St. Louis Art Place Initiative’s mission is to build wealth and equity for low-to-moderate-income artists through homeownership. The Initiative was formed in 2017 around a community mandate and effort to design and implement a plan for affordable for-sale housing to artists in Gravois Park. The neighborhood is exceptionally artist-dense and artists – as predominantly low-income earners – were among the first displaced as gentrifying development practices began impacting the Gravois Park community. St. Louis Art Place Initiative works closely with the neighborhood beyond housing. They work with the residents, stakeholders, and the Initiative’s homeowners to facilitate the creation of a community land trust that will collectively own all public and commercial space. The community governs the design, planning and development.

Deaconess Foundation supports the Initiative through the Responsive Grant Fund to support their efforts in the Gravois Park neighborhood, developing affordable housing and green space, as well as community organizing with residents and local institutions.

Learn more about St. Louis Art Place Initiative here.