Berkeley's Plan for the Homeless

This article provides an overview of Berkeley’s homeless services plan. Last November, the City Council approved a $1 million “Public Commons for Everyone Initiative,” which would include the following:

- $350,000 a year on rental subsidies and intensive support services for 10 to 15 chronically homeless adults.

- $200,000 on a "Berkeley Host Program" with people on the streets who would work among street people, visitors, residents, police and social services agencies to identify problems in the commercial districts.

- $142,000 for four new portable toilets downtown and expanded public toilet hours at two public parking garages.

- A $350-a-month stipend for business owners who want to open their bathrooms to the public.

- $100,000 in programs to help homeless youth.

- $60,000 on a central intake system to help Berkeley's approximately 800 homeless people find shelter.

-$60,000 on more seats and trash cans downtown.

- And $10,000 on new no-smoking signs.

The plan would be funded by an increase in parking meter fees—from $1.00 an hour to $1.25 per hour. The plan is design to get Berkeley’s 800 homeless people off the street and integrated back into society. Additionally, the plan bans sleeping on the sidewalks in commercial areas. It is also easier for police to issue citations for people camping on all sidewalks (the previous system required one citizen complaint and two police warnings; the current system requires one police warning). Concurrently, the Council also approved to ban smoking in public areas, namely sidewalks, parks, athletic fields, hiking trails and bike paths. The area left on the table for debate was whether or not there was an increased need for enforcement of people who sleep on the sidewalks.

Doug Oakley, "Berkeley Approves One Million for Homeless Services Plan," Oakland Tribune (Nov 29 2007).

Jenny Cheung