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This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the full series here.
Jaelynn Walls thought it would take years of saving before they could buy their own home in Oakland. But after seeing an Instagram post from Artist Space Trust, home ownership went from dream to reality for the 27-year-old fiction writer, curator and visual artist.
Artist Space Trust, a new Bay Area organization that helps artists secure affordable housing, helped Walls secure $168,000 in downpayment assistance from CalHOME, a state program for first-time homebuyers. After a whirlwind three months of compiling financial paperwork and spending their free time at open houses, Walls and their wife got the keys to a cozy East Oakland three-bedroom…