How We Grow the AST Commons
How Support Becomes Housing, Stability, and Lasting Impact
The Artist Housing Commons grows through intentional stewardship, shared resources, and long-term commitment. Artist Space Trust expands the Commons by combining community-rooted property pathways, flexible capital, and strategic partnerships that keep housing affordable and artist-centered over time.
This work is not about rapid production or scale for its own sake. It is about building a durable housing system — one that can support artists across generations while remaining responsive to the realities of the Bay Area.
Photo: Artists Dana Harel and Hila Amram
A Commons, Not a Pipeline
Unlike traditional housing development models, the Artist Housing Commons grows through multiple, interconnected pathways. Homes enter the Commons in different ways, but all are held to the same long-term commitments.
Growth is guided by:
Long-term care rather than short-term turnover
Stability rather than extraction
Collective benefit alongside individual security
Together, these principles allow the Commons to expand thoughtfully — without compromising affordability, trust, or care.
Photo: Artists Kelly Tunstall & Ferris Plock by Shaun Roberts
Photo: Poet Rafael Jesús González and Artist Brad Brown by Nica Chavarria
Building a Legacy: Bequests, Property Donations, and Aging in Place
One of the most powerful ways the Commons grows is through property bequests and donations from artists and community members who want their homes to serve artists long into the future.
Through legacy planning and lifetime gifts, homes are brought into the Commons and stewarded for generations. This pathway reflects AST’s commitment to intergenerational care, mutual aid, and artist self-determination.
For elder artists, this approach can also support Aging in Place — allowing individuals to remain in their homes while planning for long-term stewardship that aligns with their values.
The AST Accelerator Fund
The AST Accelerator Fund provides the flexible, mission-aligned capital needed to bring homes into the Commons responsibly.
Structured as a pool of Program-Related Investments (PRIs) from individual donors and foundations, the Accelerator Fund allows AST to:
Acquire properties when opportunities arise
Prepare homes for artist residents and homeowners
Bridge financing gaps and stabilize projects
This fund supports growth without overleveraging the Commons, ensuring that expansion aligns with stewardship capacity and long-term affordability.
Building Through Partnerships
The Commons also grows through strategic partnerships with organizations and agencies committed to artist housing and community stability.
These partnerships may include:
Affordable housing developers working within designated Cultural Districts
Public agencies supporting below–market-rate housing
Mission-aligned organizations contributing land, capital, or expertise
By collaborating rather than building alone, AST can extend the reach of the Commons while staying grounded in local needs and cultural context.
Learn about partnerships that support artist housing →
Photos from top: Advocate Rashida Chase speaking in Oakland, Rashida Chase and Sharmi Basu of Vital Arts
Flower photo by Flee Kieselhorst
Growth with Integrity
Every pathway into the Artist Housing Commons is evaluated through the same lens:
Does this support long-term affordability?
Does it center artists and culture bearers?
Does it strengthen community stability and resilience?
Growth is paced intentionally, guided by AST’s strategic planning, stewardship capacity, and accountability to artists, donors, and partners.
Looking Ahead
Over the next decade, Artist Space Trust is working toward securing approximately 300 artist households within the Artist Housing Commons — a scale at which the Commons becomes visible, resilient, and capable of meaningfully countering artist displacement across the Bay Area.
This is not a fixed production target. It is a commitment to building a system strong enough to endure.
