The median sale price for a home in Berkeley is $1,330,833, following a downward trend from its alarming peak in 2022 and 2023. Essential workers such as teachers, nurses, social workers, and first responders face a harsh reality when it comes to housing in Berkeley, this price being the reason.
Renting offers no refuge, with the average monthly price soaring at nearly $2,700, climbing into the five thousands for families requiring more square footage. These essential workers keep cities comfortable, functioning, and safe, yet their salaries are no match for the vital jobs they fill. They’re being driven out of the very cities they serve due to the lack of affordable housing.
Berkeley teachers find themselves facing this matter. With starting salaries at $67,000, purchasing a home near their job is impossible. In fact, two out of three employees of Berkeley Unified School District are not Berkeley residents, which comes without shock due to the steep rates the city’s housing holds. BUSD has recognized this issue, and plans to move forward with the construction of a 110-unit complex offering affordable housing options for its employees and other residents below the median income.
Situated at 1701 San Pablo Avenue, new construction has brought about concerns for the urbanization of Berkeley. With the addition of University of California, Berkeley's ongoing construction for student housing and other new projects, Berkeley’s skyline is rising. However, it’s contradictory to be concerned about urbanization when the city offers very minimal housing for the very people that keep it functioning. These new developments of affordable housing are not only vital to the workers they benefit, but the city which depends on their occupations to function.
The living prices will rest between $876 and $3,400 depending on unit size and the financial circumstances of the renter. This offers both relief and options for those whose incomes would usually not provide enough to allow them to settle in Berkeley. Additionally, it brings more financial diversity to a city predominantly made up of upper middle class and upper class residents.
The $77.7 million project is funded by a combination of Berkeley’s general obligation bond, a loan from the California Housing Finance Agency, and federal housing tax credits. Although the project is financially demanding, it’s worth it to take some of the monetary burden off of essential workers and their families.
Building this development also makes BUSD one of 12 school districts in California to construct affordable housing for their staff, hopefully helping to pave the way for many more to come.
Construction of affordable housing aimed towards teachers and other essential workers should not be a point of contention. Berkeley residents rely heavily on the valuable occupations of these people, and should not only accept the construction of realistic housing options, but encourage this new step towards supporting essential workers.