Dr. Lisa Hernandez was the city’s health officer for five years and headed up its COVID-19 response.

Supriya Yelimeli
Supriya Yelimeli is a housing and homelessness reporter for Berkeleyside and joined the staff in May 2020 after contributing reporting since 2018 as a freelance writer. Yelimeli grew up in Fremont and has written for outlets across the Bay Area and Southern California, including as a breaking news reporter for Bay City News, and a contributor at Mission Local, NBC Los Angeles and the Pacific Coast Business Times. Yelimeli earned her undergraduate degree at UC Santa Barbara where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Nexus. She's always reachable by Twitter and email for tips, criticism and all other feedback.
‘Berkeley is where change starts’: Portraits from Juneteenth festival
Festival-goers shared what connects them to Berkeley as our photographer Ximena Natera took their portraits.
Why we created an affordable housing guide for Berkeley and Oakland
We often hear from residents eager to find an inexpensive, safe place to live in the East Bay. We published a resource guide to help.
A guide to affordable housing in Berkeley
In this guide, we compiled tips and resources that explain low-income housing requirements and how to apply for affordable housing.
Berkeley rent board sent 2,400 bills in error, but no payments mandated
The bills, which begin at $178, were not intended for properties exempt from rent board regulations.
Berkeley RV residents may get some reprieve with sewage pump-out station
Since the safe parking site closed in December, Berkeley RV residents have had few resources to dump their waste.
Are COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatments still free?
The federal public emergency ended May 11, but most coverage will continue in the Bay Area and throughout the state through Nov. 12.
Developer walks away from building supportive housing at People’s Park
RCD was supposed to build about 125 units as part of UC Berkeley’s project at the park. The university says it will find a new developer.
Berkeley’s eviction moratorium is ending. Here’s what you need to know
The city’s eviction moratorium is expiring in stages, and a handful of evictions were allowed to move forward on May 1.
One last evening at Eastwind Books
At a Berkeleyside Beyond the Story event, the owners of the much-loved, tiny University Avenue bookstore reflected on its outsized impact.
State, city will back UC lawsuit to build student housing at People’s Park
Attorneys for Berkeley and California attorneys filed supporting briefs in Cal’s state Supreme Court appeal.
With permit in hand, West Berkeley co-housing seeking residents
The group hopes the co-housing model can be a “force for good” in the West Berkeley neighborhood.