While the piece doesn't explicitly have anything to do with affordable housing, a few passages caught our eye:
“My ultimate goal is to be a painter, but I also need to be financially stable,” Reach says. “I like Michigan a lot, but I’m also attracted to the big city.”
Like many of their peers graduating with degrees in a creative field this year, Reach and Asghar don’t plan on taking residence and working in the Lansing-area or even the state of Michigan. Instead they will make their way to established cultural centers, like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or Portland, Ore. Although they appreciate the efforts made by the local cultural community, many of the graduates can’t see a place for themselves in it as the state’s budget woes worsen and funding for the arts continues to dwindle. For some, the attraction to find others like themselves is too strong.
“People are trying really hard,” Asghar says of those in the local art scene. “I don’t think the community is making enough of an effort.”
The allure of big cities like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles is hard for anyone to ignore, especially young artists who are seeking communities that offer a rich cultural experience to live in after graduation. But that's part of the problem for Michigan –– we need to be able to compete with these big cities by building communities that the next generation of young, creative workers want (and can afford) to live in.
Fortunately, there is still hope that we can turn things around...
But Berding says Lansing is in a unique position to appeal to those same artists because of untapped resources, including vacant buildings, affordable living and riverfront property, and he has been encouraged by how much conversation has been dedicated to this subject recently. “The spirit is there,” he says.
“I think we’ve looked at creating an environment where [the arts] can flourish,” [East Lansing Arts Coordinator Sharon Radtke] says.
Likewise, Randy Hannan, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero’s deputy chief of staff, says the city of Lansing is working to create a setting that is sympathetic to the arts.
“Retaining the creative class is absolutely necessary for the success of the city,” Hannan says.
There is no magic bullet to reverse this "brain drain," but it seems clear that the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund can be part of the solution:
If Michigan's economy is to experience true transformation, there must be a connection between the creation of jobs and the availability of safe, high quality, affordably priced housing. And, for companies from across the country to considering re-locating to Michigan — or to encourage existing Michigan companies to stay — we must prove that we can maintain a state full of vibrant cities where their workers will want to live.
If you want to show your support for the Living in Michigan campaign, next Wednesday is the day to do it. There's still time to join the coalition, contact your state legislators to voice your support, and register for the free Lunch on the Lawn. We'll see you at the Capitol!