Despite the San Francisco Bay Area’s high housing costs and limited availability, Starr King students usually find affordable housing. Our Admissions office provides counsel to assist in that search. Some housing is available for Starr King students through Graduate Theological Union member schools. Several open their student dormitories and apartments to Starr King students on a space-available basis. Most SKSM students live within a 20-mile radius of Starr King’s Berkeley campus in such cities as Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Oakland, Richmond, Concord, Walnut Creek, Hayward, and San Francisco. Student housing arrangements include shared single-family homes, apartments, co-ops and intentional communities. An independent list of Bay Area housing opportunities is available through www.craigslist.org, or from other sites like www.rent.com. The typical shared housing cost for a SKSM student ranges from $650 to $1100 per month. It’s possible to live in the San Francisco Bay Area without a car. Some SKSM students find bicycles a viable transportation mode, thanks to the region’s mild weather (See https://511.org/biking/commute/work for commuting information). For easy, inexpensive dining, the GTU operates two cafeterias that offer meal plans to students of member schools.
For our low-residency students (those that do not live in the Bay Area), housing can be found in a variety of ways. Many students find that www.AirBnB.com can provide affordable housing options. As well, Easton Hall can have some availability, but often is booked up by students from CDSP. If you are coming for Intensives or Orientation, please reach out to Admissions for help finding affordable housing in the area.
