Berkeley Goes Big On Affordable Housing Investment

BERKELEY, CA — The city of Berkeley is investing big on affordable housing.

Berkeley’s City Council unanimously voted to allocate $53 million to develop hundreds of new affordable homes at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations.

The funding commitment to affordable housing is the largest in city history.

“This vote is the culmination of years of community planning,” Mayor Jesse Arreguin said in a statement.

“But it’s the wisdom of Berkeley’s voters that made this possible.”

Tuesday night’s vote culminates a process that began over three years ago with a series of community conversations.

The conversations led to Mayor Arreguin’s introduction of Measure O, an affordable housing bond that passed with 77 percent of the vote.

Tuesday night’s vote allocates $53 million of the $135 million generated by Measure O to develop affordable housing at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations.

The allocation is part of a broader progressive housing plan to create an equitable and sustainable community, the mayor’s office said in statement.

The voters passed not only Measures O, but also Measure U1, a gross receipts tax for housing development and retention. Further, the City Council will vote in June on its Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA).

Berkeley has also made strides to enhance development along the Adeline Corridor, enable upzoning, and much more.

By taking these actions, Berkeley officials aim to show that by working together we can achieve the goals of ending the affordable housing crisis and homelessness epidemic, while creating a rare chance to set a national example of how a courageous city can grow sustainably and responsibly, the mayor’s office said.