For 35 years, CDance Company for the Arts has been a fixture on Columbus's East Side — a place where children as young as 18 months learn ballet, hip-hop, tap, and more. It's also an anti-bullying safe haven that gives kids a structured, supportive place to grow.

CDance has survived a pandemic and a fire. Now it may not survive its landlord. In recent months, the studio's rent jumped from $2,300 to $5,088 per month — a 120% increase — pushing owner Carmen Alston to the edge. The studio is behind on rent and has turned to GoFundMe to raise $50,000 just to stay open.

"We're not just a studio. We're a safe haven for kids," Alston said. "Just being there for them is important, instead of them being on the streets."

CDance is not alone. Across Columbus, community-serving arts organizations — especially those rooted in neighborhoods that are changing fast — face sudden, steep rent increases they simply cannot absorb. When these spaces close, the kids and families who depend on them have nowhere else to go.

We're calling on Columbus City Council and the Mayor's Office to act now. Specifically, we ask that the city establish an Emergency Arts Stabilization Fund to provide short-term relief grants to community-serving studios and arts organizations facing displacement due to sudden rent increases. Cities like Chicago and Denver have done this. Columbus can too.

CDance has done the hard work of building something real over 35 years. The city should help make sure that work isn't wiped out by one rent hike.

Sign this petition to tell Columbus City Council: our community arts spaces are worth protecting.