Denver wants artists to live, work in safety

Denver Arts & Venues knows there are artists living and working in unsafe buildings and has set up a $300,000 fund to spur tenants and landlords to make repairs.

The Tuesday announcement of the Safe Creative Spaces Fund follows Denver City Council approval in July of the Safe Occupancy Program. That program allows people to continue occupying buildings that have nonlife-threatening code violations if they agree to make needed repairs by deadlines set by the Denver Fire Department and other city agencies.

But few have taken advantage of the amnesty program, said Andrea Burns, spokeswoman for Denver Community Planning and Development.

“We have had a lot of inquiries,” she said, “but of all the calls, only three filled out the paperwork.”

During discussions that led to adoption of the Safe Occupancy Program members of the art community expressed concerns about the ability to pay for repairs, Arts & Venues deputy director Ginger White said.

“One thing we heard loud and clear from the community was this provides some level of assurance. But the issue remains how do they get up to code while they are already just scraping by,” White said.

Funding will be available from Dec. 12 through Jan. 17, 2020, to applicants who own or run a creative space in Denver, such as a live/work collective.