Stuart Street Apartments
The Stuart Street Apartments in South Berkeley is property adjacent to and owned by the McGee Avenue Baptist Church. As a joint project between the Historic McGee Avenue Baptist Church (MABC) and the Bay Area Community Land Trust (BACLT), Stuart Street addresses the dire housing needs of the Berkeley African American community by rehabilitating MABC’s eight-unit residential property into affordable housing for those under threat of displacement.
Stuart Street Apartments
Highlights:
Was acquired in 1978 by MABC to provide affordable housing for its low-income members.
As congregation dwindled and people moved away due to high costs of living, the building became vacant and experienced blight.
We broke ground with the ceremony shown above in September 2019, and new residents move in September 1, 2022. The renovation involved complete rebuilding of the structure. All plumbing, electrical and windows were replaced. A new roof was installed with 38 solar panels. Utilities were converted to all electric with high efficiency appliances. There are 7 one bedroom apartments and one studio. One apartment is fully ADA accessible. Most of the residents are people of color, many of whom were able to remain in South Berkeley.
Funding for the project came from the City of Berkeley, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. The Berkeley Rotary Club donated an Electric Vehicle and charger for the low income residents to use.
