New Artist Housing Draws A Crowd

• May 18th 2010

by Joe Marhamati

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It’s not often that a line forms outside a building in the early morning hours without either a new Apple product or a Harry Potter film being involved.

However, the line of people outside Flashpoint art space in Penn Quarter on Monday morning were looking for housing, not a new iPhone. Specifically, they were hoping to snag one of the 30 units designated as artist housing at the Loree Grand, according to DCmud. Loree Grand is part of the first phase of Union Place, a 212-unit apartment building in NoMa.

The Loree Grand offers live-work affordable apartments, available to artists who earn 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The apartments will range in size from 520 to 1,100 square feet and are expected to be ready for move-in by June. To qualify, the Cultural Development Corporation of DC looks at an applicant’s body of work, engagement in the DC arts community, and ability to pay.

Based on the line that formed on Monday morning, there is certainly a demand that exists for this type of affordable housing. From DCmud:

First-in-line Lisa Simmons camped in her Mini for the night to ensure her place in line. The DC native is a short-film maker whose focus is “urban dance in urban spaces.” The self-professed nomad now floats between her mother’s and boyfriend’s places and leapt (well, slept) at the chance to be surrounded by other artists close to Union Station’s transit options.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.production.logicbrush.com/articles/blog/lining_up_for_artist_housing/2081.