Berkeley Mayor Lauds People’s Park Housing Partnership

BERKELEY, CA — Berkeley’s top elected official is singing the praises of a new partnership that will bring student housing to People’s Park.

Under a partnership between the city, UC Berkeley and some nonprofits that was announced last week, the park’s 42 homeless residents will be housed temporarily at a Rodeway Inn for up to 18 months.

The plan includes developing about 40 percent of land at the park, leaving 60 percent as open space. Remembering the park's history is also part of the university's plans.

“It is time for a new vision for People’s Park,” Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín tweeted Thursday morning.

"This partnership will allow us to honor the rich history of the park while addressing the challenges Berkeley faces today: the serious shortage of student housing and rising homelessness.”

Currently, 55 people are unhoused at People's Park, said Ari Neulight, UC Berkeley's outreach coordinator for the park.

While that's more than the 42 available at the Rodeway Inn, some of the 55 are close to having housing already and other pathways to housing will be available to park residents.

Concurrent with housing People's Park residents at the Rodeway Inn is a plan to open a daytime drop-in center at the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley.

The Sacred Rest Daytime Drop-In Center will be open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The center will offer unhoused people in the Telegraph Avenue area meals, mental health counseling, navigation to housing, and among other services, shelter referrals. It's anticipated to open by this summer.

"We are ready," said Joey Harrison, executive director and founder of The Village of Love, which will be providing the services at the drop-in center. "My team is ready to go."

Berkeley leaders called the partnership announced Wednesday a historic one.

"Nothing like this has happened before," said Berkeley City Councilman Rigel Robinson of the partnership between the community and the university to help the homeless.

The project is being made possible in part financially through a $4.7 million grant from California's Encampment Resolution Funding Program, which funds projects to help people in homeless encampments. The university is pitching in $2.2 million.

The $4.7 million will cover the city's responsibility for the lease at the hotel for 12 months and for services provided by Abode Services. The $2.2 million will cover the project's expenses for the remaining 18 months of the lease.

Abode Services will be providing daily meals, access to health care, transportation support and workers to help the residents find permanent housing.

Each person who moves in at the Rodeway Inn will get a remodeled private room, kitchenette and bathroom, clean linens and toiletries, access to laundry facilities and housekeeping services.

The housing the university is building at People's Park will include 1,100 spots for students as well as 100 units of permanent supportive housing for low-income and formerly homeless residents.

— Bay City News contributed to this report