Apply by Feb. 23 for one of 88 new permanently affordable apartments in downtown Berkeley

Households that make less than $88,000 annually can apply to be included in a housing lottery for 88 apartments at Berkeley Way - an innovative affordable housing complex created, funded and coordinated through City efforts.

Your household's size creates a range of maximum incomes to qualify.

• A 1-person household could make no more than $47,950 to qualify for one of the 54 units reserved for those earning 50% of the area median income. A five-person household could make no more than $74,000 for those same units.
• There are also 34 units reserved for those making up to $57,540 or $88,000, the range showing the difference from a 1- to 5-person household.

The property will accept Shelter Plus Care Certificates, Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) and other valid rental assistance programs. Some units are subsidized by the Section 8 Project-Based Voucher Program.

Apply online by 5pm February 23 to enter the housing lottery. The application portal run by Alameda County also includes information about available units, rent, income limits, income minimums, and the selection process.

Preference will be given to those households where at least one person lives or works in Alameda County.

A variety of units, with many shared amenities

The 6-story building on Berkeley Way between Shattuck and Milvia has studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments. It also has laundry facilities, play areas for children, a community room, secure bicycle storage and onsite professional management.  

The property will be managed by the Bridge Housing Corporation, a nonprofit property manager, and housing developer selected by the City of Berkeley through a competitive bidding process.

Available units include:

• At 50% Area Median Income:
  • 17 studio apartments
  • 18 1-bedrooom apartments
  • 19 2-bedroom apartments
• At 60% Area Median Income:
  • 16 studio apartments
  • 18 1-bedroom apartments

Online applications through the Alameda County Housing Portal are strongly encouraged. Printable applications, which can be found on the portal, must be mailed and postmarked by the 5 pm, February 23 deadline. 

Applications will be randomly ordered through a lottery process and property management will contact applicants in order of their ranking until all vacancies are filled. Applications submitted after the February 23 deadline will not be accepted.

A high rank on the application list does not guarantee that a rental application will be approved.  BRIDGE will review applications to determine if they meet eligibility requirements.

The Berkeley Way Project: housing to support a variety of needs

The 88 below-market units being offered at Berkeley Way are one piece of a multifaceted effort to address a range of needs to help some of our community's most vulnerable.

The adjoining "Hope Center," which will be run by the Berkeley Food and Housing Project, will include 53 permanent supportive housing apartments, a 32-bed homeless shelter, 12 transitional beds for homeless veterans, a community kitchen, and wraparound services for mental health, substance abuse, job training, and social activities. Hope Center vacancies will be filled on a referral basis through the coordinated entry system used in Berkeley and Alameda County

This project uses land converted from a former City parking lot. The City also provided $27 million in loans through the Housing Trust Fund program, using Measure O bond funds, general funds generated pursuant to Measure U1, and other local sources.

The City land is being leased to the two nonprofits managing the site, BRIDGE and Berkeley Food and Housing Project. Those agencies leveraged the City funds with low-income housing tax credits, state financing (including funding from the No Place Like Home and Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities programs), and funding generated from Alameda County's Affordable Housing Bond Measure A1.

City coordination of this effort was led by the City's Housing and Community Services Division, a part of the Department of Health Housing and Community Services.

Additional City Affordable Housing Strategies

In addition to managing the City's Housing Trust Fund Program, the Housing and Community Services Division uses several other strategies to expand affordable housing opportunities, such as:

• implementing inclusionary requirements for new market rate ownership and rental projects
• 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

While the City does not own or operate any housing, you can learn more about affordable housing resources.

For questions on the application process for these units, please call (510) 529-4415 or email  berkeleyway.leasing@bridgehousing.com.

Links

• Apply online   (Alameda County Housing Portal)
• Berkeley Way Website
• Affordable housing resources
• Looking for affordable housing in Berkeley brochure (PDF)