Music
Oakland mayor vows to protect DIY spaces following deadly warehouse fire
by Richard Howard
January 16, 2017
Oakland works to protect safe space in the wake of the Ghost Ship fire.
On Friday December 2, a devastating fire took the lives of 36 show-goers at DIY venue in Oakland, California. Known as ‘Ghost Ship,’ the warehouse was an unpermitted living, work and concert space. In the wake of the tragedy, opponents (read: trolls) of such spaces have begun reporting similar venues across the continent in the hopes of getting them closed (there is widespread speculation that this is the reason for Toronto’s own Soybomb shut its doors). Surprisingly, the city of Oakland is taking steps to protect DIY spaces while attempting to improve safety levels at the same time.
Oakland Mayor Libby Shcaaf has issued an executive order designed to protect tenants and workers from eviction or displacement from unpermitted spaces that do not pose an immediate threat. A compliance plan is being offered to buildings deemed not up to code, giving them 60 days to correct violations. The order goes so far as to ask inspectors to collaborate with rather that persecute the spaces, urging the officials to “generally work in the spirit of cooperation with property owners, tenants and master lessons to correct code violations that are not deemed to be an imminent life safety risk.” Schaaf also released a statement that reads in part:
“Buildings in Oakland should be safe places to live, work and play. In the wake of the Ghost Ship tragedy, unpermitted living, assembly and work spaces are under heightened scrutiny. We must unite as a City to improve the safety of non-permitted spaces while also working to avoid displacing vulnerable community members.”
This is actually the second step the city has taken to protect artists and art organizations, following a $1.7 million pledge to assist with the creation of new, safer spaces and sustaining of existing ones. It’s been said ad nauseam, but it bears repeating: If Toronto wants to continue to promote itself as a ‘music city,’ it’s going to need to take cues from cities such as Oakland in creating laws and infrastructure that actually support the people and organizations creating the music and other art forms.
