From Grassroots to Policy: Securing Affordable Housing for Artists in San Diego
As part of the June 6 Opening Reception for Creating in Community: A Group Exhibition, on view through June 18 at Mesa College Art Gallery, we hosted a panel discussion on strategies for achieving large-scale affordable artist housing in San Diego.
Moderated by Alessandra Moctezuma, the panel featured Victor Payan and Sandra “Pocha” Peña of the Santa Ana Arts Collective, an organization that leveraged affordable housing tax credits and other public monies to create affordable artist housing there. Also contributing to the conversation were Space 4 Art’s Executive Director Jennifer de Poyen and Co-Founder Bob Leathers, who spoke about the organization’s grassroots “Arts Center” model, which envisions the creation of affordable artist housing in a comprehensive facility that also provides affordable work studios, a gallery/performance space, a classroom, and wood/metal shop.
Space 4 Art’s scalable model, founded in downtown’s East Village in 2009, has yielded the only affordable artist housing that San Diego has ever seen.
From left to right, Victor Payan, Sandra “Pocha” Peña, Alessandra Moctezuma, Bob Leathers, and Jennifer de Poyen.
De Poyen began the discussion by highlighting the evolution of Space 4 Art. “We’ve been through different phases,” she said. “We try to stay very close to the grassroots organization that Bob (Leathers), Cheryl (Nickel), and Chris Warr founded, because that’s where the energy is, that’s where the artists live— and we’re all about supporting the artists.
“At the same time, the volunteer spirit that built S4A eventually exhausts itself, and there’s a need to professionalize the operations and reach out to supporters beyond the (artist) community. So that’s the phase we’re in now.”
Noting that the cost of building affordable housing has increased sharply, even as the competition for public monies has grown ever more fierce, de Poyen suggested that the only path to achieving large-scale affordable housing for artists is through a combination of public and private funding sources.
“The community has to get behind this,” she said. “And by that I mean, the City of San Diego has to make a large financial commitment, and so does private philanthropy. The numbers just don’t add up without a public-private partnership.”
Some key takeaways from the panel discussion include:
1. GATHER DATA
Build your case: How many artists are living in substandard situations? What is the comfortable price range for them? What layouts work best for them?
Arm yourselves with data: National and regional reports provide information on how the arts contribute to the local economy.
Gather impactful and educational statistics and narratives: “Did you know that artists are already a federally recognized group of low-income people?” Many policymakers (and the general public) have a lot of misconceptions about artists. Be ready to educate the folks you interact with!
Use all this data to create “Artist Revenue Packets” to share with government officials in Step Three below.
2. FORM A COALITION
Figure out how and with whom to collaborate. There have to be multiple forms of backing— public dollars, philanthropic funding, community support, and artist buy-in.
Work together as a unified sector, not as individuals from a few organizations. And there is no better time to create a unified front than during an election year!
3. ACTIVATE THE OUTREACH
Build long-term relationships with city councilmembers, arts commissioners, and council staffers who represent specific planning issues. Research those issues. Communicate artists’ needs framed by these issues. Look for “cross-collaboration” opportunities by combining the arts with one of these planning issues. Do this during an election cycle year!
Build long-term relationships with county supervisors and research each of their “pet projects” to see how their interests align with your goals. Find out how many units of affordable housing are mandated in each area of San Diego due to the statewide mandate to build affordable housing. Communicate artists’ needs framed by these areas of interest and opportunity. Do this during an election cycle year!
Get a seat at the table before government officials begin writing policy for state bill AB812, which will designate that 10 percent of affordable housing complexes within a half mile of cultural districts must be for artists. Logan Heights, Space 4 Art’s neighboring district and traditional service area, is one of the cultural districts referred to in this bill!
Host regular “Artist Socials” to strengthen the larger coalition and entice government officials and developers to show up.
Despite San Diego’s reputation for “sun and sand,” the reality is that people are drawn to visit and live in this city because of its cultural vibrancy; and those visitors and residents grow the local economy through their spending on culture and culture-adjacent activities. Local government officials know this, but constant advocacy is essential. There is no better time than the present to focus on these relationships and conversations!
There are so many ways that San Diego artists and arts supporters can help #MakeSpace4Art. Who can you introduce us to? Who can you persuade to join the coalition? Can you do some research for us and share your findings? Please click on the buttons above if you can help us gain momentum in any of these ways in the next six months!