SACRAMENTO — Democratic lawmakers have agreed to legislation that could let the University of California, Berkeley accept thousands more students this fall after a judicial freeze on enrollment in a dispute with residents over growth.
It also highlighted how California residents have used a landmark state environmental law to halt the construction of badly needed housing and in this case, dictate university admissions policies. Because of the court decision, university officials said they would need to reject 5,000 applicants this spring to reduce enrollment by 3,000 students to maintain overall enrollment at 2020-21 levels. They have since lowered the figure to about 2,600.
It is aimed at protecting the environment, but has been weaponized in recent years throughout California to slow or stop development projects, including new housing and transportation. California communities are rife with people who say there needs to be more housing for low-wage earners, college students and the homeless, but they want those homes built elsewhere.
He ordered the university to cap student enrollment at its 2020-21 level of just over 42,000 students and to suspend construction of a proposed faculty housing and classroom project.