Voters on Both Sides of Measure S See Berkeley Homelessness as Problem, Says Campaigner

Berkeley voters on both sides of Measure S have shown the desire for change in their city, said No On Measure S campaign leader Bob Offer-Westort.

“People aren’t happy with the way things are in Berkeley right now…clearly the situation for homeless people is not adequate,” Offer-Westort said.

Without final tallies for absentee ballots, Measure S appears to have been defeated by a narrow margin.

The . Measure S would prohibit people, with some exceptions, from sitting on public sidewalks in Berkeley's commercial districts between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Offer-Westort said there were two main types of anti-S votes – those who voted out of compassion for the homeless and those who saw the law as nonsensical. There was also a small portion of voters who did enough research to know that sit-lie laws were tried elsewhere and didn’t work, he said.

Offer-Westort said he hopes to work with his campaign on a plan to help stabilize Berkeley commercially and on a homeless services level.

He said improving the city would require collaboration between groups including business owners, social services providers, the homeless and everyday voters. As part of the plan, homeless people would need access to more safe and service-providing facilities during the day, while commercial districts need a way to address soaring rents for businesses, parking issues and the need for anchor businesses.

“Valuing one set’s interests over the other is not a promising path forward,” he said.

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