Apply Now For One Of 16 New Permanently Affordable Apartments In Northwest Berkeley

Press release from the City of Berkeley:

September 21, 2020

Lottery applications due October 13

Berkeley, California (Monday, September 21, 2020) - A new apartment building in northwest Berkeley is taking lottery applications for sixteen affordable units created through the City's Below Market Rate program. Applications are due to the property manager by 5pm October 13.

Given the high cost of construction and land, inclusionary units are a critical way to increase the amount of affordable housing units in the City.

Applications due October 13

The 170-unit Jones Berkeley, located at 1500 San Pablo, includes sixteen apartments reserved for "very low income" households - those making no more than $45,700 to $65,250 a year, depending on the unit type. There are:

• four studios
• five 1-bedroom apartments
• six 2-bedroom apartments
• one 3-bedroom apartment

Find details about the available units, rent, income limits, and selection process on the Alameda County Housing Portal, where you can also complete your application online.

Units will be awarded by lottery. Applications are due by 5pm on Tuesday, October 13. The property manager will not accept applications after the deadline - there will be no exceptions.

Lottery will be held on October 22

The lottery will be held on October 22, 2020.

Being selected through the lottery does not guarantee that your rental application will be approved. Your application must be reviewed for income documentation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements. Details about the lottery procedures are available on the Jones Berkeley website.

City policy makes these units possible

These permanently affordable units were created through one of several strategies the City uses to expand affordable housing options.

BMR units in new rental projects such as Jones Berkeley are the result of the City's Affordable Housing Mitigation fee, which requires that a fee be paid into the Housing Trust Fund for each unit in the project or that a percentage of the units be made affordable to very low income households.

In most apartments, landlords can set any rent when a tenant vacates, even for rent-controlled units. However, rents set by the City's Below-Market-Rent program are permanently set below market rate, regardless of turnover. (Rents created through this program do increase as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's established income thresholds increase.)

Inclusionary requirements for condominiums

The City also has an inclusionary requirement for new ownership/condominium projects which requires that 20% of the total units be reserved for purchase by moderate income households.

Additional strategies to increase affordable housing supply

The City's Housing and Community Services Division does a number of things to create affordable housing, such as:

• connecting affordable housing developers to grant funding
• creating new leases of City land
• providing low-cost loans
• executing legal agreements and assisting with other essential steps

To learn more about affordable housing resources in Berkeley, visit cityofberkeley.info/affordable. The City does not own or operate any housing.

For questions on the application process and lottery for these units, please contact Jones Berkeley directly at jonesberkeleymgr@greystar.com or call (415) 793-9976.

Links

• Apply online (Alameda County Housing Portal)
• Jones Berkeley BMR webpage
• Affordable housing resources
• Looking for affordable housing in Berkeley brochure (PDF)

Keep up with City of Berkeley news via our News page, email or Follow @CityofBerkeley .

Press Contact: Matthai Chakko, (510) 981-7008

APPLY NOW FOR ONE OF 16 NEW PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS IN NORTHWEST BERKELEYLottery applications due October 13

Berkeley, California (Monday, September 21, 2020) - A new apartment building in northwest Berkeley is taking lottery applications for sixteen affordable units created through the City's Below Market Rate program. Applications are due to the property manager by 5pm October 13.

Given the high cost of construction and land, inclusionary units are a critical way to increase the amount of affordable housing units in the City.

Applications due October 13

The 170-unit Jones Berkeley, located at 1500 San Pablo, includes sixteen apartments reserved for "very low income" households - those making no more than $45,700 to $65,250 a year, depending on the unit type. There are:

• four studios
• five 1-bedroom apartments
• six 2-bedroom apartments
• one 3-bedroom apartment

Find details about the available units, rent, income limits, and selection process on the Alameda County Housing Portal, where you can also complete your application online.

Units will be awarded by lottery. Applications are due by 5pm on Tuesday, October 13. The property manager will not accept applications after the deadline - there will be no exceptions.

Lottery will be held on October 22

The lottery will be held on October 22, 2020.

Being selected through the lottery does not guarantee that your rental application will be approved. Your application must be reviewed for income documentation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements. Details about the lottery procedures are available on the Jones Berkeley website.

City policy makes these units possible

These permanently affordable units were created through one of several strategies the City uses to expand affordable housing options.

BMR units in new rental projects such as Jones Berkeley are the result of the City's Affordable Housing Mitigation fee, which requires that a fee be paid into the Housing Trust Fund for each unit in the project or that a percentage of the units be made affordable to very low income households.

In most apartments, landlords can set any rent when a tenant vacates, even for rent-controlled units. However, rents set by the City's Below-Market-Rent program are permanently set below market rate, regardless of turnover. (Rents created through this program do increase as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's established income thresholds increase.)

Inclusionary requirements for condominiums

The City also has an inclusionary requirement for new ownership/condominium projects which requires that 20% of the total units be reserved for purchase by moderate income households.

Additional strategies to increase affordable housing supply

The City's Housing and Community Services Division does a number of things to create affordable housing, such as:

• connecting affordable housing developers to grant funding
• creating new leases of City land
• providing low-cost loans
• executing legal agreements and assisting with other essential steps

To learn more about affordable housing resources in Berkeley, visit cityofberkeley.info/affordable. The City does not own or operate any housing.

For questions on the application process and lottery for these units, please contact Jones Berkeley directly at jonesberkeleymgr@greystar.com or call (415) 793-9976.

Links

• Apply online (Alameda County Housing Portal)
• Jones Berkeley BMR webpage
• Affordable housing resources
• Looking for affordable housing in Berkeley brochure (PDF)

Keep up with City of Berkeley news via our News page, email or Follow @CityofBerkeley .

This press release was produced by the City of Berkeley. The views expressed here are the author’s own.