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In California, A Push To Create Safe And Affordable Space For Artists

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The Salz Tannery closed in 2001. It was the oldest operating leather tannery West of the Mississippi – quaint, and completely out of step with 20th century safety codes. Santa Cruz saw it as a redevelopment opportunity. (Rachael Myrow/KQED)

In the wake of December’s Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland, California, that killed 36 people, cities all over the country have been trying to create more affordable housing for artists so they don’t have to trade basic safety for cheap rent.

One possible answer, as Rachael Myrow of Here & Now contributor KQED explains, has emerged south of Oakland, in Santa Cruz.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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