Andrew Yang wants to bring TikTok collab houses to New York as part of his mayoral platform

• Andrew Yang announced that he would bring TikTok "hype houses" to New York City if elected mayor.
• The policy position can be found on Yang's website under the "Culture, Society, and Nightlife" section.
• The policy position sparked jokes and criticism on Twitter after it was shared by journalist Taylor Lorenz.

Andrew Yang, a former candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary election for president, announced he would be running for mayor of New York City last week. The announcement drew criticism from some who focused in on the fact that Yang wasn't actually residing in New York City during the pandemic. Others have focused in on an interesting policy proposal from his campaign pertaining to TikTok collab houses.

After Yang's initial announcement, New York Times journalist Taylor Lorenz tweeted a passage from the policy section of Yang's website.

—Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) January 14, 2021

Apparently, if elected mayor, Yang would "work to attract content creator collectives, such as TikTok Hype Houses, where young artists collaborate." The statement is found under the heading "Bring NYC to the forefront of new cultural touchstones" on the page of Yang's website where he outlines his plan to bring back New York's nightlife scene, which has suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Content creator collectives" are large groups of young TikTok creators that have popped up all over the world. These creators, most of them under the age of 21, frequently live together in mega-mansions rented out by their talent agencies and rack up thousands of dollars in brand sponsorships. The Hype House is one of the most notable collectives, featuring some of the biggest creators on TikTok, and is in Los Angeles, California. Former members of the Hype House include the most followed person on TikTok Charli D'Amelio and Kardashian satellite Addison Rae.

The Twitter reactions to the policy proposal rolled in at full steam.

Many joked that the idea of TikTok houses clashed with New York City's image, and pointed out how frivolous the policy seemed in comparison to Yang's other ideas, which include the legalization of marijuana, equitable high-speed Internet access for all New Yorkers, and a scaled-back version of the UBI (universal basic income) plan that gained him so much popularity as a presidential candidate. Others, like Jason O. Gilbert, expressed direct disappointment in the policy, writing, "What about, like, a TikTok Hype House that's free for homeless people to live in."

—Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) January 14, 2021

—Liz Garber-Paul (@elisabethgp) January 14, 2021

Could collab houses actually help re-establish New York City's cultural dominance after the pandemic? It's difficult to say.

Yang's website reads, "[We] cannot forget about our local artists who create artwork through all mediums right here in New York. That is why our administration will partner with larger institutions to help subsidize rent for resident artists in buildings. These up-and-coming creators deserve a place to cultivate their craft and the city has a role to play in supporting their dreams."

But existing collab houses are, for one thing, steeped in LA's specific influencer culture and business. According to Patrick Sisson for Bloomberg's City Lab, collab houses spawn from the culture of "intermingling of entertainment and real estate in Southern California." For another, it's not clear whether their presence in the city has improved its economy or culture; if anything, there is evidence that they may have decreased the quality of life for certain residents of the city.

—Jordan Zakarin (@jordanzakarin) January 14, 2021

Sisson reports that residents of the wealthy LA neighborhoods allege that the influx of collab houses and influencer culture have made their neighborhoods unpleasant and potentially unsafe places to live due to massive gatherings.

In a press conference announcing charges against Sway member Bryce Hall after he threw a massive party that allegedly violated LA's quarantine orders, city attorney Mike Feuer stated that "in many cases these parties and the party houses associated with them have hijacked the quality of life for neighbors in the affected communities."

While there have been attempts to establish collab houses in New York City, the movement has not been nearly as successful as the one in LA. Gotham House, the only New York-based collab house on the record, has 14.8 thousand followers on TikTok.

Gotham House appears to be poised in stark opposition to the LA-based collab houses, releasing multiple TikToks that mock the "clout-chasing" nature of collab houses based in LA. The content is markedly different than that of their LA counterparts, mainly featuring scripted shorts with only two unnamed creators. Their latest TikTok activity appears to be over five months ago.

Yang's website does not go into any further details on his plan for these collectives.

Yang rose to prominence as an entrepreneur, founding nonprofit startup pipeline Venture For America in 2011 and becoming a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship under Obama's administration.

Yang ran for president in 2020 under the slogan "MATH," or "Make America Think Harder." Before he dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, he gained a significant following from people of all political backgrounds for his unique policy positions.