On the edge of West Berkeley, dozens of tents and vehicles can be seen congregating on Second Street as members of the unhoused community wait to be admitted to homeless shelters at full capacity.
Amid various implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, a single mother and her child resided in the basement of another family’s house in North Berkeley, struggling to make ends meet during the decline of the local and national economy.
With the enforcement of health protocols, an individual in South Berkeley found himself spending most evenings sleeping on the sidewalk facing the impossibility of following shelter-in-place orders.
Four Project Roomkey hotels will have leases extended into January
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The Rodeway Inn, one of the Project Runway hotels in Berkeley, will have its lease extended through January. Aside from Project Runway housing, Berkeley has also supplied a city-owned home and trailers.
On Tuesday, Alameda County extended Project Roomkey leases through the end of January 2021 for four hotels currently providing housing to members of the homeless community.
Two of Project Roomkey’s hotels are in Berkeley, and together they offer 69 units of housing. While the Rodeway Inn’s lease will be extended, the Quality Inn the other Project Roomkey hotel in Berkeley will not have its lease extended and will close Dec. 31. Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín said, however, he aims to provide the Quality Inn’s current residents with longer-term housing options before the end of the hotel’s lease.