UC Berkeley wants tenants to relocate during coronavirus pandemic

UC Berkeley wants tenants to relocate during coronavirus pandemic

By Lynda Carson - April 20, 2020

With sky-high rents in Berkeley and the Bay Area, the tenants in a four story building at 1921 Walnut St., Berkeley, recently received a shocking, frightening notice during the midst of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic that has killed over 40,000 thousand people across the nation. A notice telling them that the Regents of the University of California wants them to relocate to another destination.

A notice dated April 20, 2020, to the tenants at 1921 Walnut St., Berkeley, in part states, “The Regents of the University of California (“the Regents”) propose to undertake the redevelopment of the property you currently occupy at 1921 Walnut Street, Berkeley. This notice is to inform you of your rights under Federal and or State Law. If you are displaced for the Project, you will be eligible for relocation assistance under the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA), as amended and/or California Relocation Assistance Law (Sec 7260 et. seq. of the CA Government Code. However, you do not need to move now. This is not a notice to vacate the premises or a notice of relocation eligibility.”

Additionally, the notice mentions that the Regents have retained a firm called Autotemp to assist the tenants in the relocation process. The staff at Autotemp will be conducting phone interviews beginning the week of April 27, 2020, to assess the relocation needs of the tenants. The tenants have been advised to contact Debbie Martinez of Autotemp at 888.202.9195 ext. 2 or Debbie [at] autotempservices.com , to make a convenient appointment.

The tenants are also being told that they need to continue paying their monthly rents to the landlord to avoid an eviction, and the loss of any relocation assistance.

Additionally, the tenants are also being urged not to move or sign any agreement to purchase or lease a unit before receiving formal notice of eligibility for relocation assistance.

If the tenants move or are evicted before receiving formal notice of eligibility for relocation assistance, they will not be eligible to receive any relocation assistance.

The notice also states, “If you are eligible for relocation assistance, you will be given advisory services, including referrals to replacement housing, and at least 90 days advance written notice of the date you will be required to move. You would also receive a payment for moving expenses and may be eligible for financial assistance to help you rent or buy a replacement dwelling.”

The tenants have been told that if they have any questions about the Project, to contact Kyle Gibson, Director of Communications, UC Berkeley Capital Strategies at 510.643.4793 or kyle.gibson [at] berkely.edu .

The notice is signed by Michelle De Guzman - Director, Real Estate Acquisitions and Development, Capital Strategies. Email contact: mdeguzman [at] berkeley.edu - Phone contact: 510 / 643-7373

A date on page two mentions that the notice was posted to the tenants on 4/17/2020.

According to apartments.com, as of April 2020, the average apartment rent in Berkeley, CA is $1,608 for a studio, $1,767 for one bedroom, $2,452 for two bedrooms, and $3,546 for three bedrooms per month.

Additionally, according to Zumper’s rent statistics in April 2020: Oakland is next door to Berkeley and the median price for a one bedroom apartment is $2,400. In nearby San Francisco the median rent price for a one bedroom apartment is $3,500 per month.

Indeed, with the rents nearly impossible to pay for many in the Bay Area, and California, it appears like it may be more than an inconvenience for the tenants to try to relocate from 1921 Walnut St., Berkeley, during the midst of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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