Youth Spirit Artworks

After 28 years of publication, Street Spirit, the beloved street newspaper of the East Bay, will halt publication following funding loss, effective June 30, according to a statement from the paper.

In its 27th year of production, Street Spirit continues to stand out as a far-from-ordinary source of news and advocacy in the East Bay. The paper is written entirely by and for unhoused people and their advocates, allowing those affected by poverty and houselessness to report on issues important to them.

Youth Spirit Artworks, or YSA, plans to open the United States’ first youth tiny house village this fall for unhoused youth in Berkeley and Oakland.

At its regular Tuesday meeting, Berkeley City Council discussed potential measures to include on the November 2020 ballot as well as whether to prioritize certain items in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Berkeley City Council approved 18 months of Measure P funding, allocating potentially $11-13.5 million of funding to homelessness services for the city of Berkeley.

City Council voted on two major budget proposals and enacted revised building codes to more effectively reduce emissions from newly constructed buildings.

YSA, a Berkeley art and job-training organization, has been planning its Tiny House Village since 2016. The village, which is projected to open July 1, 2020, will have 26 tiny houses in total — 22 for homeless youth and four for resident assistants.

On Saturday, Youth Spirit Artworks, or YSA, in partnership with over 15 non-governmental and interfaith organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Temple Beth El, began building a prototype for its Tiny House Village – a project that will eventually provide shelter for 100 homeless young people in the East Bay.

Berkeley resident Jan Sturmann has built four tiny homes in the past five years — he’s almost done building his fifth, and it’s looking for a home of its own.

Despite recent setbacks in a plan for their initial "tiny house village" — miniature residences in a community with on-site access to vocational programs — YSA hopes to expand the impact of its projects through the collaboration to help achieve its goals.