Culture Executives Lose Housing Perk
Several cultural organizations, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, have reduced or eliminated housing benefits for their former directors in response to concerns over income inequality and financial strains caused by the pandemic. These organizations have sold luxury apartments and now provide taxable housing allowances instead. The move comes as museums face scrutiny over executive pay and growing unionization efforts by museum workers. Some institutions still provide housing subsidies but structure them as taxable stipends. Other perks, such as social club memberships and first-class travel, are also being reevaluated.