Bicycle Plan, Mental Health Services, Tree Planting, and More Berkeley News
Berkeley Receives $16.2 Million Homekey Award from State
The Golden Bear Inn, located in Northwest Berkeley, will be converted into 43 units of permanent supportive housing.
This month, the City of Berkeley was awarded $16.2 million from the State of California to acquire the Golden Bear Inn and convert it to 43 units of permanent supportive housing. The grant came from the State’s innovative Homekey program, which supports the conversion of hotels and other bridge housing to serve people experiencing homelessness. The project which is being developed by Memar Properties in partnership with Bay Area Community Services (BACS) will include 43 permanent supportive housing units with on-site amenities including space for counseling, a community room and a dining hall.
This grant is in addition to a number of recent projects in Berkeley to address the homeless crisis. In March, Berkeley received a $4.7 million grant from the State of California’s Encampment Resolution Fund, enabling the city to secure 42 rooms at the Rodeway Inn to house those currently living in People’s Park. Last year, the City worked with various partners to open up new shelters, including the Horizon Transitional Village and SPARK Safe RV Parking Site.
Services Available to Support Mental Health
Berkeley's Mental Health Center was recently renovated.
Mental health is an important part of one’s well-being, but an estimated one in five people are currently experiencing a mental health issue. Stress induced by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in the number of people suffering from a mental health illness. For too long, the stigma of mental health has made people hesitant to reach out for help. But help is out there, and people should not feel ashamed to seek help.
Last year, the City of Berkeley teamed up myStrength and Headspace, two apps that provide mental health support, to provide these services free to anyone aged 13 and older who lives, works, or goes to school in Berkeley. The MyStrength app provides personalized and interactive activities that address depression, anxiety, stress, substance use, chronic pain and sleep challenges. The Headspace app is a popular online meditation and mindfulness resource.
To sign up, visit the Help@Hand website and follow the instructions.
For myStrength subscription (active until October 31, 2022)
Scroll down and select the myStrength button
Complete the myStrength sign-up process, use access code: cityofberkeley and set up your profile.
For Headspace subscription (active until Sept. 30, 2023)
Scroll down and select Headspace button
Complete the Headspace sign-up process, enter "Berkeley" and your zip code where you work, live or go to school, and set up your profile.
Having our own Mental Health Division gives the City of Berkeley the freedom to tailor services closer to our community's needs. Berkeley's mental health has a significant focus on increasing access to mental health services, offering walk-in hours, operating a daytime mental health crisis line, and, for several decades, having a mobile crisis team to help people suffering from mental health crises. Many of the programs are primarily aimed at individuals with serious mental illness and major impairments and who have Medi-Cal or no insurance.
If you or someone you know is currently experiencing a mental health crisis, reference the following services:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7): 1-800-273-8255
Alameda County Crisis Support Services Hotline (24/7): 1-800-309-2131
Alameda County Crisis Text Line (4-11 PM/7 days/week): text SAFE to 20121
Berkeley Mental Health Mobile Crisis (11:30 AM-10 PM; Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun): 510-981-5254
Help Shape the Next Berkeley Bicycle Plan Update
Milvia Street has become the latest road to incorporate protected bike lanes.
In 2017, the current Bicycle Plan was approved. The vision of the Bicycle Plan is to make Berkeley a model bicycle-friendly City where bicycling is a safe, attractive, easy, and convenient form of transportation and recreation for people of all ages and bicycling abilities. Over the past five years, there has been increased interest in expanding bicycle infrastructure as climate change necessitates the need to consider commuting through alternate forms of transportation. Additionally, increased collisions and injuries of cyclists require that Berkeley look at how to make streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
On Thursday, April 28th at 12pm, the first virtual work session on the updated bicycle plan will take place. Click here to RSVP. If you are unable to attend, there are multiple ways to get involved, including filling out a survey and attending a future event.
The project team will develop an updated bicycle policy framework that will ultimately guide the City's priorities and decisions, making it easier, safer, and more comfortable to bicycle and roll in Berkeley. In fall 2022, the City will update project recommendations and prepare a Public Draft Plan based on your feedback. You will be able to review the Public Draft Plan and let us know your feedback. The Bicycle Plan update is scheduled for adoption in 2023. For more details, click here.
Help Expand Berkeley's Tree Population
There are over 10,000 potential locations for new trees to be planted along city streets, and your block could be one of them. Thanks to two state grants totaling over $1.2 million, the City has developed the Trees Make Life Better Program to inform residents of the potential for new street trees. Both grants will cover staff costs, trees, planting materials, marketing, watering, and concrete cuts if needed. Over the next 15 months, trees will be planted throughout West and South Berkeley. Specifically, the areas include west of San Pablo Ave, south of University Ave and West of Sacramento St, and south of Ashby and west of Shattuck Ave. A map of all areas can be found here, along with additional details.
To apply, fill out this application and email it to trees@cityofberkeley.info or mail it to:
Parks Division
Trees Make Life Better
1326 Allston Way, Bldg A
Berkeley, CA 94702
To commemorate Arbor Day, this year 50 trees are to be planted by volunteers at San Pablo Park on Saturday, April 30 from 10am-1pm. The City will provide the tools, trees, guidance, and lunch. Get your hands dirty, and learn about tree species, and the role trees play in our city. Volunteers should wear outdoor appropriate clothing (including closed-toed shoes) that can get dirtied by grass and soil. Click here to RSVP, and type in Arbor Day Tree Planting for the event name.
Habitot Children's Museum Adapts During Pandemic
Habitot’s Mobile Museum Pop-Up Events bring hands-on art to Berkeley communities in public parks.
Like many other organizations, Habitot was forced to close at the onset of the pandemic. Founded in 1998, Habitot is the only children’s discovery museum in the East Bay, providing children aged 0-5 an opportunity to learn and build their imaginations. It was previously slated to move from its downtown location to South Berkeley, but lost its new space due to lost revenue. Despite no longer currently having a physical location, Habitot has adapted to new times by providing virtual programming delivering weekly Habitot-at-Home activities to an online audience of 4,500 families, distributing hundreds of play and learning kits through social service agency partners to the most hard-hit families in our community, and recently, presenting pop-up events with mobile exhibits in Berkeley City Parks.
In December 2021, the City Council awarded Habitot with $100,000 to support the recovery of Habitot and its many agency partners so it can ramp up to pre-pandemic levels and continue to provide its broad services to young children, their parents, and caregivers, and our communities most vulnerable families. These funds have helped Habitot expand their programs, including a monthly BoxiTot kit containing art supplies and activities are sent to Berkeley families, the majority of whom are scholarship families receiving the kits for free. They have also partnered with Harrison House and the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center to provide Birthday-in-a-Box kits to family shelters so every child experiencing homelessness has a special party on their birthday.
Eventually, Habitot plans to open a new museum to inspire the next generation of inventors, artists, and scientists and provide memorable days for thousands of families.