Step-Up Housing

Designed for local nonprofit, BOSS – Step Up Housing provides 39 units of
supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness along a
centrally-located stretch of downtown Berkeley.
Step-Up Housing redefines the classic SRO by creating a model for the
50x100 Californian lot in Berkeley. The building is small enough to bypass
significant red tape and codes associated with group housing projects
while efficiently providing needed density to the San Francisco Bay Area.
The micro-units provide a comfortable alternative to emergency housing.
Each unit offers residents a greater sense of security, dignity, and comfort
over the typical SRO – featuring their own private bathroom, kitchenette
with a mini fridge and a desk.
Located along bustling University Avenue, residents have easy access to
public transit, parks and all that downtown Berkeley has to offer. The U-
shaped design centers an open courtyard with outdoor seating and native
planting, providing a peaceful space. Residents can also gather on sunny
patios on the 2nd and 4th floors, enjoying panoramic views of the Bay.
The common spaces will host supportive services, meals, healthcare and
residential amenities with staff on-site at all times who can help with case
management, job navigation, mental health and addiction recovery, and
applying for medical care benefits.
Made possible by Berkeley residents who passed measures O and P to
support affordable housing and services for the unhoused, the four-story
structure is a permanent building for transitional housing. A building
mindfully built with resilience for its formerly unhoused residents and the
community of Berkeley.