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# East Harlem Subsidized Artist Housing Opens for Applications
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/east-harlem-subsidized-artist-housing-opens-for-applications/
- Published: 2014-05-28T02:50:20.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:44:19.000Z
- Description: A former public school on 99th Street in Harlem redeveloped into artist housing under the auspices of El Barrio's Operation Fight Back has recently begun accepting tenant applications.
- Author: Mostafa Heddaya
- Tags: News, harlem, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 07:03 (2014, 2015, part 1)

![Screen Shot 2014-05-27 at 8.00.24 PM](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2014/05/screen-shot-2014-05-27-at-8-00-24-pm.png)

(screenshot via)

A former public school on 99th Street in Harlem [redeveloped](http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/18/take%5Fa%5Fcloser%5Flook%5Fat%5Fps%5F109s%5Fnew%5Fsubsidized%5Fartist%5Fhousing.php?ref=hyperallergic.com) into artist housing under the auspices of [El Barrio’s Operation Fight Back](http://www.ebofb.org/?ref=hyperallergic.com) has recently begun [accepting tenant applications](https://a806-housingconnect.nyc.gov/nyclottery/AdvertisementPdf/96.pdf?ref=hyperallergic.com). The 89-unit residential building, called Artspace PS109, will also feature 13,000 square feet of additional space for arts organizations, according to the [project website](http://www.artspace.org/our-places/el-barrio-s-artspace-ps109?ref=hyperallergic.com). The $52 million project — [$24 million](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304512504579493510426449236?&cb=logged0.2150640874169767&ref=hyperallergic.com) of which came in the form of federal low-income housing credits — will exclusively house working artists, with a target 50% of units given to East Harlem residents. Monthly rents for the apartments, which range from studios to 2-bedrooms, will be between $494 and $1,022; average rent in the neighborhood is $1,667, according to one database of [self-reported renter data](http://www.apartmenthero.com/average%5Frent/East%20Harlem?ref=hyperallergic.com). Qualifying household income tops out at $50,340.

Matthew S. Washington, chair of the local Community Board 11, told Hyperallergic he is  
“confident” the building will reach its 50% target occupancy for East Harlem artists, “but there is no guarantee.” Speaking more generally, Washington added: “To celebrate the phenomenal tradition of the arts in East Harlem and to give artists a space to live and work is important to the longevity of this community.”

Artspace 109 will be jointly managed by [El Barrio](http://www.ebofb.org/?ref=hyperallergic.com) and [Artspace](http://www.artspace.org/?ref=hyperallergic.com), a Minnesota-based nonprofit that bought the building for $1 in 2012\. It joins several other arts-focused, large-scale affordable housing projects in New York, including [The Schemerhorn](http://www.actorsfund.org/services-and-programs/housing/schermerhorn?ref=hyperallergic.com), a building for performing artists funded by The Actors Fund, [Westbeth](http://westbeth.org/?ref=hyperallergic.com), [Manhattan Plaza](http://www.mptenants.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com), and a [new building in West Chelsea](http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130509/chelsea/new-affordable-housing-for-artists-coming-chelsea?ref=hyperallergic.com).