City To Help Artists Get Their Piece of the Rock
WYNC is reporting that the city is setting up a $100 million fund to help artists purchase the spaces in which they live and work. In announcing the fund’s creation, City Housing Commissioner Sean Donovan noted that artists deserve to share in the wealth that their pioneering efforts create. “If we believe as I think…
WYNC is reporting that the city is setting up a $100 million fund to help artists purchase the spaces in which they live and work. In announcing the fund’s creation, City Housing Commissioner Sean Donovan noted that artists deserve to share in the wealth that their pioneering efforts create. “If we believe as I think many of us do, that artists not just need affordable housing, but actually create real estate value, what we’re trying to do is create a fund that would actually leverage some of that, bring in investment dollars to follow artists, and allow them, for reduced prices, to buy their space.” Remember the discussion we had about the fate of the artists on South 11th Street?
$100 Million Fund for Artist Housing [WNYC]
Doesn’t anyone realize how bizzare the buisiness is of the state deciding who is an artist?
And does anyone think about who is ponying up the $100mm? Surprise, that’s everyone here reading this. Would you voluntarily contribute to this “cause”.
And, if we are going to spend $100mm, is this the best way? We could take this money and provide tuition vouchers for 10,000 city kids and get them out of public schools. We could help fund cancer research. How can anyone prioritize such a silly project?
yay! let’s push all the artists out and turn nyc into an anonymour suburban paradise!
The free rag amNY has an add for one bedroom co-ops for a mere $12,250 !
RiverBay at Co-Op City. Why can’t the artists just buy there? Or some place they can afford. Regular people have to choose to live someplace they can afford, why are artist exempt from living a real life.
Crafty, if you’re a furniture maker sounds to me like you fit the ‘artist/artisan’ bill. Sounds like you could apply for one of these apts. Also, have you considered looking into the brooklyn navy yard. My understanding is that the city leases space to light industry/craftsmen. Not sure if there is a waiting list or if the leases are affordable but it’s worth a shot. The city seems to be adamant, at least for now, that the navy yard remains strictly industrial/commercial.
I am Anon 0:19 AM. Thanks for the kind words! I think there are lots of New Yorkers who don’t work on Wall Street who get squeezed (I myself am an educator who poured every penny into a CG condo). One of the ironies is that many city agencies require that people live in NYC, but have no provisions help them afford it. I am generally supportive building owners’ right to do what they want with their property, including selling it for top dollar, and am not convinced taht government funds for artists are goign to do nothing more but ontinue tor drive prices up with free government cash. The problem is that there are few good solutions to this problem
Something that never seems to be discussed is who do the artists displace when they “discover” an industrial nieghborhood.I am a custom furniture maker who was forced to leave Dumbo when the Vineger hill community was allowed to change the zoning on the block where my last shop building was.It instantly went condo.I moved to east Williamsburg-really industrial-right by the creek and guess what-the “artists”are coming.Lucky me.When my lease runs out my landlord (the building just changed hands)will probably divide my space into smaller “workspaces” and turn a blind eye to the tenents who will be actually living here and eventually these artists will be granted the legal right to live here.
Is there any importance givin to light industry?I use this loft to employ people and do buisness with other craftspeople in similer situations.We all pay taxes.The cost of relocating a shop every 5 or 8 years will eventually drive us all out of the city.
Gosh, I wish I hadn’t argued so vigorously for the artists. I agree with 10:19 AM, what about the rest of struggling ny’ers. Kinda makes me wonder if people over in the City Housing Commission is reading our blog. If they’re listening “bring back affordable housing programs for teachers, police, firefighters and, social workers”. We need them around too.
“Apparantly artists are considered more valuable than teachers, police, firefighters, social workers, or any of the other people who provide essential and valuable services to New Yorkers who are also being pushed out of the neighborhoods they long inhabited.”
My thoughts exactly!!! Well said.
Before this thread becomes another rant against artists, I can’t understand how this program would work. The landlords would have to be willing to sell the buildings to their tenants instead of emptying the units and selling to developers (who aren’t gonna build housing for teachers, firefighters, etc., anyway). Second, since most of the buildings we’re talking about lack Certificates of Occupancy, it will be very, very hard for the tenants to get the money to make those renovations, which, in the case of the building I used to live in, was many more millions than the cost of the building. And third, who’s going to decide who’s an artist and who isn’t? Cultural Affairs? They don’t deal with musicians, filmmakers, dancers. And what happens if the new owers sell? Would they be required to sell to arists?
Why doesn’t the city take this $100 million bucks and set up a fund to loan it to the landlords who have evaded compliance with the state Loft Law for 25 years, cause their excuse for non-compliance has always been that they don’t have the money.