UC Berkeley is coming under fire–neighboring homeowners are suing with complaints that claim the university is not doing enough to ensure a growing number of the students accepted have guaranteed housing.

UC Berkeley educates more than 40,000 students, many of which prefer to live nearby to get to class more efficiently. But locals have launched a lawsuit against the university, saying they want to see more on-campus housing, so they don’t have to take the brunt of the growth.

A group called Save Berkeley’s Neighborhoods is suing UC Berkeley for complaints alleging the university’s ever-increasing number of accepted students is plaguing surrounding homeowners.

They claim the Cal campus isn’t providing guaranteed housing for each incoming student who then turns to residential homes intended for families that they then impose a dorm-like atmosphere of noisy late-night hours, plus piling garbage in their streets.

The group accuses the university of the alleged failure to study the impacts of a growing student body. They would like to see consistency with the California Environmental Quality Act.

UC Berkeley responded in a statement:

“State law requires UC to mitigate the impacts of its growth on local host communities, and the campus already does that, irrespective of this lawsuit. In addition, members of the administration, including the chancellor, meet often with neighbors including the plaintiff. As has always been the case, we are ready and willing to engage with them about issues of concern. We do that as part of our commitment to be the best possible neighbor.”

The lawsuit claims the university has accepted five times the students they projected in a study back in 2005.

The group filing the lawsuit went on to say neighbors have in the past identified parcels of land they believe are appropriate for building more student housing.

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