City works to find housing for creatives

Many of Austin’s vulnerable communities are feeling the squeeze of the city’s increasing affordability crisis. The city’s Cultural Arts Division hopes to combat that problem by working with Philadelphia nonprofit Partners for Sacred Spaces and the Austin Creative Alliance to bring together community spaces with artists who need it. That includes a wide variety of places of worship – churches, synagogues and mosques included – that have areas that creative people could use to hone their crafts. “We know our city’s economic, cultural, and social vitality is directly tied to the health of our artistic community,” Mayor Steve Adler said in a press release on Friday. “Finding ways to support their work is an essential part of the equation for making sure Austin maintains its quality of life and economic strength.” The partnership kicks off this spring.