land decisions transparent and accountable
-
New development affects more than one building site. It impacts sidewalks, lighting, trash service, traffic, transit, trees, safety, public space, and neighborhood stability.
If Southside is asked to absorb growth, Southside should receive the infrastructure, services, and investment needed to make that growth livable.
Aidan will work to:
Require major developments to contribute to neighborhood infrastructure and services
Fund street cleaning, lighting, sidewalk repair, and safety improvements
Set clear expectations before projects are approved
Make sure growth keeps pace with community needs
Push the city, UC Berkeley, and major developers to address impacts beyond their property lines
-
Residents should not be brought in only after major decisions are already formed.
Aidan believes public engagement should happen early enough to affect the outcome, with clear information, honest tradeoffs, and measurable follow-through.
Aidan will work to:
Provide public updates on housing, infrastructure, and neighborhood conditions
Set clear timelines for improvements to streets, lighting, maintenance, and safety
Hold regular community check-ins on major projects and developments
Make city decisions easier to understand before votes happen
Track what was promised, what was delivered, and what still needs to change
The goal
Southside should grow without losing the people, public spaces, and community life that make it worth living in.
Aidan is running for a District 7 where growth comes with housing stability, public space, basic services, and real accountability.
Together, these priorities reflect a simple standard: growth should improve daily life for the people who already live, work, study, and build community in Southside. That means pairing new development with housing stability, public investment, accountable institutions, and neighborhood services residents can actually see and use.
The work ahead
This is the starting point for Aidan Hill’s District 7 platform: a commitment to housing stability, public space, basic services, and accountable growth in Southside.
As the campaign unfolds, Aidan will release more detailed plans on housing, public land, neighborhood services, infrastructure, safety, and government accountability. The goal is simple: turn growth into real benefits for the people who live, work, study, and build community here.
Read the detailed platform.