Tag: low-income housing

By Posted on Posted in Issues

At a meeting in January, BTU selected fellow Tenants Union member Kate Harrison as the best candidate for renters in the District 4 Special Election for City Council.

Kate Harrison won overwhelming support at the endorsements meeting since she is already well-known for her leadership in getting the landlord tax passed last fall (Measure U1) as well as for her community work making sure big developers are forced to fund affordable units in Berkeley. Her platform also includes using a portion of the transfer tax on homes sold in Berkeley to fund even more low-income housing. Kate also wants to allow limited equity coops to use Housing Trust Fund money to purchase existing rental housing in order to keep it affordable.

Learn More About Kate’s Housing Proposals
http://electkateharrison.com/issues/

Video from League of Women Voters Forum
https://www.lwvbae.org/elections/

The election is being held by mail to save costs. Ballots must be in by March 7th. The special election is needed because BTU member Jesse Arreguin, who was the District 4 Councilmember, was elected mayor last November.

Ben Gould Corrects Campaign Violations
“…violations of the Berkeley Election Reform Act had been committed, but determined that the violations had been corrected promptly.”
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/02/17/berkeley-watchdog-panel-declines-further-probe-into-gould-campaign/

How the Candidates Differ
“Harrison emphasized protecting existing tenants against displacement by limiting short-term housing, protecting rent control, and enforcing rules on owner move-in evictions.”
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/01/25/berkeley-candidates-for-vacant-council-seat-differ-on-approaches/

Harrison Q&A
“I would like to expand the current program helping building owners pay for energy improvements through their property taxes to include safety improvements for artists’ live/work spaces to avoid repeating the tragedy at the Oakland Ghost Ship. We cannot afford to lose our creative community either through disaster or displacement.”
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2017/02/07/district-4-candidate-kate-harrison/

 

By Posted on Posted in Issues

Berkeley’s Below Market Rate rentals program needs a lot of tweaks, but BTU is excited to share the city’s announcement that 20 newly-constructed units are opening for applications. A building on San Pablo in South Berkeley is accepting applications for 15 units this week, with three more units opening in September on MLK and Dwight and another four offered on University Avenue near 4th Street.

Apartment owners handle applications themselves, although BTU and Councilman Arreguin have called for a city-wide waitlist for the future. A studio at the Higby on San Pablo will rent for $2200 at market – but a one bedroom will rent for $1,345 to renters who make less than $59,520 a year. Tenants who meet the income limits are encouraged to apply to all three projects, and share info with BTU about how the process really works.

Here is a sample chart with rents and income limits, although some units also are being offered to renters at lower income levels than these.

Screen Shot 2015-08-06 at 2.51.38 PM

The first deadline is Monday, August 10!

Follow this link for details: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=110963