Here at Creativity Explored, we dream of a San Francisco where all can fully enjoy affordable housing, robust community gardens, gathering spaces, accessible and quality health care, libraries, small businesses, art, and so much more. These desires have manifested in the creation of our dream city! A colorful utopia made with love by CE artists in collaboration with longtime teaching artist and Service Coordinator Pilar Olabarria. "The artists came to me and shared that they desire a place of belonging and safety where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather with one another. A place where they can access mental health services and feel like they have a strong support system." Through this work we aim to highlight the experiences, desires, and dreams of CE artists in the hopes of starting a dialogue and plan of action for a more inclusive Bay Area.
Houses and Families by Nubia Ortega
“I try to put a dent in the challenges that people with disabilities face when it comes to finding affordable, inclusive, and accessible housing. That means housing that meets their needs ”
Isaac advocates for inclusive housing through his art as well as through his role as Communications Analyst at The Kelsey Institute—an organization with a focus on establishing a scalable model for disability-inclusive, affordable housing. Isaac advocates for the inclusion of people with disabilities in focus groups before design begins. To learn more about Inclusive Design Standards and Isaac’s recent feature, visit thekelsey.org
“I have been in my neighborhood for a lot of years. I know the whole city, and things have been changing throughout the years. The neighborhood is safer, but it’s more expensive, and as the neighborhood changes around me, the less affordable it is.”
Artists who are longtime San Francisco residents have witnessed the gentrification of the city, causing the displacement of long-standing communities and cultural institutions throughout the Bay. As a result, many residents lack a sense of belonging and cultural identity, contributing to feelings of alienation and disconnection.
“People with disabilities do not have much resources, they have very little money, the little money they have could never afford the rents”
The vast majority of people with developmental disabilities rely on SSI/SSP as their only source of income. As it currently stands, most “affordable housing units remain unaffordable, requiring two or three times the monthly rent to qualify.” Affordable housing units with rents affordable to people at extremely low incomes typically have multi-year waiting lists. Research shows that elderly or disabled renters on fixed incomes are at higher risk of displacement, especially in gentrifying areas. People of color in gentrifying neighborhoods are also more likely to experience negative health outcomes, often as a result of a lack of community and belonging.
Despite these glaring barriers, current local efforts to build affordable housing do not explicitly commit to housing people with disabilities. Kevin Roach’s advocacy, along with his art, includes speaking directly to his local elected officials. For more information on how to speak with your representatives and where to find bills that affect the disability community, visit thearcca.org
“[My neighbor is] still provoking me…because the court told her she can record me. I want a city that supports people with disabilities and people without disabilities, treat them all equally”
Untitled by Abel Pineda on paper
According to the Police Brutality Center, Law enforcement officers are ill-equipped to interact with disabled individuals in a non-discriminatory fashion. As a result, approximately one-third to one-half of individuals killed by the police are disabled, and disabled individuals comprise the majority of high-profile use-of-force cases. Low-income Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and other people of color with disabilities are more likely to suffer harmful or deadly outcomes at the hands of police. Visit APTP to learn more about community alternatives to policing here in the Bay Area.
House by Roland Record on wood
“In my other living situation, I lived with somebody else. I had to ring the doorbell when I came home because I didn’t have a key. I would have to wait for the person to come home, or I would ring the doorbell, and my roommate downstairs would open the door for me, and I kinda felt like I didn’t have that much freedom.”
“I’ve done board-in care, I just didn’t like the rules. You had to be home at a certain time and they would lock up the food where you couldn’t get to it until dinner time and I just can’t live like that.”
The topic of autonomy was a consistent point of importance shared among participants throughout this project. The right to freely move to and from your home is often restricted for people with disabilities. In envisioning what housing could be in the Bay Area, many artists felt the main ingredient to a healthy living environment was community, living intergenerationally among friends and family, enjoying group gatherings while also having an independent space. And while live-in care facilities have worked for some, others have found that form of housing limiting and not in line with how they envision their ideal housing.
Spaces like Creativity Explored, alongside our sister organizations Creative Growth and NIAD, are not just rare gems, they are essential lifelines. Providing a space where creatives can share art, ideas, and experiences, fostering a sense of community and belonging. We believe that our dreams of a equitable, affordable, safe, and inclusive housing for all have the power to become reality.
Three Ways Home is a film by Alex Whittlesey, made for Creativity Explored under the Bay Area Creative Corps grant. Through the Bay Area Creative Corps grant, Creativity Explored artists set out to craft an advocacy campaign centered on housing issues in the disability community. Starting in December of 2023, a series of listening sessions were held where participating artists answered questions and shared their experiences navigating the housing system. A concurring film was developed with the artists to raise awareness about the housing needs of people with disabilities in San Francisco following the main tenets of the cause, identified by CE artists. The tenets are: Inclusivity, Security and Autonomy. This project asks the viewer to dream with the artists and to begin imagining a city where its most marginalized citizens are centered in the dialogues of its development.
Special Thanks to all participating artists Kevin Roach, Donna Osborn, Monic Morris, Joanna Sanchez, DeAndre Smith King, Joseph Omolayole, Samedi Djeimguero, Ann Yamasaki, Clementina Rivera, Michael Washington, Angel Lara, Clementina Rivera, and Enka-Amar Shagdarguntav without your trust, vulnerability, and advocacy this project would be impossible to make. Additionally we would like to acknowledge partners and collaborators; Marie Harrison Foundation, David Baker Architects, and The Kelsey.
