Instructor Housing Options

We know that finding affordable, short-term housing can be tough in certain areas. For those of you who are thinking about relocating but are not sure where to start, here are a list of resources to help. Click on the options below for more details. 

California-specific Resources

Instructor Homestays & Subsidized Housing

We know short-term, affordable housing can be hard to find in the Bay area. For staff that currently live outside of the Bay area, we have a few options to help you find housing for the summer. 

Instructor Homestays – Over the past few years, we have had camper families and staff with extra space available who have hosted staff from out of town (or country). Some host families have traded childcare on the weekends for a room and some have also rented out a room in their home for a reasonable fee (typically $200/week). For more information on this option in California, click here. 

Subsidized Housing – Avid has reserved 3 places in the Bay Area for some of our staff that come from out of state to stay at throughout the summer. Each place will house 5-7 staff. We will be heavily subsidizing the rent. Each staff that stays at the home will pay $200/week. The weekly rent is taken out of the staff’s weekly paychecks. 

As of March 5, 2020, we are on a waitlist for subsidized housing placements. To be put on the waitlist, please fill out this survey once you have accepted an offer of employment.  

Berkeley Cooperative Housing

The Berkeley Cooperative has fully furnished rooms available at a reduced price for currently enrolled undergraduates (do not have to attend UC Berkeley).  You must apply early as space is limited!

Details:

• The contract is from May 24-Aug 15, 2020. No exceptions.
• Residents must contribute 12hr of work during this period to help with maintaining the cooperative.
• Located close to the BART public transportation
• They have meal options for vegetarians and lots of different low-cost lodging accommodations.
  • Program overview
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Rates: $175-225/week. More info on rates here.  
  • More questions? Contact housing@bsc.coop

Campus Cribz

CampusCribz.com is a site that has options for short-term housing in California, Colorado and Oregon. 

College of Marin (Open to non-students)

Marin is located near our Mill Valley camp location.  This site has great, affordable options available. More info at housing.marin.edu

Rentashare

Rentashare is defining a new co-living experience in California where creators, and academics can come together to socialize, share ideas and develop relationships that will last a lifetime. Pricing is pretty reasonable (around $900/month)! If 3 or more Avid staff are living in one place, we can provide an Avid4 van to help you get to/from work.

Hotpads

Hotpads was created in Washington, DC, in 2005, by three apartment-seeking college friends. After too many misleading classified ads and nicotine-scented payphones, they knew they could do better. So they created HotPads, the first-ever map-based, renter-first, odor-free search platform. In 2011, Hotpads moved to San Francisco, and in 2012, HotPads joined the Zillow family. Today, HotPads continues to build game-changing features into its rental search website and apps for iPhone, Android, iPad, and Kindle.

Sanborn County, CA Park

$18/night campsites, showers available! Great for those working at our Burlingame or Palo Alto camps. Find out more here: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/parks/Activities/Camping-Yurts/Pages/camping-information-rules.aspx

Avid4 Staff Housing Contact list 

This document allows Avid4 staff populate their contact info if they are seeking housing or have housing to provide. The hope is that a few staff can find a place together!

#VanLife

Some of our former staff have asked us for resources on safe places to park their converted vans/trucks during the summer. Below is the information that has been passed along to us. We will update this list as we obtain new information. If you have relevant information on other places, please email that to staffquestions@avid4.com and we will update this page. 

• Mountain Project 
• San Jose, CA – Amigos de Guadalupe – this is for evening parking in safe places at designated parking lots (churches etc) in places in Santa Clara county. The process involves a1hr interview, with a case manager, to get a placard for a vehicle with current registration and insurance. Twice a week showers and laundry service available in some lots.  Please contact (408) 341 6080 for more details.
• Reddit articles 

General Resources

Avid4 Adventure Staff Facebook Groups

Once you are hired, you will be added to our staff Facebook group for the state in which you will work. This is an active group that will allow you to connect immediately with other staff and alumni staff to discuss housing options. Our community of staff love to be a resource for newcomers!

Campus Cribz

CampusCribz.com is a site that has options for short-term housing in California, Colorado and Oregon. 

Craigslist

Craigslist is a great resource to find subletting opportunities, a room or entire apartment to rent short-term. 

Nesterly

Connects people with rooms for rent with people that need to rent rooms. 

WorkAway

This is a fun, creative website where you work/trade some in exchange for small jobs or tasks around the house.