Berkeley City Council Approves Transfer of Carleton Street Section to Bayer Amidst unhoused Resident Concerns
Berkeley, CA – The Berkeley City Council has voted to transfer ownership and maintenance of a 27,500-square-foot section of Carleton Street to Bayer Pharmaceuticals, a move that will displace unhoused residents currently living on the street. The decision, made Tuesday night, will effectively cede the dead-end road, which borders Bayer’s 46-acre campus, to the pharmaceutical company.
The Bayer campus in Berkeley houses research laboratories and manufacturing facilities, primarily for specialty medications. Bayer representatives had previously approached the city to request the transfer, citing safety concerns related to the encampment.Jennifer Cogley of Bayer stated at a recent council meeting that the company has reported multiple fires at the location and emphasized the need to ensure a safe working environment and maintain the integrity of the medicines produced.
A city of Berkeley staff member addressed the council regarding the planned clearing of the encampment, outlining a strategy that would involve offering shelter opportunities to residents. Though, the staffer acknowledged that such provisions would only be made “to the extent we had shelter opportunity.”
Unhoused residents and advocates express skepticism about the city’s approach. Jasmine Blacks, a former unhoused resident whose partner remains on Carleton Street, believes the relocation of the encampment merely shifts the problem without addressing the root causes of homelessness. “Clearing the encampment only moves the problem elsewhere and doesn’t do anything to actually solve the homelessness crisis,” Blacks stated. Another resident, known as “Cowboy,” who operates an outdoor market, is now facing uncertainty about where he will relocate his buisness.
Bayer has a history of taking over ownership and maintenance of adjacent dead-end streets. While a Bayer representative indicated the property transfer will take at least 30 days,the Berkeley mayor’s and city administrator’s offices have not yet responded to requests for data regarding the timeline and process for clearing or relocating the encampment.
