UC Berkeley announces developer for supportive and affordable housing at People’s Park | Housing

UC Berkeley announced Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, or SAHA, as the developer for the construction of affordable and supportive housing on the former site of People’s Park this morning. 

The decision comes two years after a state appellate court ruling delayed progress on the development and the initial developer dropped out. Campus has lacked a developer since, despite starting construction on the student portion of the housing. 

The building is expected to have approximately 100 units of apartments as “previously envisioned” with the possibility to “modestly” increase the amount after funding and design are finalized, according to a press release. However, the amount of funding secured will ultimately determine the amount of affordable versus supportive housing. 

In a meeting last month, UC Berkeley Director of Local Government and Community Relations Ruben Lizardo said he “assumes” the project will consist of 50 units of affordable housing and 50 units of permanent supportive housing, despite campus’s previous claim that the permanent supportive housing development will contain approximately 100 apartments. Campus spokesperson Kyle Gibson stated in an email that Lizardo was not speaking on campus’s behalf at the meeting. 

The press release states that supportive housing is more costly to operate in comparison to affordable housing because it includes on-site service to tenants and long-term support.

Funding provided by the city of Berkeley and the state of California amounts to about $30 million; however, additional funding is still required to complete the project, according to the press release. While working with UC Berkeley, SAHA plans to seek additional funding through public and philanthropic avenues. 

“The university, City of Berkeley, Alameda County, State of California, and SAHA are aligned in their shared goal of including as much permanent supportive housing as possible in the project,” the press release said. 

Construction of the supportive housing is set to start after the opening of the student apartments in fall 2027. 

“We’re proud to welcome SAHA as a new partner in the People’s Park housing project,” said UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons. “Our provision of this land for this project underscores the university’s deep commitment to advance the greater good by expanding the supply of urgently needed housing for our community’s most vulnerable residents.”