What makes a house a home? What makes the space you live in yours? Moving to a new city as a student can be as terrifying as it is exciting. And in a city such as Berkeley, housing is a hot topic of conversation — whether it’s the dialogue surrounding accessible living spaces or discourse around finding housemates who you can establish boundaries with.
As daunting of a task as it is to make Berkeley feel like home, we hope that by sharing some of our stories on finding, furnishing and fostering a sense of home, you will be comforted to know that you are not alone.
We must not forget that while we call Berkeley home — perhaps for only four years — there are countless Berkeley residents whose families have lived here for generations and whose lives we impact every day. Although we may spend our formative years in this city, we must remain cognizant of the rich history and culture that precedes and surrounds us.
‘A roof over my head’: Berkeley students, community face challenges with increasing rents
With enrollment increasing every year, the question and debates around housing are only growing, and with them, the conversations around the problems students face living in Berkeley.
— Ananya Rupanagunta
‘Move aside, Blackwell’: UC Berkeley builds even smaller, modernized dorms
Out-of-state students on campus are protesting the price of these dorms for being too cheap, as they come nowhere near the price of out-of-state tuition. For campus freshman Bigmon Eypile from New York, these prices are “unjust” and do not treat out-of-state students fairly.
— Christopher Ying
The spatula drawer
— Luke Stiles
A slippery slope up Channing Way
— Emma Solomon
CEQA Explained: How one statute is at the center of the battle over People’s Park
— Anna Armstrong
Calling Berkeley home as a transfer student
I spent nights falling asleep wondering how I would be able to successfully live on my own and be able to call Berkeley home. It wasn’t until I found meaningful relationships that I was able to make Berkeley my new home.
— Sophie Ward
Bored at home? What to do
— Clarissa Arceo
Home in two places
— Lucía Umeki-Martínez
Recipe for an impeccable dinner party
— Defne Karabatur
A girl and her love of indoor plants
— Madison Creekbaum
Why Blackwell is the best residence hall
— Caitlin Wang
To park or not to park, the impossible question
— Aditya Katewa
Where I feel most at home
— Aimee Han
How to apartment search in Berkeley
— Daisy Friedman
A PSA on ESAs at college
The complications of securing my right to an ESA in a sorority were difficult, but I know I helped set up a process for people in the future to follow and get the accommodations they need.
— Dina Katgara
Overrated versus underrated spots in Southside, Northside and Downtown Berkeley
As a Berkeley resident of two years, I feel I have the credentials to present to you — the most overrated and underrated spots in Southside, Northside and Downtown Berkeley.
— Ani Petrossian
My Therapeutic Yellow Wallpaper
— Elise Cline
Tales from far away
— Nicholas Clark
Seeing Berkeley in everything
— Amrita Bhasin
Darrell Owens: Housing activist
26-year-old Darrell Owens didn’t plan on becoming a housing activist. But growing up in Berkeley, he couldn’t watch idly while the city’s homelessness crisis worsened.
— Ratul Mangal
The Builder’s Remedy: California crackdown on housing explained
The 2021 creation of a Housing Accountability Unit in the HCD by Gov. Gavin Newsom has led to stricter judgment from the HCD — and harsher consequences for a noncompliant element.
— Kavya Gupta
