ArtistsforanAffordableNewYork AworkingdocumentbyNewYorkCityToBeDetermined CarolineWoolard,SusanJahoda,andStephenKorns

DEARARTIST(and/orcollegestudent,teacher,orstaffmember), Whycantartistsstayput?Becauseshorttermleasesendandrentsgoup.WhydoesntLoftLawkeep neighborhoodsaffordable?BecauseLoftLawbuildingsdonthavelimitedequityagreements,sounitsare soldontheopenmarket,drivingrealestatepricesupforeveryone.Whydontpoliticiansseemtocareabout artists?Becausewearepoliticallyinvisible.Whydontaffordablehousingorganizersseeprofessionalized artistsasapowerfulgroup?Becausewehaventdemonstratedourabilitytoorganizeandcontribute.How mightwestay?Howmightweframehousingasahumanright? RESIST ArtistswhoareprofessionalizedwithBFAs,MFAs,andPhDscanexpandthetermartistby includingcreativepeoplewhodonothavedegreesoritinerantlifestylesassociatedwithbeingan artist.Artistscanrefusetoberepresentedbytheuseoflanguagelikepioneeringinempty neighborhoods,insteadformingallianceswithartistswhoarelongtimeresidents,supporting NaturallyOccurringCulturalDistricts. Artistscanresistoffersforshorttermexhibitionsinneighborhoodsandstorefrontsawaiting redevelopment.Wecanspeakoutagainstdeveloperledgentrificationwhereartistsserveplanners anddeveloperswhoprofitfromourresourcefulness,creativity,investmentandlabor. Artistscanurgeelectedofficialsandgovernmentagenciestorequiredeveloperstomake permanent,trulyaffordablehousing,ratherthangivingtaxbreakstodeveloperswhoseaffordable housingunitsintheirmarketrateprojectsonlyremainaffordableforalimitedperiodoftime. Artistscanstopacceptingrisingrentsandevictionsinisolation,joiningandcreatingarotating creditandsavingsassociations(susu)andantievictionnetworks. SUPPORT Artistscanjoinexistingcoalitionsforaffordablehousing,andcollectivelydemandthatthecity preserve,create,andsupportbothtrulyaffordablehousingandcommercialspace,likethe AssociationforNeighborhoodandHousingDevelopmentsinclusionaryzoningcampaign. ArtistscanstandbehindthepolicybriefoftheNaturallyOccurringCulturalDistrict(here),seeing thatculturalproductionandsocialchangealreadygotogether,andthatlowincomepeople everywherearelookingforaffordablehousing. Artistscanlearnaboutwaystotakeparcelsoflandoffofthespeculativemarketforever,working withgroupsliketheNewYorkCityCommunityLandInitiative(http://nyccli.org). CREATE Artistswithsocial,cultural,andfinancialpowercanurgewealthyartcollectorsandphilanthropists toconsiderlandbasedphilanthropy,donatinglandandbuildingstocommunitylandtrusts. . Artistsgroupsthatstartcapitalcampaignsforaffordablespacecanconnecttheirworktolongterm strugglesdirectly,allocatingapercentageofallmoneyraisedandallpressopportunitiestothe largermovementforaffordablespace.Watchoutforthisheadline:ArtistsSolveAffordability Problem!(forthemselves) Artistswhomakeartabouthousingorrealestatecanconnectinterestedviewersandpress

ArtistsforanAffordableNewYork AworkingdocumentbyNewYorkCityToBeDetermined CarolineWoolard,SusanJahoda,andStephenKorns

coveragetolongterminitiatives. Ifyouareanartist,youareoneofthe93,073artistsinNewYorkCity.1 Beingoneofsomanymightseem likecompetitionforyourartcareeroryourjobsearch,butitsgoodnewsforyourabilitytomakesocial change.2 Youandotherartistsandeducatorsformavotingblocupwardsof700,000peoplestrong.Wecan formanantievictionnetwork,aswellasaprojectforradicalreimaginingoflandownershipandurbanspatial politics.Artistshavedonethisinthepast,andwecandoitagain.3 AVision ToBeDetermined(TBD)isanurbandevelopmentprojectthatseesartistsaspartofagrowingconstituency oflowincomepeople.Weareanintergenerationalcollectiveofartiststhatasks:Howmightartistsdemand, support,andcreatetrulyaffordablehousinginNYC? Weinsistontheunityofartistsandcommunityorganizers.WorkinginconjunctionwiththeNewYorkCity CommunityLandInitiative(NYCCLI),welearntogether,makeart,andinitiaterelationshipsacrosssocial spheresinorderthatwemightbelongtothecity,andtoeachother,moreequitably. Arthasthepowertoencouragehonestdialog,cultivateempathy,andinspirehope.ArtistsmovetoNew YorkCitytomakeartwithintegritybutoftenunderstandthemselvesasitinerantstrangers,movingfrom neighborhoodtoneighborhoodwithoutcommitmenttoanyoneplace.TBDaimstomakespaceforartists whowanttostayputartistswhoseedialog,collaboration,andexchangewithonesneighborsovertimeas integraltoapracticeofsocialbelonging. WeaimtocreatearesourceforartistsandanetworkofcommunitylandtrustswithNYCCLIandothersthat providesaffordablehousingtoallpeopleinNewYorkCity.Byprovidingtemplatesandmodelsforartistled urbanredevelopment,wewillinsistonaffordablehousingthatextendsbeyondthecreativeclass. Opportunity WithMayorBilldeBlasioinoffice,theNewYorkCityCommunityLandInitiativepilotinEastHarlemgaining momentum,andincreasinginterestinartistledurbanredevelopmentfromartists,philanthropists,and developersalike,wehaveawindowofopportunity.Wecaneducateandorganizeourselves(andother professionalizedartists)whosepersonalandculturalgeographiesareshapedbyrisingrents.Webelieve thatCommunityLandTrusts,cohousing,intentionalliving,andcooperatives,amongothersustainable housingmodelsandstrategies,canbringwealthtoneighborhoodsratherthanopportunitiesfor displacement.Wethinkthiscanhappenthroughcoalitionforming. Relationships TheongoingprojectofTBDistodeepenthemutualinterestsandaccountabilityofartistswithin communities.Recognizingthatartistsarenotasingularanduncomplexconstituency,weareinterestedin howartistscanjoincoalitionscomprisedofallsortsofpeoplewhodesiretoliveaffordablyand intentionally.Weseeourprojectasabridgebetweencommunitiesofinterest.
1

Accordingtothe2010census,whichtrackspeoplewhoidentifytheirprimaryoccupationasartist,thereare93,073artistsin NewYorkCity(27,534inBrooklyn). 2 Infact,itsalsogoodforyourcareer.Withmoreartists,youcanfindmorecollaborators,meetmorepeoplewhostartartistrun spaces,andseeanincreasedpublicthatdeeplyunderstandsyourwork.Butthatisforanotheressay,oranothermeeting. 3 FourthArtsBlockbought8buildingsfor$8fromtheCityafter30yearsoforganizing,formingCooperSquareandFAB.

ArtistsforanAffordableNewYork AworkingdocumentbyNewYorkCityToBeDetermined CarolineWoolard,SusanJahoda,andStephenKorns

TBDcollectivemembershavejoinedtheEducationandOutreachworkinggroupofNYCCLItolearnabout CommunityLandTruststrategiesforNewYorkCityandtocollaborateonculturalactionandmedia productionprojectsfortheEastHarlemCommunityLandTrustpilot.Wearecurrentlyworkingtogetherto makeavideoabouttheprocessthatPicturetheHomelessusestocountvacantproperties.JustasE/Ois workingonapilotinEastHarlemwithtenantsrightsorganizations,TBDwillworkwithprofessionalized artiststoarticulatetheimplicationsofaffordablehousingonfuturegenerationsofartistsinNewYorkCity, togetherwithworkingpoor,unemployed,andlowincomepeople.Letsworktogether! Love, NewYorkCityToBeDeterminedmembersStephenKorns,SusanJahoda,andCarolineWoolard Tojoinus,emailinfo@nyctbd.com Toeditthedocumentandaddyournametoit,goto:http://goo.gl/ZL5ifd Bibliography UnitedStates.DepartmentofHousingPreservation&Development.NYC.N.p.,2014.Web. <http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/developers/low_income.shtml>. FurtherReading TheArtScab,http://insurgenttheatre.org/theory/theartscab.pdf LoftLiving,SharonZukin TomAngottihttp://tomangotti.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/fivethingsyoucando.pdf Evictions:ArtandSpatialPolitics,RosalynDeutsche TellBilldeBlasio! StrategiesfronNOCD:http://nocdnydotorg.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/coverletter.pdf PolicybrieffromNOCD:http://nocdnydotorg.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/policybrief.pdf GetInvolved NaturallyOccurringCulturalDistricts(NOCD):http://nocdny.org/ ArtHome:http://www.arthome.org/ NewYorkCityToBeDeterminedhttp://nyctbd.com NewYorkCityCommunityLandInitiativehttp://nyccli.org ArtandLaborhttp://artsandlabor.org/workinggroups/ TheRealEsateShowAprilMay:http://www.jamesfuentes.com/realestate_pr.pdf

ThanksToRyanHickeyatPicturetheHomelessforwelcomingusintoNYCCLIswork,toCaronAtlasfor consistentremindersaboutthetermartist,PaulaSegalforrefinedgoals/tacticsandherworkat596Acres, EstherRobinsonforongoingdialogandherworkatArtHome,toAaronLandsmanfortellingustomakeit short,tomycooperativehouse,andtoMeganHustadandStephanieKnipeforeditingandongoingsupport.