Advocates and real estate experts say home prices continue to climb, while renters face mounting challenges securing housing in a market that remains one of the most expensive in the nation.
"Part of San Francisco's identity is because of its artists and to think that it's a commuter labor force would be incredibly tragic," said Meg Shiffler of the Artist Space Trust.
Federal data ranks San Francisco among the top two most expensive places in the country to live, contributing to concerns about artists being forced out.
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The issue drew a full audience Tuesday night in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, where attendees gathered to discuss keeping low-income artists housed in the city and the broader Bay Area.
Organizers pointed to increased demand from higher-earning workers, including those in the artificial intelligence sector, as a key factor driving competition for housing.
"San Francisco in particular, compared to any other major metro area, has gone up over 15% year-over-year," said Daniel Flores, a realtor with Compass.
Flores added that the competition for rentals has intensified significantly.
"Some people want to pay a full year up front. Legality-wise, I don't know if you could take up a full year," he said.
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He also noted that some rental units can attract as many as 20 applications, with prospective tenants bidding up prices, creating additional barriers for artists and other lower-income renters.
In response, several organizations are working to expand access to affordable housing tailored specifically to artists.
"We find buildings with long-term residents. We buy them, then we turn them into permanently affordable housing," said Kyle Smeallie of the San Francisco Community Land Trust.
The Artist Space Trust is pursuing a similar strategy focused on long-term preservation.
"All of these elder artists are still at home, but when they pass, the homes will come to the artists' space trust and we'll put artists in there," Shiffler said.
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New developments are also underway, including a project near Market and Gough streets that aims to provide affordable housing for artists.
Advocates describe such efforts as significant but insufficient given the scale of the problem.
"It's one of the biggest projects in San Francisco history for artists specifically, and we know that is a great project but we also know we need to do orders of magnitude more than that, to make sure that the people who are part of bringing the culture to the Bay Area can stay here," Smeallie said.
Despite the challenges, artists remain drawn to San Francisco for professional opportunities.
"A lot of people say, 'Why don't artists just go and live somewhere else where it's less expensive,' and the answer is the opportunities are here," Shiffler said.
Advocates warn that without sustained efforts to create and preserve affordable housing, the city risks losing a defining part of its cultural identity.