5 Reasons We Love Our Unions

I'm hearing a lot of complaining these days about SAG-AFTRA and the merge.  People are always complaining about Actors Equity. Some newly union actors can't seem to get good agents, and are simply not auditioning.  They're pissed.  Some are going fi-core.  Some are campaigning to get better agents, but the agencies are inundated with actors at the moment.  In conclusion: It's Bitch-Fest NYC 2012.

However, I'm trying to look on the bright side.
I'm trying to take a moment to think about why unions are great.  We all have our problems with them, but they exist for a reason - to make our careers better.

They don't always accomplish the goal, but I think it's time to list:

5 Reasons We Love Our Unions:

•They give us access to Health and Pension benefits.
      If you've ever had the luck of being on AEA, AFTRA or SAG Health Care... it's nice, isn't it?  Lots of people simply go without insurance, and some pay up to $600 a month for their own.  It's so nice to feel protected with reasonably solid insurance, and know that you've earned it.

•Once you get the job, they really protect you.
     Equity Breaks!  Meal Penalties! Overtime?!  What?  One can argue that the wages could be higher, especially for AEA contracts, but no one will argue about the conditions under which you work.  The standards set forth by the unions are high--at times decadent.  SAG-AFTRA sets must have a guaranteed never-ending flow of food.  Name another job that has that.

•They have a vested interest in making sure you don't get ripped off.
     Equity and SAG-AFTRA make money every time you make money, so they try their best to make sure you get what you deserve.
     A client of mine did a non-union commercial for a restaurant that paid $1000, and held a conflict with restaurants for 2 years.  (So, he couldn't audition for commercials for restaurants for 2 years.)  That's ridiculous!  If you book a union commercial, yes you often get a conflict, but they pay you quarterly even if the commercial isn't in use.  Of course you hope they use it, so you make more!  You never have to hold a conflict, unless you're getting regular checks.

•Unions keep tabs on agents.
     In order to work on union projects, agents must be franchised with the unions.  We all know horror stories about agents and managers trying to rip off actors.  Unions keep them accountable.  Agents are working under strict guidelines, without which, they'd have way too much power.  They could charge 50% commission.  Why not?  We'd still need them.
    Just a note: Managers are not franchised by the unions.  So if you're involved with a manager, just make sure that you've thoroughly read the contracts.

•Fringe benefits.
     Discounts
     The Shoe Fund
     The Actors Fund
     VITA
     iActor
     Screenings, free DVDs, tickets to show, classes
     Prestige and peer support

Keep these in mind as you're paying your dues twice-yearly, and maybe you won't have to make tiny cuts into your legs, just the survive.

Jenna Fischer on Showbiz

Did you guys see the Jenna Fischer blog that recirculated this week?  It's old.  It's from MYSPACE.  But it's so well put, and really makes me feel good about what we all do.  That consistency, professionalism, and smart marketing can really pay off.  Take a read.

The Acting Advice Blog - by: Jenna Fischer from The Office

I’ve received tons of letters from people asking advice about the entertainment industry and, in particular, pursing a life as an actor.  People have also asked how I got to be on The Office. This blog, I hope, will address some of those questions. 

I grew up in St. Louis Missouri.  I always wanted to be an actor but when you grow up in a place like St. Louis that is sort of like saying, “I want to be a superhero when I grow up”.  It hardly seems real.  The world of Hollywood is mysterious.  You hear stories of girls being discovered at ball games.  Success is about having “it” or being pretty or some other intangible magic.  You have no model for how to succeed.  Everyone’s story is different.  One person does stand-up for 15 years and then gets a TV show, someone else finances their own movie and it takes off at a festival and suddenly they are the hottest thing.  But for each of those people there are thousands of stand-up comics and filmmakers who never got their break.  How do you know what to do?

I thought being an actor meant being famous.  But, most actors aren’t recognizable.  It’s funny.  I watch TV in a whole new way now.  Like, I watch a show and I see the person who has 3 lines on Law and Order and I think, “Their family is gathered around the TV flipping out right now.  I bet that was a huge deal for that person!”  There are so many actors that make a living by doing support work on shows.  I was that person for many years.  For me to stay in this business, it had to be okay if I was never recognized.  I learned that I loved the craft of acting more than the idea of being famous.
My first piece of advice to someone who is serious about being a professional television or film actor is:  move to Los Angeles.  Moving to Los Angeles can be difficult but it is the only city that doesn’t put a ceiling on where you can go with your career.  New York is the place to go if you want to do theater.  But if you want to be in film and television, move to LA.

I had a teacher once who said, “If you can think of anything else you are passionate about besides acting, do that.  Your life will be better for it.”  I actually think that might be good advice.  I couldn’t come up with anything so I moved to LA.

I fully expected to be working in movies within a year of moving to LA.  That was not my reality and it is not the reality of most people who move to LA to pursue acting.  It can take a very, very, very long time to succeed in this business and my best piece of advice is to not give up. You have to motivate yourself and just keep going.  Create projects for yourself.  Don’t whine. The first year is the hardest followed by every anniversary up to about year 5 when you’re so beaten down you don’t notice the years passing anymore.  I have a friend who is so incredibly talented it is a crime that after 10 years in LA he still has to wait tables to make a living.  He gets acting work here and there but he can’t hold down an agent.  This business is not fair.  It is not like other businesses where if you show up, and work above and beyond everyones expectations, you are pretty much guaranteed to move up the ladder.  I don’t know why it works out for some and not for others.  And when you move here you have no idea which camp you are going to fall into.

It isn’t who you know.  It just doesn’t work that way.  I didn’t know anyone when I moved to LA.  Most people don’t.  I shared an apartment with an old college buddy.  He had a commercial agent and I was sure that by knowing him, this agent would take me on.  She didn’t.
Here is how I got “discovered”.  I had been living in LA for about 2 years.  A friend wrote a TV script and wanted to do a live stage version as a way of attracting TV producers.  He asked me to play a small role.  It meant lots of rehearsal for very little stage time and no pay.  Along the way I questioned why I had agreed to do it.  But, it was very funny and he was a friend, so I agreed.  After our 3^rd performance, his manager approached me and asked if I had representation. I said, no.  She offered to represent me saying she thought I had a real future in television comedy.  Naomi is still my manager today.

A month later, I was doing a very strange play - a musical adaptation of the movie Nosferatu – at a small theater in Los Angeles.  I was doing it because I loved the Commedia dell’arte style of the show and the people involved.  I worked all day as a temp doing mind-numbing data entry for a medical company and then went to rehearsals for 5 hours a night, often getting home past midnight.  One night an agent came to see the play and left his card at the box office asking to meet me.  He became my first agent.

Now, that sounds easy right?  Well, that was all after 2 years of working as a temp, doing every acting gig I could find – usually for no pay, borrowing money to buy a new engine for my car and wearing a pair of shoes with a hole in them because I couldn’t afford anything else. Did I mention my living room curtain was made from a torn bed sheet?  It was another 3 years before I got my first speaking part on a TV show.  That show was Spin City.  (I played a waitress in a scene where the girl playing Charlie Sheens crazy date threw bread at me.)

Every year I did a little more than the year before.  My first 5 years I probably earned between $100 – $2,000 a year from acting.  Year 6 brought me some of my biggest success and I only made $8,000 from acting.  But, I put a lot more money into my career than that.  Headshots are expensive.  The photo session and getting prints can run anywhere from $500-$800. Classes range from $150-500 a month.  It costs $1,200 to join SAG once you are eligible.  And apartments are crazy expensive.  $700 – $1,000 for a crappy apartment that you share with at least one roommate.  Its no wonder my living room curtain was a bed sheet.

So, how did I get The Office?  Spin City was cast by Allison Jones.  She also casts The Office.  She became a fan of mine through a series of auditions.  I kept going into her office year after year auditioning for different things.  I got some and not others but she kept bringing me back.  I developed a relationship with her – not because I met her at a party and we schmoozed – but because I had proven to her over the course of many years that I was a reliable and serious actor capable of providing a consistent body of work.  That is what this business is all about – from a real working actors perspective.  Allison remembered me when it was time to cast The Office.  She called me to audition and I finally got the part.

Most actors think their first priority after moving to LA is to get an agent.  I disagree.  I think the first priority should be to build a body of work.  Become a pro so that you are valuable to an agent.  No agent wants to sign a non-union newbie.  It’s not their job to get you ready.  Join NowCasting.com or LACasting.com and submit yourself for non-union work.  Get experience. These websites require you to pay a monthly fee for their service.  I would normally warn you about places that charge you a fee, but NowCasting and LACasting are legit businesses.  You post your photo and resume.  They post casting notices for student films, short films, non-union work and some commercials.  You are able to submit yourself for work and hope you get a request to audition.  I have friends who work all the time doing this.  It is a great way to get commercial work.  I think the website LACasting.com submits their non-union members to commercial agents as part of their service.  (You need to live in LA to participate.)

Work as an extra.  If you are new in town this is a very good way to learn how a movie or television set operates.  I did this my first year and I’m glad I did.  No one gets treated worse than an extra (or as they are called now, background artists) but since I went through it myself I know how to be gracious now that I’m more successful.  It’s a great boot camp.  You learn the set terminology and etiquette from a safe distance.  That way, when you book your first acting gig you will know what it means to “hit your mark” or how to “clear for second team”.  The top extras casting agency is Central Casting.  If you work enough you can earn your SAG card.  That’s how I did it.
You need your SAG card to be taken seriously by an agent.  You cannot work on a TV show or a studio movie without belonging to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Union.  You can do some extra work if you are not in the union but you cannot have a speaking role in a major production.  There are non-union productions that hire non-union actors (like student films and low-budget features) and that is a great way to get practice in front of a camera.

When you are ready to get an agent you should know a few things.  Legitimate agents only take 10 percent and they should NEVER charge you a monthly fee or startup fee.  They should not force you to use a certain photographer to take your headshots.  If they do, they are probably just signing you up so that you’ll hire the photographer and they’ll get a kick-back.  Agents should only make money if you make money.  An agent may ask you to sign a contract – this is normal.  A standard contract is for 1-2 years.  I would not sign a contract for more than 3 years.  And, READ THE CONTRACT.  A friend of mine met with an agent who tried to write a clause into the contract that made it so that, at the agent’s discretion, the contract never ended.  If you are unsure, contact SAG and ask them for a standard Agent/Client agreement.  Ask if the agent you are thinking of going with is SAG certified.
If you are good at comedy, take classes from the Groundlings or I.O. (formerly known as Improv Olympic).  Second City in Chicago is also great.  These are the most recognized improv comedy places.  They look good on a resume.  It’s a great place to meet people when you are new to town.  Classes are expensive so that can be hard when you are just starting out.  I didn’t do this but I wish I had.  Almost every actor on The Office has studied with one of these 3 places.
There is a book you can get at the LA bookstore Samuel French called “The Actor’s Guide to LA”.  It is a spiral bound book that is updated every year.  It lists all the extras casting agencies, casting directors, agents, photographers…etc.  This is a great resource for the new actor.  I also suggest reading Backstage West.  It has casting notices and articles for actors.

Finally, there is an amazing book you can do called The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.  I highly recommend it.  It is a 12-week self-lead creativity seminar in the form of a book.  It’s brilliant.  You don’t have to move to LA to do it.  In fact, it would be a good thing to do if you are thinking of moving to LA.  It might give you the answers you need.  It was through doing The Artists Way that I was inspired to make my movie LolliLove.  I completely credit this book with giving me the tools and courage I needed to complete that project (a project that took over 4 years to finish.)  And I credit LolliLove with giving me the confidence and practice with the mockumentary style that lead me to landing my job on The Office.

Yes, you will meet some scumbags if you move to LA.  People that prey on newcomers.  I can tell you with absolute certainty that those people have NO POWER in the grand scheme of things.
For example, it was my first year in town and I was part of a theater group.  At a party for a new play opening the playwright came up to me and asked me if I was an actress.  I said yes. He asked if I was interested in doing a part in his new movie.  I was kind of floored.  How did he know I was any good?  I said, “What is it about?”  And he said, “Well, you’d have to do a raunchy sex scene with nudity.  Would that bother you?”  I laughed and said, “I wouldn’t do anything I wouldn’t be proud to show my parents.”  He then said, “That was a test.  You aren’t a real actress.  A real actress would never say that.  A real actress would piss herself onstage if the part called for it.  You aren’t going to make it in this town.  You should just go home.”  And then he walked away.  I went back to my apartment and cried.  Why was Shem Bitterman (that is his real name) such a dick?  I have no idea.  Stuff like that will happen to you if you decide to become an actor.  People will roll their eyes when you tell them what you do. You have to develop a thick skin – without becoming jaded, guarded or cynical.  That’s a tall order.  I’ll say now what I wish I had said then, “Shem, sir, with all due respect, you are a fuckface and you can kiss my ass.”

I have a great acting coach who says that success in Hollywood is based on one thing:Opportunity meets Readiness.  You cannot always control the opportunities, but you can control the readiness.  So, study your craft, take it seriously.  Do every play, every showcase, every short film, every student film you can get.  Swallow your pride.  Be willing to work for nothing in things you think are stupid.  Make work for yourself.  Make your own luck. Don’t complain.  Hopefully, the work will find you if you are ready.

I know how hard it can be when you first get out here.  Go out and meet as many people as you can.  Create a family for yourself of creative, supportive people.  AND, don’t stop your personal life for your career.  I know a lot of people that wait to do things – visit family, friends, have relationships, get married – because they are waiting until they “make it”.  Or, they don’t go to a friend’s wedding because they might “miss something”.  Life is too short and it’s not worth it in the end.  I always took off and did that stuff and it turned out fine.  I was often anxious and worried in the process but I did it.  I believe that in order for my professional life to move forward, I have to keep my personal life moving forward as well.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for my ex-husband James.  He is the one who convinced me to quit my job as a secretary (ironically) and focus full time on acting.  I didn’t totally believe I could make it but he did.  He supported us financially and supported me emotionally.  He ran lines with me and coached me before countless auditions.  He put up with my highs and lows.  He was, and still is, my biggest cheerleader.  And, you need that out here.

It will be hard to explain your first milestones to friends and family back home.  They are waiting to see you on TV or on the big screen.  It is hard to explain how a 2^nd callback for a job you didn’t land was the highlight of your month and a very valid reason to celebrate.  I remember one year my proudest moment was at an audition for a really slutty bar maid on a new TV show.  It was written for a Pam Anderson type.  I thought, “I can never pull this off.  I just don’t have the sex appeal.  I feel stupid.  No one is going to take me seriously.”  But, I committed to the role and gave the best audition I could.  I didn’t get the job.  I didn’t get a callback.  But I conquered my rambling, fear-driven brain and went balls out on the audition anyway.  That was a huge milestone for me – but hard to explain at Christmas.  A year later I booked the role of a trashy prostitute in a little indie movie called Employee of the Month.  In the past I would have turned down the audition thinking that I would embarrass myself.  But after that earlier breakthrough I felt confident.  The success is not always in getting the part but in the seed that is planted.

If you live in LA and are serious about acting, I know a great acting coach.  He teaches a class on How to Audition.  Being a great actor isn’t enough.  You have to master the art of the audition – showing people you are a great actor.  His class is both inexpensive and amazing.  I completely credit him with changing me from a good actor to a working actor.  His name is Robert D’Avanzo 818-508-0723.  Ask about his 6-Week On Camera Audition Class.  He’s the best kept secret in town.  And he’s AFORDABLE!

This Spring marked my 12 year anniversary in Los Angeles.  I didn’t land the part of Pam on The Office until year 8.  I’m hardly an overnight success.  Likewise, Rainn Wilson toured the country doing theater and was one of those working but unrecognized actors for over 10 years.  Steve Carell had been kicking around for close to 20 years.  Most of us on The Office have a story like that.  I think that is one of the reasons why we are all so very, very grateful to have landed such a wonderful job.  Slow and steady wins the race.

I hope that answered your questions about the biz.  Good luck!

80/20

When I took my first acting class in NYC, the teacher mentioned the 80/20 program - which is a program that puts low-income New Yorkers in luxury buildings for a vastly reduced rental rate. My understanding is that when a new, luxury building is built, the city gives them huge tax breaks if they become an 80/20 building. There are over 3 dozen, and they are NYC's best kept secret.

Because the program is so awesome, they don't publicize, and you have to find out from word-of-mouth... or word-of-blog.

I got my 80/20 apartment 4 years ago, and when it happened so many people asked me about it that I wrote everything I knew into an essay, which I'll attach below***. Obviously the info is out of date, but if you follow the links in the top part, you can find out all of the updated addresses. You'll have to dig.. but, wow is it worth it.

(I also recommend the housing class at The Actor Fund - they know everything!)

***Using the info in this essay, 4 of my friends/clients have gotten their own apartments. Rents well under $1000 for studios and 1-bedrooms in some of NYC's nicest buildings. One of these guys has a building with a private pool. Luxury, people... LUXURY.

So, take a read - do some digging, and apply!

How I got a cheap, amazing apartment and how you can too.

When I began auditioning in New York in 2001, I got some really good advice: start applying for affordable housing. Every 6 months since then, I’ve been sending out postcards to ask for applications, and filling out whatever forms they sent me back. This month I finally got one. I don’t want to brag but it’s an amazing one-bedroom, in a luxury building, in a killer neighborhood for under $500 a month, AND it’s rent-controlled for 20 years.

I wanted to pay-it-forward, so I’m including all the information I have about how YOU can get an affordable housing unit too. All of this information is based on my experience and the conclusions I’ve drawn, so it may be riddled with inaccuracies, but here’s what I know:

The 80/20 Program:

My understanding is that the city created this program to bridge the gap between the lower class and the upper class. If the development companies of new luxury buildings decide to take part in the program they get huge tax breaks. In return, they promise to offer 20% of their units for rent to lower-income folk at a really reduced rate.

I think the idea is that the lower-income people will hobnob with the rich people, and be inspired to make more money. Voila, income gap is bridged.

“Low-income” includes a large range of people. It’s based on your tax returns (actually an average of your last several tax returns) and ranges from the 40th percentile to the 80th. That means that if you make between 40% and 80% of the average New Yorker’s yearly income – you may be a candidate. I think (and this is really a guess) that means between $14,000 a year and $36,000 in 2008 dollars.

Note: You may not be low-income now, but if there is a chance that you will be ANY time in the next few years, why not give it a shot?

Note to those from Jersey: I had been told that they’d only let you apply if you were already a resident of NYC, but I was living in Jersey when I put in my application. So, that may have changed that rule.

Here’s a list of phone numbers and websites you check out for more information. (There are other programs beside the 80/20 Program: Mitchell-Lama, Common Ground, Section 8, etc. I know much less about these, but you can read up at the following websites.)

http://www.actorsfund.org/services/Housing/Housing_Resource_Center/index_html

http://www.nyc.gov/html/housinginfo/html/home/home.shtml

Mitchell-Lama Program Hotline: 212-863-5610 and 212-863-6502

http://www.hud.gov/

The 80/20 Program – 212-227-5500

http://www.nychdc.com/

Related Management Hotline

212-987-6445 for current information.

www.commonground.org

Section 8 housing hotline

917-286-4300

There is also a mailing list on the www.nyc.gov website that you should get on: Click here.

Additionally, I’ve heard of free seminars given by The Actors Fund on getting affordable housing. Click here.

They don’t make it easy for people to learn about these programs, and there is no one place on the Internet to find all of the information you need to apply. This may be the most comprehensive list available. Make sure you call those numbers and check those websites every now and then to update your list. Buildings will be added and taken away often.

It starts with postcards. Much like doing a mass mailing of headshots, I suggest you just send a postcard to everyone, and they’ll let you know if they’re looking for people. Every six months, either buy blank index cards, or get pre-paid postcards at the Post Office, and mail to all of the following addresses:

Affordable Housing Office

Tribeca Tower

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

Tribeca Park

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Ventura

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Tate

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Strathmore

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Sierra

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Sagamore

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Monterey

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Lyric

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

Carnegie Park

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

Astor Place

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Chatham

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Park Imperial

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

105 E. 17th St.

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

The Westport

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

One Carnegie Hill

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

One Union Square South

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

Tribeca Green

330 West 30th Street

NY, NY 10001

Affordable Housing Office

250 East 60th Street Associates, LP

941 Hoe Avenue

Bronx, NY 10459

RockRose Development Corp.

290 Park Ave. South, 14th Fl.

NY, NY 10010 attn: 80/20 program

Affordable Housing Office

116 West 116th Street Apartments

Property Management Group

3154 Albany Crescent

Bronx, NY 10463

Affordable Housing Office

(West 61st St. Apts)

Knickerbocker Management LLC

33 West 57th Street #007

New York, NY 10019

Affordable Housing Office

Chelsea West Apts.

PO Box 762

New York, NY

10159

Affordable Housing Office

UES Towers

101 West 23rd Street

PMB 2222

New York, NY 10011-2222

Affordable Housing Office

Clinton Parkview Apartments

c/o P & L Management

PO Box 9

Brewster, NY 10509

Affordable Housing Office

400 W. 55th St. Apartments

55th and 9th LLC, Gotham Organization

55th Street Apartments

Grand Central Station

P.O. Box 2455

New York, NY 10163

Affordable Housing Office

The Larkspur c/o HCCI

P.O. Box 1189

Colonial Park Station

New York, NY 10039

Affordable Housing Office

The Aspen

1955 First Avenue

Management Office

New York, NY 10029

Affordable Housing Office

The Hudson Crossing

Hudson Crossing

P.O. Box 829

Time Square Station

New York, NY 10036

Affordable Housing Office

(600 columbus)

1230 Pennsylvania Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11239

Affordable Housing Office

The foundry

Archstone Apartments

505 West 54th Street

New York, NY 10019

Affordable Housing Office

James Towers

Better Life Renting Corp.

97-77 Queens Boulevard

Rego Park, NY 11374

Affordable Housing Office

Chelsea Centro

Rockrose Development Corp.

290 Park Avenue South

14th Floor

New York, NY 10010

Attn: 80/20 program

Affordable Housing Office

(W. 48th St. Development)

Lisa Management

225 East 6th Street

New York, NY 10003

Affordable Housing Office

(530 W. 43rd St.)

Gotham Construction Company LLC

110 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10018

Affordable Housing Office

The Brittany

Rental Office

1775 York Avenue

New York, NY 10128

Affordable Housing Office

One Columbus Pl.

Urban Associates, LLC

400 West 59th Street

New York, New York 10019

Affordable Housing Office

(100 Jane Street)

Rockrose Development Corp.

290 Park Avenue South

14th Floor

New York, NY 10010

Affordable Housing Office

Parkgate Tower/Key West Apartments

Archstone Apartments

505 West 54th Street

New York, NY 10019

Affordable Housing Office

Manhattan Park Roosevelt Island Northtown Phase II

Grenadier Realty

c/o Roosevelt Island Manhattan Park

30 River Road-Management Office

Roosevelt Island, NY 10044

Affordable Housing Office

(Clinton Towers @ 790 11th Ave.)

P & L Management

PO Box 9, Rte 22

Brewster, NY 10509

Affordable Housing Office

COLUMBUS PARK TOWERS

ADAM, Inc.

495 Broadway, 6th Floor

NY, NY 10012

Affordable Housing Office

ELEVEN NINETY NINE PLAZA

Marion Scott Real Estate, Inc.,

107-127 East 126th Street

NY, NY 10035

Affordable Housing Office

INDEPENDENCE HOUSE

Leebar Management Corp.,

51 East 42nd Street, Suite 516

NY, NY 10017

Affordable Housing Office

KNICKERBOCKER PLAZA

RY Management 1619 Third Avenue New

York, NY 10128

Affordable Housing Office

MANHATTAN PLAZA

Related Management

400 West 43rd Street

NY, NY 10036

Affordable Housing Office

Westbeth Apartments

Westbeth Apartment Management

463 West St. NY, NY 10014

(incl double stamped SASE)

The text of the postcard should be something like:

Dear Affordable Housing Office:

I’d like to request an application for your affordable housing program. If none are available, please place me on a waiting list.

Thanks,

You

Your Address

Phone Number

Email

There is a waiting list for everything. It’s really important to get on these lists ASAP. It can take years to get to the top.

When you finally start getting applications, fill them out. They are really complicated and tedious, but I think they do that on purpose to thin out the crowd. Also, don’t worry if your financial information doesn’t fit into the low-income category at that moment. They reassess everything when you get further into the process.

I probably filled out 8 applications for different buildings, and finally I got a call that, “my number was coming up,” and they wanted to bring me in to update the application and to have an interview.

They’ll provide you with a LARGE list of things to bring to the interview, including 6 months of bank statements, tax returns, leases, references. It’s intense. Again, I think they are trying to get rid of the losers.

Note: You are totally the kind of person they want in the program. They want people who fit in the low-income category, but won’t stick out like a sore thumb in a luxury building. They need you as much as you need them.

If the interview goes well, they tell you where you stand on the list, and the estimated amount of time before you’re next. I had to wait about 4 months. If you’re getting really close, they’ll move to the next step: the home visit.

An agent from the housing office will come to meet you at your home. They are basically checking to make sure that you know how to take care of an apartment. I was really worried about my home visit, and I cleaned my apartment like it’s never been cleaned before. I even put on coffee and made cookies. The interviewer walked in the door, and said, “Oh don’t worry, you’re going to pass.” He didn’t even take the cookies. Rude. Point being, they’re just checking to make sure you don’t live in a meth lab, or something.

A month later, I got a call from the office that an apartment was open. The Resident Manager from the building called me to make an appointment for me to see the place. It was awesome. Two days later I was bringing first month’s rent and a security deposit to the office, and they handed me keys.

Note: The rent is not technically rent-controlled, but it’s very similar. Every year the rate will go up a small percentage, as dictated by the Housing Board. I’ve been told, it’s basically a cost-of-living increase. The program runs through 2028, but it will likely be extended beyond that.

So, check out all of the links and phone numbers I included, and send your postcards. It’s an amazing program that not a lot of people know about. Good luck.

Hope this helps.

Written 1/08

Update 4/08: I got an email from a friend which included the following new information: "Related has a 'general request list' open for all their properties so you can consolidate your recommendations to people to use that for all the postcards to 330 w.30th to make it simpler for folks :)"

Related Management handles about 30 of the 80/20 buildings - so this may be a huge time saver! Thanks.

Update 4/09: I just got an email from someone who let me know that the following postcards were returned. The address is no longer valid:

400 W. 55th St.Apartments

55th and 9th LLC, Gotham Organization

55th Street Apartments

Grand Central Station

P.O. BOX 2455

New York,NY 10163