Berkeley's Virtual Town Hall Summary and Tenant Rights

May 4, 2020

Town Hall Summary

Below is a summary of the virtual Town Hall that took place on Saturday, May 2nd. This provides useful information about the updated Shelter in Place Order, which is now in effect, and information about the City's new COVID-19 dashboard, testing, budget impacts, and crime during the state of emergency. You can watch the full video by clicking the image below.

Tracking Berkeley’s Cases

As of the morning of May 2, 2020, there are 53 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Berkeley and 1 death. 1,152 tests have been conducted, including 169 tests in the past week. 4.6% of tests have returned positive. 

The City has set up a new dashboard that is updated daily, providing information on the number of cases and tests in Berkeley. Alameda County also has a couple of dashboards - one on confirmed cases and demographic information, and number of cases by city, the other on hospitalization rates and deaths, and number of cases by ZIP code.

Shelter in Place Order Update

An updated Shelter in Place Order goes into effect on Monday. This extends the Shelter in Place until May 31st. Some activities, such as construction, landscaping, and other outdoor businesses have been relaxed. Below are useful links with additional information on this Order:

Testing Update:

Starting Monday, we will be able to test all Berkeley residents and workers who are symptomatic. People can set up an appointment at 510-981-5380. The test site is on Sixth Street, but people need to set up an appointment. We are unable to accept drop-ins. The City is testing asymptomatic people from high risk populations, such as homeless individuals and people living in assisted living facilities. Testing expansions are expected in the coming weeks.

Budget Update:

According to a report from the City Auditor published last week, the City will face lessening revenues as a result of the COVID-19 state of emergency and will need to take a long-term plan to plan for these financial shortfalls. This week, the Budget & Finance Policy Committee met to begin discussions on the budget update, including reviewing a report that expects a $25.5 million shortfall in the General Fund. 

On Monday, the City placed a hiring freeze and is currently looking into what deferrals can be made to address budget needs. The public is encouraged to participate in discussions regarding the budget. The Budget & Finance Policy Committee meets again on May 4th.

Crime Update:

On a typical week, there are over 200 calls for emergency services. During the Shelter in Place, that number has dropped to 135-145 calls a week. Most calls are relating to disturbances, shelter in place violations, alarms, and medical calls. Most crime has gone down, including burglaries (-24.1%), robberies (-18.4%), and aggravated assault (-14.3%). However, petty theft (<$950) is up 7.4%, grand theft (>$950) is up 56.4% - which can be attributed to a spike in catalytic converter thefts, and auto thefts are up 10.4%. These are preliminary figures, and need to be fully vetted which takes some time. However, we believe these are solid indicators of the crime situation in Berkeley.

The California Judicial Council reduced bail for all but the most serious violent felonies, so we are seeing people arrested and we have to cite them out (meaning they get a ticket) for many crimes. Regional and state Chiefs associations and DA’s offices are registering their concerns, because people are engaged in serious and dangerous activity, but they end up not being held. This is NOT a decision by local electeds, the DA’s office, BPD, etc., but by the Judges, who control the bail schedule.

Tenant Support

Tenant Protections.jpg

If you're struggling to pay rent due to COVID-19, you are protected by Berkeley's emergency eviction moratorium - but you must notify your landlord no more than 7 days after your rent is due.

A simple written notification via email or mail is sufficient, but you may be required to provide details at a later date. The Berkeley Rent Board has created a template you can use for this letter.

Renters who notify landlords on time would be allowed to pay back their rent within six months after the local State of Emergency expires. Landlords would not be able to charge late fees on the deferred rent and cannot evict for unpaid rent.

If you are a tenant or landlord that would like more information about what options you have available, the Rent Stabilization Board has set up a page with important information.

COVID-19 Resources

Stay up to date with the latest information and resources.

Jesse Arreguin