Affordable Housing for Artisits
Plans continue to move forward with affordable housing developer Ted Malone and Community Housing Resource, Inc. to create more affordable Live/Work Spaces for artists and writers in Provincetown on the Meadows Motel property in the West End of Provincetown.
The property consists of more than five acres and presently includes 21 motel rooms in two buildings and an attached three-bedroom home. The property will be developed as a mixed-income community with a majority of the housing serving the needs of lower income year-round residents. Current plans include a total of thirty-six residential units, one half of which will be affordable live/work spaces for artists and writers. The units will be on multiple levels, and range from approximately 950 square feet to over 1,100 square feet.
It is hoped that the project will receive all of the necessary town approvals by January 2003. Construction would begin shortly thereafter and is expected to be completed by January 2004.
The Fine Arts Work Center will acquire five of the live/work spaces to own and operate as affordable rental housing for former Work Center Fellows participating in FAWC's Long-Term Residency Program. Also, the Work Center will create a new program to award grants of up to $2,000 toward down-payments to artists and writers, helping them to purchase the other affordable live/work units. Any artist or writer who is income-eligible for affordable homeownership will be able to apply for the FAWC down-payment grant program; it will not be limited to those who have participated in other Work Center programs.
The Work Center's participation in the effort was made possible by FAWC Board member Marty Davis and Provincetown Banner publisher Alix Ritchie, whose efforts assisted the Work Center in acquiring the necessary funds. It is estimated that construction will be completed by the end of 2003.
