Give input on funding priorities for housing and public service programs

Complete an online survey by Dec. 31 to help the City of Berkeley decide how to use federal funding to meet the housing and service needs of our community.

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Fill out a survey to help inform how the City of Berkeley spends federal funding for housing, rehabilitation, and public service programs over the next five years.

This federal funding can support programs such as building new affordable housing, fixing up existing affordable housing and public facilities, increasing awareness of fair housing law, or providing shelter for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Tell us which of these programs you see as the funding priorities for the coming five years.

Please complete the short online survey by December 31 and share it with others.

Help set priorities for funding

Your input helps the City of Berkeley decide how to prioritize an estimated $3 million annually in federal funding among identified programs. The survey is eight questions long and should take 10-15 minutes to complete.

The survey will ask you to rank how important various housing issues are to you:

• Build awareness of fair housing laws
• Interest-free loans for seniors and the disabled to repair or modify their home
• Improve nonprofit public facilities such as senior, childcare, or community centers
• Homeless programs and services
• Affordable housing development

You can also share additional ideas for priority areas you would like the City to consider funding in order to improve access to affordable housing, public facilities, and public services.

Feedback helps inform a five-year plan

Staff will use survey results to write a strategic plan for the next five years. You can provide feedback on the draft plan by:

• Attending a Housing Advisory Commission meeting in early 2025
• Attending a Council Meeting in spring 2025
• Providing written comment on the draft plan during the public comment period. Draft plans will be posted online and noticed in the Berkeley Voice (a local newspaper) when available.

To get notified of opportunities to get involved, email [email protected] to be added to the distribution list.

Increasing access to affordable housing

The answers we receive to the survey will inform the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan (CP), a strategic plan the City submits to United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) describing how granted funds will be used in the community.

The City of Berkeley receives annual funding from HUD through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) to implement housing and community service programs.

In the past, the City has used HUD funding for projects including:

• Grants for low- to moderate-income Berkeley homeowners and renters to make ADA access repairs to their home (managed by the Center for Independent Living)
• Support for the construction of the Grinnell, an affordable housing community for families and people with special needs (managed by Satellite Affordable Housing Associates)
• Connecting high-need individuals with Alameda County housing and homeless services (Bay Area Community Services)
• Repairs and accessibility improvements for the Adult Mental Health Clinic

Help inform the next five years of affordable housing and community support strategies in Berkeley. Complete the online survey by December 31.

Links

• Survey
• Housing Advisory Commission
• HUD Planning and Performance Reports