Hollywood Looks to Build Affordable Housing for Artists

Broward County may get its second affordable housing project for artists. 

Artspace, a real estate developer specializing in affordable live/work spaces for low- and moderate-income artists, is conducting a survey to determine the market needs for a live/work/create project planned for downtown Hollywood. The survey's findings will help identify the size and number of units needed, and the amenities and features desired.

Artspace, a nonprofit developer, operates the Sailboat Bend Artist Lofts in Fort Lauderdale, along with properties in more than 30 cities across the United States. It is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices in Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

The Sailboat Bend Artist Lofts feature roughly 37 apartments with studio space, offered to working artists at a discounted rate. Potential tenants must apply and prove they work and pursue a creative endeavor and have low incomes. Rents are priced at 60 percent of market value, property manager Carrie Staley told New Times. The state throws in the uncovered 40 percent. To lock into the community, residents are required to curate and participate in art exhibitions at the lofts. 

A spokesperson did not immediately respond to New Times' inquiries about pricing for the Hollywood units, but when we profiled the Sailboat Bend lofts two years ago, they cost $825 for a one-bedroom, $987 for a two-bedroom, and $1,141 for a three-bedroom; to qualify for a spot, artists could not earn more than $33,000 per year.

The online survey, which is running for eight weeks through March 28, is part of the second phase of a feasibility study that Artspace is conducting with the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Efforts are under way to bring together the city and Hollywood's biggest arts organizations, including Cinema Paradiso, Gallery 2014, Resurrection Drums, and the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood.

City residents and creative individuals - artists, musicians, and cultural organizations alike - are welcome and encouraged to participate in the survey at HollywoodArtspaceSurvey.org. Visit www.artspace.org and check updates with the Hollywood CRA via hollywoodcra.org to learn more.