Berkeley Urban Dictionary (“BUD”) is an occasional column in which The Bunion offers insight into the unique vernacular that defines our town. Today’s columnist is Dee Koder. Ms. Koder is a nationally recognized expert on urban real estate.
Today’s column will introduce common terms used in reference to housing.
| A Berkeleyan says… | They mean… [Bunion notes in italics] |
| Evil Developers | No one profited from building my home: it grew fully formed from the ground |
| Predatory Landlords | People who provide housing but whom I resent. Also known as REAPors – Real Estate Apex Predators |
| Luxury units | Any new unit created by Evil Developers for whom “ghetto ass housing” is admittedly not a very good marketing term though I will never say that aloud. |
| Affordable Housing | Housing that I personally can afford, not the HUD definition that is indexed to income. Incongruously used to mean housing for the homeless who often have no income and can’t afford housing in Berkeley. |
| Supportive housing | Heavily subsidized units for drug addicts and others who need intensive on site support. Must be built in Berkeley because the service providers don’t want to move. |
| Rapid Rehousing | The solution to homelessness. Subsidy program that allows politicians to claim success in “transitioning people to permanent housing” while ignoring the fact that subsidies ramp down to zero over six months. |
| STAIR center | A wildly successful solution to homelessness. Mayor Arreguin’s pride and joy, but with no performance metrics. Cherry picks easy cases from the homeless many of whom return to the street |
| Rent Control | Someone else subsidizes my lifestyle. Also, I am the Mayor |
| Richmond | Home of CM Bartlett during the first few years of his term in office, in violation of the City Charter |
| Rent Board | Marxists |
| Gentrification | Improving housing stock is bad and hurts people of color who have no agency |
| Building Permit | Harder to get than the Nobel Prize |
| Accessory Dwelling Unit | Backyard cottage that I have no intention of renting. |