‘No real options’: Last tenants agree to leave rent-controlled building, clearing way for UC Berkeley dorm
Cal can now tear down 1921 Walnut St. and the $300 million Anchor House project can proceed.
Housing
Top Stories
In brief
Rental assistance is available for tenants and property owners in Berkeley
Tenants and property owners who need financial support with rent and utilities can apply by the end of September to receive up to 15 months of help.
The debate that could change the future of housing in Berkeley: How do you define a shadow?
City leaders are launching a new effort to create “objective standards” that could determine how easy it is to build in Berkeley.
Homelessness
Berkeley’s biggest homeless camps were closed. Where are the residents now?
Twenty-five percent of West Berkeley encampment residents are in hotels, 17% were housed and 25% are still on the streets.
4 stories shorter: UC Berkeley drops height of People’s Park student housing complex
But construction won’t start until the 50 or so people living at People’s Park have been housed or offered services, chancellor says.
Residents under I-80 underpass search for housing after encampment sweep
Homeless residents say the sweep was destabilizing in a time when many of them were looking for housing.
Housing at BART
Debate continues over affordability, parking, height of BART housing
What’s happening now is important because it will define the parameters for large new apartment buildings that are slated to replace what are now parking lots at the North Berkeley and Ashby BART stations.
After parking lots turn into housing, how will you get to BART?
BART is seeking input on its plan to help Berkeley residents get to the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations once housing is built on the parking lots.
In historic vote, Berkeley puts $53M toward affordable housing at BART
It is the single largest investment in affordable housing Berkeley has made, the mayor said Tuesday night.
Interested in plans for housing at BART? Take these surveys by Feb. 22
The city is collecting community input on affordable housing, land use, building form and public space as part of the public process around plans to build housing at BART.
Affordable housing
UC Berkeley is getting a big gift: A $300M, 772-bed student dorm
The Helen Diller Family Foundation is paying for the complex, but building it may require evicting people from a rent-controlled building.
Mayor: Tenants’ ‘first dibs to buy’ policy on hold until fall due to feasibility, timing
Mayor Jesse Arreguín received pushback from supporters and opposition of the Tenant’s Opportunity to Purchase Act during the months-long process.
Rent board votes in support of Palestinians facing evictions in Israel
It was a welcomed political statement by some but reviled by others who think the board overstepped its boundaries.
Court rules a 260-unit apartment complex can go up at 1900 Fourth St., a site the Ohlone consider sacred
The court ruling, which Berkeley may appeal, is the latest development in a long-running fight about the property.
Student housing
Developer proposes 17-story apartment building across from UC Berkeley
If past attempts to raise tall apartment buildings in downtown Berkeley are any indication, the plans could prove contentious.
New developer eyes controversial site downtown for student housing
The project would rise on the downtown Berkeley block where another developer planned an 18-story building.
UC Berkeley will explore moving 8-unit rent-controlled building as part of $82.6M settlement
The university will also pay $920,000 into the city’s Housing Trust Fund as recompense for the structure.
Fight to save monarch butterflies at Gill Tract Farm ends in a victory
Fifty-seven monarchs were counted overwintering at Gill Tract Farm last year. A group of farmers pushed back to get protective measures added to UC Berkeley’s development plans, and won.
Zoning Adjustments Board
With split vote, Berkeley zoning board approves new ‘group living’ project
A 41-unit “group living” project called Poet’s Place was approved Thursday night by a Berkeley zoning board majority.
‘A mini-urban miracle,’ new Berkeley homeless housing could be model for the state
It’s been a big week for subsidized housing in Berkeley. And it just got bigger.
Neighbors fight proposed Verizon cell site in North Berkeley — again
A group of local residents celebrated three years ago when plans for a Verizon cell site in their neighborhood were dropped. Now, many of them are back at it.
101 units at San Pablo, Hearst approved at former Berkeley Midas site
A six-story, 101-unit project proposed in Berkeley at San Pablo and Hearst avenues won near-unanimous approval Thursday night from the zoning board.
Urban planning
City looking for feedback on electrification blueprint
The meeting drew about 100 people who raised concerns about equity and affordability.
Berkeley votes for historic housing change: an end to single-family zoning
The unanimous vote kickstarts a 2-year-long process which would see about 9,000 more housing units at various income levels built over the next several years.
Berkeley denounces racist history of single-family zoning, begins 2-year process to change general plan
Council unanimously approved a resolution that will work toward banning single-family zoning.
Planning Commission approves Adeline plan with 100% affordable housing goal
The commission says the percentage is not a requirement, but an aspiration. Community and BART talks are ongoing.
Housing Trust Fund
The Housing Trust Fund is the money the city uses to build and support affordable housing projects in Berkeley. The money can be leveraged 4-to-1 to seek outside funding. Money generally comes into the fund when developers choose not to include affordable units within their projects, or who do not include the full number of those units. Rather than building on site, they can pay a fee into the city's Trust Fund instead.
Berkeley wins $42 million in grants for 150 units of affordable housing
Mayor Jesse Arreguín said it’s the largest amount he could recall Berkeley ever having gotten from the state for affordable housing over his 16 years serving the city.
Berkeley’s most ambitious homeless housing project ever breaks ground
The project also includes 89 units of affordable housing, at 50%-60% of the area median income, that will be available to the general public on a lottery basis. It is slated to open in 2022.
Downtown Berkeley Harold Way deal for 18 stories, 300 units is officially over
The city has decided not to grant developer Hill Street Realty more time to secure financing for the 18-story Berkeley Plaza project on Harold Way.
Recent stories
California’s housing crisis: Assembly approves zoning bill
The bill returns to the Senate for amendments before heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Judge freezes UC Berkeley’s student enrollment at 2020-21 levels
An Alameda County judge ruled that campus must study the impacts of its growth before it expands any further.
Berkeley home owned for generations up for sale
The house was built in 1896, according to city historical records, and has been home to four generations of Nielsens.
First-time homebuyers can now apply for down-payment assistance in Alameda County
The AC Boost program is offering down-payment loans of up to $210,000 per household.
