Basic Needs

🚨 MSA West COVID-19 Relief Fund 🚨
Cal students have access to many basic needs resources that can help with financial, food and housing insecurity as well as overall wellness.

Housing

The UC Berkeley Basic Needs Center helps provide short-term assistance with one month’s rent for students with emergency housing needs (all Berkeley students are eligible)

• The Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board offers tools for tenants for those renting in the City of Berkeley

• Alameda County COVID-19 Rent Relief

• East Bay Housing Organization offers a list of resources for rent relief for residents of the East Bay

• Additionally, Berkeley Student Cooperative provides scholarships to full-time students who opt for coop housing

Health and Wellness

• Rest Zones and Nap Pods: Feeling sleepy on campus? There are multiple areas available for sleepy students. Check out this site for a map of places where you can take a nap, locations vary from the north side of campus to the south side and everywhere in between.

• Muslim Mental Health Initiative (MMHI): We are fortunate to have an entire resource dedicated to the mental wellness of Muslim students at Cal. MMHI hosts a variety of educational events every other week, as well as regular hours by appointment or drop-in with Muslim mental health professionals who are available in person or by phone. Check out MMHI on FaceBook here, book an appointment to speak with a Muslim mental health professional here.

• Tang Center: Located across from campus, the Tang Center offers limited medical services for Cal students. Tang Center is the home of University Health Services. Hours of operation vary by department and day of the week, check the UHS website for the latest information. The UHS website details the services which range from primary care to urgent care, a pharmacy to physical therapy, as well as a calendar of events promoting health and wellness.

  • Emergency: call 911

  • Emergency from cell: (510) 642-3333

  • Medical: (510) 642-2000

  • Tang Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

• Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Survivor Resources:

  • Path to CARE: If you are faced with Sexual Violence and/or Sexual Harassment (SVSH), consider consulting the Path to CARE center. They can prove you with confidential, non-judgemental resources for everything from reporting SVSH, finding housing after leaving an unsafe living situation, or counseling after surviving SVSH. Check out the UC’s page on SVSH resources for an expanded list of resources available to students.

• SHIP: SHIP is the University’s Student Health Insurance Plan. The UC requires that you provide proof of insurance in order to waive the SHIP fees.

• Healthcare Opportunity Fund: The HOF is a grant which can help offset some of the medical costs students who receive Cal Grant or D.R.E.A.M. acts. Learn more about the HOF here and how to use it.

• Prayer Spaces: currently the dedicated prayer space on campus is the meditation room in the basement of Eshleman Hall. The Islamic Center of Berkeley is close by, and accessible by the 51B bus right off of campus.

Food

• Calfresh is a program which helps students afford groceries. The eligibility for CalFresh includes factors such as citizenship status, work status, and income level. Unfortunately, CalFresh is not open to undocumented students. If you do not qualify for CalFresh, we recommend looking into the Food Assistance Program. Note: students with meal plans do not qualify for CalFresh.

• Food Pantry: Located in the basement of the MLK Student Union, the Food Pantry provides free, unlimited food for students, ranging from canned goods to fresh produce and sometimes even fresh cooked meals! Check out the website for current hours, and like their page on FaceBook to see what’s in stock!

• Food Assistance Program: This is a program similar to CalFresh, but for students who either do not meet the requirements for CalFresh or need additional funding. Learn more here.

• Community Kitchen: In the Basic Needs center (Basement, MLK Student Union), there is a community kitchen open for anyone to use.

• Halal food: If you have a dining plan, be sure to ask any dining hall employee for a halal meal.

Fitness

• Recreational Sports Facility: Located on the Southern edge of campus, RSF is the largest gym available for student use. The RSF has everything from massage chairs, to weight rooms, basketball courts, including exercise machines like treadmills and ellipticals. For hours, check here. For a schedule of classes, check here.

• Memorial Gym: Memorial Gym is located between gates 2 and 5 of Memorial Stadium. Hours are listed here.