AS220 is accepting applications for two live/work studios available on November 1, 2025 on the communal Floor 3 of our Empire Street complex in downtown Providence. The rents in each of these studios are $590 along with an equal security deposit and a $10 per month kitty contribution for cleaning supplies and various other communal expenses.

These studios are government-designated affordable housing units; your gross annual income must be below their income caps to qualify. One of the vacant units has an income cap of $40,050 and the other has an income cap of $64,050. (In other words, all people with incomes up to $64,050 may apply, but 1 of the 2 vacancies must go to a person with an income below $40,050.) If you apply and are selected, the studio must be used as your primary residence. 

Applications are due by Thursday, September 18th at 11:59 PM. Interviews will be conducted during the week of October 6th. Download the Application Forms by clicking here.

Email your complete application to live-work@as220.org, or if you are facing a barrier sending it online, you can drop it off at AS220’s administrative office (95 Mathewson St, Suite 204, Providence) between 10am-6pm on a workday.

We encourage artists of all backgrounds and artistic mediums to apply. At AS220 we believe all people are born creative, that everyone is an artist, and that there is magic and power in bringing people from different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, identities and perspectives together. We embrace an expansive view of art and resist narrowly defined, Westernized and commercialized definitions of art and its value in society. 

All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, ability, age, or veteran status. To read more about AS220’s values, please visit as220.org/about-as220.

Frequently Asked Questions about vacancies on the Empire Communal Floor:

What is included in this unit?

The available live/work studios are each 322 square feet and are connected to a shared communal floor. A kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a laundry room are shared by the eleven studio residents on the floor. There is no parking included, it is a non-smoking building, and no pets are allowed. Rent on Floor 3 includes all utilities – heat, AC, electric, and hot water.

What is living on the communal floor like?

Residents on the communal floor must be committed to a cooperative living structure, as the floor is shared between 11 people. Residents share in chores to care for the space, each contribute $10 per month to a communal kitty for floor expenses, and hold monthly floor meetings together.

Noise levels in a downtown historic arts building

AS220’s Empire Street complex is a busy building that includes live performance spaces, galleries, a bar and restaurant, artist work studios, and a dance studio. The building is historic and was built before the sound-reducing architecture that is expected from modern apartment buildings. Sounds of people on the street, buses passing by, and artists using the floors below are common. If you need a lot of peace and quiet, this may not be for you. If you are looking for a lively living environment and are inspired by other artistic activity, this could be a very good fit.

What benefits and expectations come with being a resident artist at AS220?

AS220 residents receive discounted access to workshops and art-making tools in AS220’s Community Studios. They also have the opportunities to exhibit work in AS220’s Resident Gallery at 131 Washington St and to book our Main Stage and Black Box Theater for live performances.

Expectations of AS220 residents include paying rent on time each month, treating fellow AS220 community members and staff with respect, and contributing 5 monthly volunteer hours to the AS220 community. Mutual expectations of communal floor members include completing regular chores for the common spaces on the floor, contributing $10 per month to a communal kitty for floor expenses, and attending monthly floor meetings.

Who can apply?

We encourage all interested applicants to apply. However, keep in mind there are income limits due to the unit’s affordable housing status. Your annual gross (before tax) income must be under $64,050. Because the kitchen and bathrooms are shared between 11 residents, we do not encourage couples to apply for a single studio (although there is an outside possibility that both members of a couple could be selected and each person could occupy their own studio on the floor).

If you need help figuring out how to calculate your income, see the Income Declaration Form in the application packet. The second page of that form has a guide that shows all of the sources of income that must be considered and how to add them up

You must be at least 21 years of age to live on the communal floor (a shared kitchen means that there will often be alcohol present in the space).

Do I have to be an artist to apply?

At AS220 we define “artist” very broadly. We believe that all people are born creative and that anyone who is applying their creative passion is an artist. If you’re asking yourself whether your particular creative passion “counts” as art, you can rest assured that you’re an artist in our eyes. 

If you are adamant that you are not an artist, you are still eligible to apply for AS220’s affordable housing openings. You may submit an application, come for an interview, and if you score well in the interview you will be added to our Non-Artist Waiting List. For more details on this process, please inquire by emailing live-work@as220.org.

What is the application process?

To apply, submit the Application Form and the Income Declaration Form, and attach an artistic bio, artistic resume, and samples of your artwork.

A panel of AS220 residents will select 8 applicants to visit us for an interview. The interview panel will be made up of Floor 3 residents and at least one AS220 staff member. The panel will score all applicants on the same scale in three areas: 

1. their housing needs and artistic needs, and how well those needs align with the spaces and resources AS220 has to offer

2. their level of interest in joining a community of artists

3. their commitment to their artistic practice (we do not judge applicants based on our subjective impressions of their art; rather we look at the role that artistic practice plays in the applicant’s life). 

The two applicants with the highest scores after the interviews will be offered the spaces.

Affordable Housing regulations require that AS220 verify a new tenant’s income before they move in; AS220 staff will be in touch with you after you submit your application to begin the process of verifying your income. 

If you have any questions, please contact Noah Morrison at live-work@as220.org or by calling 401-831-9327 x110.