Student co-ops scramble to adapt for COVID-19 in homes where communal living is the norm
Coping presents a particular challenge in co-ops where food, labor and living space are shared to reduce the cost of housing.
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Real Estate
Top Stories
Oakland passes 2-month freeze on evictions for renters, small businesses
Berkeley and Oakland now have two of the strongest emergency protections for residential renters and small businesses in California. City leaders say state and federal lawmakers need to catch up.
KPFA’s Berkeley building will not be sold at auction
The radio station’s owner, Pacifica Foundation, is negotiating with Alameda County’s tax assessor to lower the amount of taxes owed.
2019 Berkeley Housing Special
Berkeleyside has pored over city records and done our own reporting to bring you a robust round-up of recent and forthcoming housing developments around the city.
The 2019 Berkeley housing pipeline map, a Berkeleyside special report (update)
Berkeleyside has scoured planning documents and our archives to bring you the latest information about housing built, under construction, approved and proposed in Berkeley as of August 2019.
Completed housing projects in Berkeley (August 2019)
Berkeleyside has pored over city records and our own archives to bring you a roundup of many of the larger housing projects that have been completed since 2012. The report was updated in August.
Berkeley’s changing landscape: August 2019 housing roundup
Berkeleyside has pored over city records and done our own reporting to bring you a robust roundup of recent and forthcoming housing developments around the city. This report was updated in August.
Zoning Adjustments Board
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.
Former Berkeley school to become 50,000-square-foot home, artist colony
Neighbors are pleased a Finnish tech entrepreneur-turned-artist is improving the site, but some are worried about continued public access.
Downtown Berkeley’s Logan Park wins zoning board approval Thursday night
Logan Park, an eight-story, 204-unit mixed-use housing project slated for downtown Berkeley, is one step closer to breaking ground after the zoning board approved its use permit Thursday night.
Housing pipeline: As built units and affordable ones grow, more work remains
Since 2014, there have been 1,022 housing units built, across 17 projects, according to the latest “housing pipeline” report issued by the city. About 842 units, in 15 projects, are expected to be done by 2020.
Student housing
A ‘Moorish-Tudor fever dream’ is unveiled on Telegraph Avenue
It’s been described as a cave dwelling, a wizard’s house and a Moorish palace. A recently unveiled building to house UC Berkeley students has been a long time coming — and its unusual design is causing a stir.
To ease student housing crunch, Berkeley starts process to increase density in the Southside
It will take a year for changes to come before the Berkeley City Council, but they could include room for three more high-rise residential buildings.
Berkeley program puts students seeking housing in the homes of older adults
Berkeley Home Match placed just nine students this year but plans to place 100 students in the coming years.
City sues UC Berkeley for not studying impacts of 30% student enrollment hike
Settlement discussions between the two sides did not go very far, even though Berkeley and Cal both say they want to resolve their differences outside of court.
Housing at BART
Berkeley approves agreement with BART around housing at two stations
“This is a beginning of a process,” Mayor Jesse Arreguín told a passionate crowd Tuesday.
North Berkeley BART development gains impetus with new state law
BART must determine the zoning for stations by 2020 and Berkeley must update its zoning to reflect that by 2022. One-third of the housing must be affordable and there are height limits.
The future of the Ashby BART parking lot is in flux
About 100 people came to a community meeting Thursday to call for affordable housing development and the preservation of the Berkeley flea market.
North Berkeley BART housing discussion gets big turnout, civil discussion
Hundreds of people gathered Thursday night to hear what kind of housing could be built at the North Berkeley BART station. Officials vowed to be as transparent as possible.
Affordable housing
Should Berkeley tenants get first dibs on buying their landlord’s property?
The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act has not even reached the City Council, but it’s already generating plenty of controversy, and support.
With SB35 approval, affordable housing to replace South Berkeley credit union
Cooperative Center will move so that a 100% affordable housing project, which includes units for tenants who were formerly homeless, can be built.
Housing-and-hotel combo among new buildings proposed in South Berkeley
Local developers have set their eyes on South Berkeley and put forward their vision for at least two new buildings where Walgreens and True Value now operate.
Homes in Berkeley for $162K? Low-income condos for sale for first time in 14 years
First-time home buyers can apply for one of the six units on San Pablo Avenue.
Commercial development
Capoeira school secures funding from Berkeley to help purchase its building
The 40-year-old Capoeira Foundation has brought thousands to Berkeley and now hopes to own its home.
Berkeley City Club will be ‘endangered’ unless needed repairs are funded
As the beautiful building designed by Julia Morgan prepares to celebrate its 100th birthday, it is also kicking off a 10-year, $10 million effort to finance long-deferred structural repairs.
South Berkeley neighbors say new YEAH! youth shelter location won’t work
A proposal to move a longstanding emergency shelter for youth from University Avenue to South Berkeley met with steep resistance from neighbors Tuesday night.
Berkeley Kaiser Permanente offices could open by 2021 after council vote Tuesday
Officials approved a new Kaiser Permanente medical center on San Pablo Avenue after property owner Wareham agreed to give four months of free rent to several of its struggling tenants who have to move.
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.
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.
Downtown Berkeley’s Harold Way saga ain’t over yet
Efforts are afoot at City Hall to see if the 18-story, $150 million mixed-use housing complex planned on Harold Way may still, in fact, be viable — even though the developer told the city that he had scrapped the plans.
Developer suddenly pulls the plug on 18-story Harold Way complex in Berkeley
The developer behind an 18-story, nearly 300-unit project on Harold Way has scrapped those plans, putting an end to one of the biggest development battles Berkeley has seen in recent years.
Urban planning
Can Berkeley’s Civic Center become the heart of the city? Gehl Studio thinks so
The city has asked the community to help reimagine how Civic Center works with the goal of transforming it from a largely empty space into Berkeley’s “main square.”
Can an unfinished but ‘usable’ basement space be taxed? Berkeley says ‘yes’ and the courts have agreed
A number of property owners are challenging how the city assesses special taxes. They believe they have been overcharged and are seeking redress.
California Restaurant Association sues Berkeley over natural gas ban
The California Restaurant Association filed a lawsuit against the city of Berkeley in federal court Thursday over its decision in July to ban natural gas in many new buildings.
One of Berkeley’s largest landlords sells 6 apartment complexes to Texas group
The sale transfers 314 units around downtown that mostly house students and could bring over $4 million in transfer taxes to the city.
Architecture
Finnish entrepreneur’s costly vision to transform historic school gets go-ahead
This week, the Berkeley City Council approved plans by the man behind the “Finnish Amazon” to turn the landmarked Hillside School into a home and artist colony.
Last vacant lot on landmarked Greenwood Common is for sale
The site, known for its mid-century homes, isn’t under protective status, but current residents hope the new owner will “be respectful and honor the Common.”
Accusations of elder abuse and lies swirl around landmarking process for Save the Bay founder’s home
The Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a hearing tonight on whether to designate 1450 and 1440 Hawthorne city landmarks. In the meantime, the owners have filed a lawsuit against one another.
The creative and captivating world of Charles and Ray Eames at the Oakland Museum of California
The World of Charles and Ray Eames is a wide-ranging, all-inclusive must-see exhibit highlighting the talent of two California artists of incredible depth and variety.
Recent Stories
Landlords can’t conduct criminal background checks in Berkeley anymore
The Berkeley City Council unanimously approved the “fair chance” legislation Tuesday, after hearing emotional testimony.
Habitot Children’s Museum is ready to move, but fundraising poses a challenge
Now that the 18-story complex at 2211 Harold Way has fallen through, Habitot no longer faces immediate eviction. But it must still raise millions to move to its new site in South Berkeley
Protesters interrupt an open house on building student dorms at People’s Park
A meeting to gather input on Cal’s plans to create up to 1,200 beds for students at the Southside park drew some curious community members, a few students and also protesters who oppose construction on the historic site.
