CuDC creates affordable live-and/or-work opportunities for DC area artists and their families. CuDC’s artist housing program works to counteract the displacement of artists from Washington DC and reverse the loss of valuable creative capital from the District. Providing affordable spaces for artists to live and create conserves the creative capital that enlivens our city, facilitating economic development and community revitalization while preserving valuable access to the arts for area residents and tourists alike.

Design

CuDC creates and maintains spaces for artists to live, work, exhibit, perform and conduct business. CuDC’s efforts address both live/work housing and work/live housing.

Live/work housing—Emphasizes residential occupancy with commercial activity secondary (employees and walk-in trade are not usually permitted). The quiet enjoyment expectations of the neighbors in the building or adjacent buildings take precedence. Work/live housing—Emphasizes commercial or industrial activity with ancillary residential occupancy. Commercial activity takes precedence over the quiet enjoyment expectations of residents, in that there may be noise, odors, or other impacts, as well as employees, walk-in trade or sales, as appropriate in a commercial setting.

CuDC aims to offer artist housing which features basic living necessities while allowing owners and/or renters to customize the space to meet their own needs. Units may also include artist-specific amenities, such as: high ceilings and natural light, exposed floors and ceilings, high-speed data ports, cable connections, 220-volt electrical power, soundproofing, slop sinks and hazmat disposal, commercially-rated ventilation and exhaust systems, and commercial loading access. CuDC also includes community spaces, such as retail/exhibit space, dance studios, and shared workshops that facilitate artistic collaboration and experimentation.

Learn more about eligibility requirements.

Learn more about projects under development.

Learn more about completed projects.

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