New Berkeley land trust aims to keep artists housed in the Bay Area

Jaelynn Walls expected years of saving before buying a home in Oakland. An Instagram post from Artist Space Trust led to downpayment assistance through CalHOME, totaling $168,000 for a first-time homebuyer. After three months of compiling financial paperwork and attending open houses, Walls and their wife received keys to a three-bedroom home in East Oakland. The move reduced the share of income spent on housing and replaced constant fear of eviction with stability. Walls now has space for writing a young-adult novel and quilting, while their wife runs a music studio for collaborations. Friends and visiting out-of-town artists sometimes stay with the couple during Bay Area gigs.

"Jaelynn Walls thought it would take years of saving before they could buy their own home in Oakland. But after seeing an Instagram post from Artist Space Trust, home ownership went from dream to reality for the 27-year-old fiction writer, curator and visual artist. Artist Space Trust, a new Berkeley nonprofit that helps artists secure affordable housing, helped Walls secure $168,000 in downpayment assistance from CalHOME, a state program for first-time homebuyers."

"After a whirlwind three months of compiling financial paperwork and spending their free time at open houses, Walls and their wife got the keys to a cozy East Oakland three-bedroom. Just having a place to land, and not feeling like I could have the rug pulled out from under me at any moment by the greater powers that be, such as a landlord or a housing company, is very assuring, Walls said during a video call from their fabric- and plant-filled home studio."

"Walls used to live in a cramped Tenderloin studio apartment where most of their income went to rent. Now, a much smaller portion of their paycheck goes to their mortgage. They have more space to focus on their next young-adult novel and quilting projects, and can even set aside some savings. Walls' wife has a music studio where friends collaborate. Out-of-town artists sometimes crash with the couple when they're in the Bay Area for gigs."

"Bay Area artists have always been resilient, but in recent years, economic upheaval, the worldwide pandemic and federal funding cuts have put a financial strain on artists, and forced some to leave the region altogether."

Read at www.berkeleyside.org