Berkeley and entire Bay Area are facing a housing affordability crisis. To address this, the City has implemented a number of policies that will produce new housing, preserve existing affordable units and protect vulnerable residents.

• Affordability

• Development

• Safety

• Tenants

Measure O

Approved by Berkeley voters in 2018, Measure O is a $135 million bond for the creation of affordable housing. $111 million has been allocated, providing 784 units off affordable housing that have either been completed, under construction, or in pre-development. Completed projects include Berkeley Way Hope Center, the largest affordable housing development in the City’s history which provides 89 affordable housing units in downtown Berkeley, 53 permanent supportive housing units for the homeless, and a new men’s and veterans’ shelter for 44 people, and Jordan Court, the first affordable housing development in North Berkeley in decades, providing 34 low-income units for seniors. Future projects funded in part by Measure O include Berkeley Unified School District Workforce Housing and affordable housing at Ashby and North Berkeley BART.

Small Sites Program

The first two projects under the Small Sites Program, the Solano Avenue Co-Op Apartments and Stuart Street Apartments, were completed in 2022, providing 21 units that otherwise would have been lost. The program, which partners with the Bay Area Community Land Trust, purchases and rehabs existing multi-unit properties into permanently affordable housing. This program is funded through the City’s Housing Trust Fund, which provides funds for affordable housing projects.

Housing Element

Between 2023-2031, Berkeley is required to permit 8,934 units of housing under the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), including 3,854 units affordable to income levels below 80% of the Area Median Income. Every eight years, each jurisdiction across California must update their Housing Element to show how they will be able to accommodate the RHNA goals. Berkeley’s Housing Element was approved by the State in February 2023. This plan will allow us to meet the demands of a growing population and increase our housing stock to provide a wide range of options for individuals and families of all income levels and needs.

BART Housing

Developing housing at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations is a once in a generation opportunity. These two sites represent the best opportunity to achieve the most affordable housing. With Berkeley’s population having increased by ten percent over the last decade, the reality is more housing is needed to accommodate this growing population and address the housing needs of people who live and work here now. As we face a severe climate crisis, the most environmentally friendly way to develop housing is to have transit oriented development, reducing reliance on motor vehicles, with transportation accounting for 60% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more about what is happening with this project, click here.

Accessory Dwelling Units

Another focus of the mayor’s office to make it easier to build new Accessory Dwelling Units so that seniors can age in place, and create below market housing for college students and others who don’t need a lot of space. Between 2018-2021, 419 building permits for ADUs were issued, and an additional 75 ADUs are projected to be permitted annually over the next eight years.

Rental Housing Safety Program

First established in 2001, the Rental Housing Safety Program (RHSP) underwent an overhaul in 2018 to increase proactive inspections, better enforce Schedule A (inspection checklist) requirements, and allowing confidential housing code complaints. These proposals were first introduced by the Mayor when he was a Councilmember in response to the tragic balcony collapse in 2015 that killed seven people and injured six others. Related to this was the creation of the Exterior Elevated Elements Inspection Program (E3), which requires multi-unit buildings to have inspections of their balconies, outdoor stairways, decks, and other elevated fixtures every six years.

Earthquake Safety

Berkeley is situated above the Hayward Fault, which has a 32% chance of experiencing a magnitude 6.7 earthquake or higher by 2036. To protect housing, Berkeley has mandatory earthquake retrofit programs to make vulnerable housing units safer in the event of a major earthquake. As a Councilmember, the Mayor worked on establishing improvements to the Soft Story Ordinance, which requires multi-story buildings which has large openings on the first floor and are at higher risk of collapse as a result to be retrofitted. As of January 2023, 275 soft story buildings have been retrofitted, 17 are in the permitting process, and only 12 are out of compliance.

Tenant Protection Ordinance

To address an increasing number of cases of tenant harassment and illegal evictions through intimidating or coercive conduct, the Mayor developed the Tenant Protection Ordinance to provide civil remedies to prevent such behavior. The law, passed in 2017, prohibits landlords from using lies or threats to induce a tenant to move, disruption of services to the unit, interference with right of privacy, including inquiries on immigration status, and other bad faith actions.

Housing Retention Program

Providing support for those who are at risk of homelessness is a key priority. Those who are at risk of losing housing due to non-payment of rent and are eligible can receive up to $5,000 in a one-time grant. Those who have been financially impacted by COVID-19 could qualify for an additional $10,000. This program is run by the Eviction Defense Center (EDC). To learn more and to apply, click here or call EDC at 510-452-4541.

Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act

On February 20, 2020, the Mayor, alongside representatives from East Bay Community Law Center, Bay Area Community Land Trust, Northern California Land Trust, and other tenant rights groups and activists, unveiled the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. The first in the state proposal empowers tenants by giving them the right of first offer and right of first refusal on the property they live in when an owner is ready to sell. Tenants can also assign their rights to a qualified affordable housing developer to purchase on their behalf. The full report can be found here.

Real progress takes time, but I am proud that our city has taken many steps over the past few years to help people who have been most impacted by the region’s housing crisis.