The Housing Workshop, in conjunction with Urban Math, conducted a comprehensive study of social housing and related forms of mixed-income housing for the City of Berkeley, CA. The study included case studies of international and national social housing models including Vienna, Copenhagen, Montgomery County MD, and Seattle, along with site studies, pro formas of varying income mixes, and a focus group to set the stage for near-term implementation.

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The study explored income mixes for both rental and ownership structures including 50/50 affordable and market rate and 100% affordable spanning 30-120% of Area Median Income (AMI). 

 

For the site-specific analysis and financial work, The Housing Workshop initially focused on city-owned land, connecting the concepts of social housing directly to pilot project implementation. However, none of the available city-owned sites had adequate scale or near-term development potential. This led to other innovative options including potential City purchase of recently entitled pipeline sites slated for market rate housing, as well as potential public acquisition of older rent-stabilized multifamily properties to achieve affordable unit preservation in perpetuity. This acquisition/rehab model incorporating social housing mixed-income, cross-subsidy approaches also aligned with Berkeley's existing Small Sites program. 

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Another unique aspect of the Social Housing Study was the convening of a mixed-income focus group, recruited through a partnership with Healthy Black Families, a local non-profit committed to health and equity, along with participants recruited from local real estate brokers for market-rate households. Focus group participants ranged from a single mother with a special needs child and a Section 8 voucher to several multi-generational low income households, to a range of moderate income younger and middle-aged residents, to market rate renter households. The focus group session explored each participant's housing search story, current and future housing needs, potential interest in living in a fully mixed-income environment, and discussion of a range of self-governance models. The tenure scenarios presented focused primarily on rental housing, but ownership structures were also explored. 

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The Berkeley Social Housing Study report can be downloaded here. It was presented to the City's Housing Commission and to City Council. Despite very strong support, a delay in implementation was necessary due to Berkeley's fiscal constraints. but the City will be ready to move forward when a regional housing bond is approved.  ​