Vision for Housing Justice

UC Berkeley needs an equity-centered, campus-wide student housing strategy. This could take the form of a UC Berkeley Center on Housing Justice or a UC Berkeley Housing Coalition, which would be a cross-campus collaboration and partnership that holds leadership accountable for working towards housing justice goals.

UC Berkeley needs to expand its suite of emergency services and programs to help students who are most impacted by the housing crisis and act on this expansion immediately. These immediate service expansion recommendations include the following:

1. An emergency housing model that includes designated on-campus units for emergency housing that have spaces to accommodate students with dependents, students with special accommodation needs who require a single occupancy room, and students with pets.

2. A safe parking program with designated parking spaces on campus for students who are living in their vehicles. See more information on the Safe Parking tab for the full safe parking recommendations.

3. Designated off-campus temporary housing to address the influx of students moving to Berkeley and searching for long-term housing at key times of the year. This includes creating hotel room blocks during key weeks prior to the start of the semester as there are limited vacancies at hotels near campus.

4. Expanded rental assistance and housing security deposit funds

5. Staffing, support and protocols providing after-hours and weekend services for students experiencing housing emergencies.

1. A strategic plan to ensure safe, accessible, affordable, and habitable housing for all UC Berkeley students that goes beyond the Housing Master Plan, which focuses solely on the development of future on-campus housing.

2. Guaranteed and uninterrupted year-round housing for students who do not have a place to go over winter break or summer, such as former foster youth. A process and structure to identify students who are eligible for this housing need, as well as financial support to offset the cost of year round housing.

3. Supportive and accessible housing that meets the needs of the diverse student body (e.g., including students with disabilities, students with dependents, and non-traditional students).

4. Housing contract, cancellation & appeals education and support.

5. Additional support for off-campus housing navigation that includes additional staff, roommate support, additional connections to landlords, and working directly with the Berkeley Rent Board and City of Berkeley around habitability issues.

6. Expanded rental assistance and housing security deposit funds and assistance to support students with the upfront costs of securing housing (before students have access to their financial aid packages).

7. Support for students in securing off-campus housing for those who do not have access to documentation of sufficient income or a co-signer.

8. Larger policy and advocacy efforts around the necessary changes required for financial aid packages that accurately reflect and meet the true cost of attendance and living expenses for students living in the Berkeley area.

9. Consideration and correction related to the impact that on-campus rent prices have on the off-campus rental market rate.

10. Development of effective on-going research and evaluation of students’ housing needs and experiences.