INSTRUCTOR HOUSING RESOURCES

 

We understand that finding affordable, short-term housing can be tough in certain areas.  And, a simple Google search can be frustrating as the most expensive options tend to pop up first. Click on the options below for more details. 

Additionally, if you have already accepted an offer to work at a particular location but are struggling to find housing near that area, please reach out to our Hiring Team so we can help!

 

California-Specific Resources

Often, the most affordable housing can be found in communities adjacent to your primary camp location. On the other hand, if you search a camp location below with keywords like “short term housing”, you are likely to see only the most expensive options. When you begin searching for housing, widen your search to include the following:

  • Palo Alto (South Bay) – Search Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Campbell, Menlo Park, Redwood City
  • Mill Valley (North Bay) – Search San Rafael, Novato
  • Oakland/Orinda (East Bay)- Search Berkeley, Oakland, San Leandro
  • Burlingame (Peninsula) – Search San Francisco, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Daly City, or other locations on the BART transportation system (see below for more details)

 College of San Mateo Housing Resources 

The College of San Mateo has an extensive list of resources for students and non-students to find affordable housing options. You can access the site here. This option is best for Burlingame, Menlo Park, or Cupertino staff.

Berkeley Cooperative Housing

The Berkeley Cooperative has fully furnished rooms available at a reduced price for currently enrolled undergraduates (who do not have to attend UC Berkeley).  You must apply early as space is limited! This is a great option for the Oakland Day Camp locations, and many staff have used this in the past! All the info is at the Berkeley Cooperative Housing site.

College of Marin (Open to non-students)

Marin is located near our Mill Valley camp location. This site has great, affordable options available. 

Housing Facebook Groups

Facebook has various housing-specific groups that allow the public to post about rooms available for rent. A few that have proven successful in the past are:

Campus Cribz

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

Hotpads

Hotpads was created in Washington, DC, in 2005, by three apartment-seeking college friends and in 2011, Hotpads moved to San Francisco and is now a part of Zillow. Check out its rental search website and apps for iPhone, Android, iPad, and Kindle.

#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 [email protected]

  • 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 
  • Map of Walmart locations in the US that allow overnight parking.

Public Transit Options

Won’t have a car with you this summer? The San Francisco Bay Area has abundant bicycle-friendly routes, along with public transit systems. 

  • Bay Area Rapid Transit – This light rail system travels across large portions of the Bay Area and allows bicycles. 
  • AC Transit – Alameda County buses are a great option to link locations near our Oakland camp.
  • Caltrain – Trains travel between San Francisco and San Jose with abundant stops in between. This system is useful for Burlingame or Palo Alto staff, and allows bicycles.

RESOURCES - All Locations

RESOURCES – All Locations

Housing Facebook Groups

Facebook has various housing-specific groups that allow the public to post about rooms available for rent. A few that have proven successful in the past are:

California

Colorado

Oregon

Hipcamp.com 

This is a great site that allows you to search for available camping options across the US! The site also has alternative lodging options listed (i.e. treehouses or RV rentals).

Campus Cribz

CampusCribz 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 an 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.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) – Dispersed Camping

In some areas, you can camp on public land for a period of two weeks each month, often without paying fees.

the dyrt 

Find camping for tents, trailers, RVs, and cabins with reviews in a variety of locations!

Short Term Rentals in Bend

If you need a furnished space, some locations like Bend have rental management companies with shorter term houses and apartments. Some examples:

Rent around Bend (Furnished)

Short term rental in Bend

Affordable Housing in Bend

SEE OPEN JOBS & APPLY

 

We bring adventure to both campers and staff alike. You might even say we’re Avid4 it. We hope that housing is not the reason holding you back from this meaningful and exciting opportunity. Check out our available positions for more details!

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