The exterior of a building at 742 Grayson St. that will house a new homeless shelter in West Berkeley. Credit: Supriya Yelimeli
Berkeley will open a new, 24-hour emergency homeless shelter in West Berkeley in July managed by the Dorothy Day House after the City Council approved a $1.1 million contract with the nonprofit on Tuesday.
The shelter, which has capacity for 50 people, will be located at 742 Grayson St. and is currently set to operate from July 1 through September 2022. It will replace the city’s previous plans to establish an emergency outdoor shelter after officials were unable to find an appropriate location over the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is the first longterm shelter of its kind in the city.
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An ‘economic windfall’: Berkeley expects to get $68M in federal COVID-19 aid
Berkeley could get as much as $68 million in federal relief funds from the recently passed American Rescue Plan, the city said this week.
The money will be an “economic windfall for our city,” City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley said during a town hall meeting Monday evening.
“Obviously we’re very appreciative and excited that the city of Berkeley is going to get this very significant amount of funding to not just address the revenue losses we’ve experienced over the last year but to also help support our COVID response,” Mayor Jesse Arreguín said at the town hall.
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Berkeley Police Chief Andrew Greenwood. Photo: Emilie Raguso
Berkeley Police Chief Andrew Greenwood announced his retirement Thursday and said his last day at the department would be March 12.
Greenwood, a Berkeley native, has been at BPD for 35 years and became chief four years ago with a promise to make public trust his top priority.
“The time has come for me to focus on my family and our health, and give long overdue attention to our home,” he wrote in his brief retirement announcement, which he emailed to the department Thursday at 11:15 a.m.
Greenwood said Capt. Jen Louis will serve as interim chief, “effective immediately,” and has his “full support.” The city will conduct a national search for Greenwood’s replacement, according to a memo from the city manager that was posted Thursday.
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A mass COVID-19 vaccination site is operating in the north parking lot of Golden Gate Fields. Feb. 4, 2021. Photo: Pete Rosos
Berkeley teachers would be prepared to return to school if they receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers told the Berkeley Unified School District on Tuesday amid ongoing negotiations.
The counterproposal from the Berkeley Federation of Teachers (BFT) was made during labor talks about school reopenings in a hybrid model, and, if both parties agree, it could considerably speed up bringing kids back into classrooms.
But how fast is another question. Vaccine supply continues to be limited, and, although teachers are now eligible to be inoculated in Alameda County, residents aged 65 years and above are being prioritized for scarce slots.
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