Remote Surveillance Trailer in Berkeley, CA

Berkeley Unified School District employees as well as others with low or moderate incomes have until September 11 to apply for a waitlist lottery for 110 new affordable apartments in Berkeley.

You’ll have to earn at least double the monthly rent, while also not making more than the maximums for the different income levels. The size of your household is also considered when calculating income.

For example, there are units for individuals making at least $21,576 or up to $134,280. For a household of four, the income range for available units goes from $25,896 up to $127,840. Read the application portal to see if your household size and income fits any of the units.

The lottery gives preferences to certain categories of people. Full- and part-time Berkeley Unified School District employees, especially those experiencing homelessness, receive the highest preferences. Additional lottery preferences prioritize those displaced by BART construction, foreclosure, or eviction. Living in a redlined neighborhood or having a child are other preferences.

Apply for the waitlist lottery by 5:00 p.m. on September 11 by using the application portal – which also includes information about available units, rent, income requirements, and the selection process.

Housing to support BUSD employees

BUSD Workforce Housing is managed by Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, a nonprofit affordable housing developer. Available units include:

Units are set aside for households at 30%, 50%, 60%, 80%, and 120% Area Median Income (AMI) levels. Rent ranges from $899-$3,283 per month depending on the unit size and the household AMI.

The housing development is located on San Pablo Ave, near University Ave. It is a 10-minute walk from North Berkeley BART and close to AC Transit lines 72 and 52.

Amenities include:

Housing lottery preference for BUSD staff and others

BUSD employees, both teaching and non-teaching staff, receive the highest ranking in the lottery for the BUSD Workforce Housing development. BUSD staff receive preference in the following order:

Additional lottery preferences apply for:

Read more details on the application page. If you qualify for preference because of BART displacement or foreclosure, you should apply for a certificate as soon as possible.

City strategies to support affordable housing

The 110 affordable units being offered at BUSD Workforce Housing are one piece of a multifaceted effort to expand affordable housing options in Berkeley. The City provided $26,500,000 to this project with funds from voter-approved Measure O.

BUSD contributed the land for this housing project in response to staff needs for affordable housing. According to a 2018 staff survey, two-thirds of BUSD staff live outside of Berkeley and over half have considered leaving BUSD due to high housing cost. Affordable housing is one tactic that school districts around the state are taking to attract and retain staff.

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. 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:

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

If you’re interested in learning about all affordable housing opportunities, sign up for two email lists:

For questions on the application process for these units, please call (877) 461-4902 or email berkeleyworkforcehousing@sahahomes.org, and don’t forget to apply on the Doorway Housing Portal by 5pm on September 11, 2026.

Note: this message was updated on September 8, 2026 to reflect a new application deadline.

Links

It’s long been called Berserkely for a reason.

Berkeley, birthplace of the 1960s free speech movement, has always had its quirks, its grit, its radicals and free spirits.

But it hasn’t always had entire street corridors swathed in rat-infested homeless encampments.

That disgrace is of more recent vintage.

And it shows that Berkeley –– like Los Angeles and other California cities with laissez-faire homeless policies –– needs to get real.

As a mom’s viral video showed this week, the 1150 block of Harrison Street is crammed with tents, junk, garbage, graffiti, blocked sidewalks and total chaos.

“I just dropped my son off at @UCBerkeley housing and as we were approaching we saw this behind his apartments. Shame on @CityofBerkeley @CityofAlbanyCA @UCBerkeleyNews,” the mom, TV reporter Lyanne Melendez, wrote on X.

All this, less than 3 miles from the iconic campus.

The city, meanwhile, has been sued from both sides: Homeless people and their advocates oppose razing the mess, while nearby business and property owners of course want it gone.

Berkeley officials are pushing to clear the chaos on health and safety grounds, but a judge has said the city must assist some of the tent-dwellers before completing the cleanup.

The struggle for progress raises a basic question: Why did Berkeley let it get this bad in the first place?

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The same can be asked of other cities, including Los Angeles, Oakland and Long Beach.

The filth, disease and decrepitude show the consequences of faux compassion, unchecked permissiveness and “nonprofit” profiteering off the taxpayers under the guise of providing never-ending services.

Homeless encampments grow out of control and, to some, are normalized.

That makes eradication all the more difficult when things reach a crisis point and then some.

And Berkeley’s street junkyard is yet another sign that “housing first” policies fail wherever they’re tried. Not only is there never enough “housing” to clear the homeless from the streets, but simply sticking addicts indoors does nothing to solve underlying substance abuse and mental-illness issues.

Cities, along with the state of California itself, need to shift to treatment-first models that center on the causes of chronic homelessness.

And finally, the rat-infested disaster in Berkeley shows just how far public safety has fallen off the priority radar of many “progressive” lefty cities.

Rats trapped near the Harrison Street encampment have tested positive for leptospirosis, a dangerous bacterial infection that can cause breathing problems, organ failure and even death.

Also this week, a Berkeley homeless man allegedly attacked three contractors with a metal pipe when they tried to clear him from a church near the university.

Enough. Berkeley, Los Angeles and other permissive California cities are long overdue for a return to law, order and public spaces that are kept in clean working order for the public.

Berserkely can keep its quirky charm. But the failed homeless policies? They’ve got to go.

Renew online, in person, or by mail; existing permits expire June 30, 2026. Use the online parking permit portal for fastest service and to purchase one-day visitor passes.

Berkeley residents who own a car and live in a residential parking permit area can quickly renew their annual permit or apply for a new one online.

The Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) permits allow residents in designated areas to park their cars close to home for more than two hours during posted enforcement hours. Residents who do not renew their permit could get a ticket starting July 1.

If you renew on or after July 1, you will need to submit a new application with photo ID and current vehicle registration.

While residents can also renew by mail or in person, the easiest and fastest way to renew or apply for a permit is via the online parking permit portal.

Renew or apply online

Residents with existing permits should have received renewal instructions by email and mail. Current permit holders can renew via the online parking permit portal using their login information.

Some may need to use a link code on the renewal letter to renew their permits. If you lost the renewal letter, request your link code by calling 311 when inside Berkeley city limits, or dial (510) 981-2489 from anywhere.

If any information is wrong, such as an incorrect RPP area, or if your permit is marked "suspended," you’ll need to submit a new application instead of renewing.

Online renewals are processed in 5-7 business days. You’ll receive an email confirmation upon approval.

Annual permits are valid only after the application is approved and the $85 payment is received.

By Mail: Renew or Apply

To renew by mail, complete the payment coupon from your renewal notice. Include a check or money order for $85 payment (made payable to City of Berkeley). Then mail everything by June 15 to:

City of Berkeley RPP Permit RenewalPO Box 29Berkeley CA 94701

To apply by mail, download the application, then send the completed forms with supporting documents and an $85 payment check or money order to:

1947 Center St, 1st Floor Berkeley CA 94704

In Person: Renew or apply

To renew or apply in person, visit the Customer Service Center:

1947 Center St, 1st Floor Berkeley CA 94704Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am - 2:00 pm (closed on City holidays)

If you’re seeking to renew, bring your renewal letter.

If you’re applying for a new permit in person, bring proof of residency documents, fill out an application, and purchase a permit by cash, check, money order, Visa, or Mastercard.

Purchasing options for short-term visitor permits

Any residents in RPP zones can purchase visitor parking permits for guests staying more than two hours. You do not need to have a car or an annual RPP permit to buy a visitor permit. Purchase requires a government-issued photo ID and proof of Berkeley residency.

Use the parking permit portal to purchase one-day digital visitor permits. These permits are valid for 24 hours from the time of activation. You can activate up to 5 digital one-day passes at once.

Hangtag visitor permits for a single day, or 14 consecutive days can be purchased in person at the Customer Service Center.

Enforced through license plates, not stickers

Once your application is approved, your license plate will be your permit. You will not receive a sticker in the mail.

Parking enforcement officers have been using automated license plate readers in Berkeley since 2016. Violation data is kept for one year. Our privacy policy is that no data is kept for more than 30 days unless we act, such as through a citation or violation found. This database is a closed system, not linked to any other database, such as DMV databases.

Be sure to renew your permit online, in person by June 30, or June 15 by mail.

Links

Kids from tots to teens can come on Wednesday, July 1 for carnival games, giant inflatables, hot dogs, burgers, a petting zoo, tot zone, sports & more!

Parents and caregivers can bring their children to Grove Park for a day of free games, activities, animals, and lunch at the Community Carnival and Picnic.

Kids can bounce on giant inflatables, race through an obstacle course, or try different sports. There will be a petting zoo with bunnies and goats, classic carnival games, and a special tot zone just for the little ones.

Enjoy music, snap silly photos in the photo booth, and grab a free lunch. Hot dogs, burgers, veggie options, and chips are all on the menu.

Please register online before June 29 to speed up check-in. Children ages 10 and under should come with an adult.

Wednesday, July 1, 202610:00 am – 4:00 pmGrove Park, 1730 Oregon StreetRegister

Free activities for kids and teens

Join your neighbors at Grove Park for a day of games, activities, and food. Lunch for tots starts at 11:00 am, and general lunch starts at noon.

Your kids can meet others from any of the 18 different City of Berkeley-run summer camps. Children from private camps, as well as friends and neighbors, are welcome too.

Here’s what you’ll find at the free picnic:

Please consider biking via our bike boulevards. Or, use a shared bike or scooter, AC Transit, or carpool with friends. The Ashby BART station is a block away. Bike parking at Grove Park will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

This is one of many free events offered by Berkeley’s Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department.

Check out our Online Recreation Portal and community calendar to find camps, classes, and activities for all ages, year-round.

Kick off summer with your kids at Grove Park on July 1. Come for the games, stay for the fun and food.

Community calendar, event, and registration

Plan ahead: consider walking, biking, or taking public transit. Avoid $335 parking fines or towing fees. Home game days in 2026 are Sept. 5, 19, 25; Oct.10, 17; and Nov. 21, 28.

Fans and visitors coming near Memorial Stadium on Cal football game days can avoid hassle, traffic, towing, and parking fines by using public transit, walking, or biking.

BART trains, AC Transit buses, and free UC Berkeley gameday shuttles provide convenient access to Memorial Stadium. Borrow a shared bicycle or scooter or ride your own on Bancroft Way’s protected two-way bicycle lane. Walk or roll through the vibrant Southside neighborhood to the stadium.

Alternatives to driving keep you out of the game day traffic. You’ll also avoid the 8:00 am to 11:00 pm parking restrictions required by the surge of vehicles:

Home games for the 2026 season are on September 5, 19, and 25; October 10 and 17; and November 21 and 28.

Plan ahead for Cal football game days. Take the bus, ride a bike, scooter, or walk. Avoid $335 parking fines or vehicle towing.

Transit options for Cal game days

BART and AC Transit operate near California Memorial Stadium on game days. Downtown Berkeley BART Station is about one mile from the stadium. AC Transit lines 6, 22, 27, 36, 51B, 52, and F offer stops near the stadium.

UC Berkeley offers a free Gameday Shuttle connecting Downtown Berkeley BART Station to drop-off points near the stadium. It also has ADA golf carts for attendees needing mobility assistance.

Docked bike-share stations and rental e-scooters are available throughout the Southside and Downtown areas. Rent a bicycle or e-scooter and use protected bicycle lanes on Bancroft Way, Dana Street, and Fulton Street to get around.

Park carefully and follow signage instructions

Street parking signs will reflect gameday parking restrictions in the area. Drivers should pay particular attention and follow instructions on the street parking signs.

View the 2026 Cal Football Game Day Parking Enforcement map. See where unpermitted vehicles will be subject to fines or towing, including for those with a Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) permit.

City-owned parking garages are available for game day parking. Telegraph-Channing Garage has a special Cal Football Gameday rate of $60.

Certain streets closed to vehicle traffic for emergency access

Several of the streets closest to the stadium will be closed to through-traffic on game days:

Even residents must avoid parking on certain streets

All vehicles – even those with a valid RPP permit – will be fined $335, towed, and charged a $264 towing fee if parked on the following streets:

Plan ahead for Cal football game days. Avoid traffic, tickets, and towing. Take public transit, bike, scooter, walk – or a combination of those.

Resources for game day parking and transportation